In the article we will analyze the temporal features of the English and Russian languages, namely, we will compare the formation of the past tense in these two languages. We will analyze in detail what time is in English language. We will definitely understand how sentences are constructed, what rules and exceptions exist. The topic is quite logical and simple, if you don’t get distracted when explaining it.
Past tense in languages
We should start with the fact that the past tense in Russian and English has a fundamental semantic difference. In our language there is one thing. For us it is absolutely natural and goes without saying: “ he read a book yesterday», « we called two days ago», « by three o'clock I was ready to go», « they walked from four to eight in the evening", etc. All these actions were performed in the past and were carried out up to the present moment.
This is enough for us to understand that we are dealing with the past tense. In English there are four varieties of past tense. The given example sentences are used in different types of tense forms of the past tense.
Note: Varieties of the past tense
So, to make the picture clearer, let’s list the types of past tenses - Past Tenses (in translation past - “past, past”, tenses - “times”):
- Past Simple - past simple.
- Past Continuous - past continuous.
- Past Perfect- past perfect.
- Past Perfect Continuous - past perfect in process.
All these times are past. To make the picture clearer, let’s look at the difference in additional specific sentences:
- Past Simple: " He read a book yesterday" What is important for us is that the action happened sometime in the past - “yesterday”. It doesn't matter whether it was in the morning or in the evening. The main thing is that the action happened.
- Past Continuous: " Yesterday at two o'clock in the afternoon he was reading a book" This time tells us about certain action at a specific moment in the past, not just “yesterday”, but “yesterday at two o’clock in the afternoon.” The action took place at a specific moment.
- Past Perfect: " By two o'clock in the afternoon he had already finished reading the novel" Here the action took place in the past and was completed before two o'clock. In other words, an action occurred before some other action (or time) in the past.
- And finally, Past Perfect Continuous: “ He read a novel yesterday from three to six in the evening" In this tense, the emphasis is on the completion of an action in the past, lasted for a long period and ended before a certain time in the past.
At first glance, it is somewhat confusing and difficult. But when studying a specific time and when necessary training everything becomes clear.
We are now specifically interested in Past Simple (past simple) in English. Let's consider it.
Past Simple: usage cases
The Past Simple tense (paste simple) in English characterizes actions that were performed sometime in the past. Typically, such sentences indicate certain words (perhaps they are simply implied): yesterday or two hours ago, last week or last Friday, last year or month, a couple of years or five years ago, and so on.
Actions that took place in the past and follow each other also characterize this time. For example: " She woke up, took a shower, got ready, had breakfast and went to work.».
This tense is also used when familiar actions in the past are implied, but are no longer relevant now: “ In my distant childhood, I often loved to visit my grandmother».
Now let's move on to constructing sentences and touch on those defined in the Past Simple ( paste simple) rules.
Affirmative (narrative) sentences in the Past Simple
So, to construct an affirmative sentence in the Past Simple, you need to know the following: in English there are regular and irregular verbs. Let's figure it out:
- Regular verbs are those that obey certain laws of language, for example, the rule of forming the past tense. For all regular, one might say, “obedient” verbs, it is uniform and obligatory: to (without a particle to) to form a form in the past tense, the ending “ is added -ed" or " -d”.
- Irregular verbs are, speaking in simple language, “naughty” verbs that do not obey the general above-mentioned principle of forming the verb form in the Past Simple (paste simple). Rules don't apply here - there are exceptions that need to be remembered! The difficulty is that irregular verbs- a bunch of. They are all reflected in special grammar tables in textbooks or in regular English-Russian dictionaries. Next to the irregular verb there are two more forms. We will be interested in the second form (or the second column in textbook tables).
When constructing sentences, remember the word order. At the initial stage, try to start with the subject, followed by the predicate, and only then - all the others. This is not necessary, but it is advisable, since observing this point will help develop the habit of not losing significant parts of the statement and know exactly where to start building a phrase.
Negative and interrogative sentences in the Past Simple
To construct negative and interrogative sentences in the Past Simple (paste simple) in English, you need to know that there is an auxiliary verb did. This is a helping verb. It helps to construct negative and interrogative statements.
IN negative sentence first (in first place) the subject comes, then the verb helper did with negation not(in abbreviated form - didn't), then - the predicate in the initial form without to and the rest of the sentence.
When constructing a question, the word order is as follows: put first, if there is one, question word, then - the helping verb did, then - subject, predicate, in initial form without to, and the rest of the sentence. The example in the table proposed in the article shows this more clearly.
To fully understand and consolidate the acquired knowledge, it is necessary to complete this task. This can be a variety of tasks: put the verb in the required form, translate a sentence from Russian into English, insert a suitable verb from those proposed, etc. The main thing is that you need to carry them out with awareness, in which case it will be very easy to construct your speech in the past tense.
The article reflects the complete table in Past Simple (paste simple). Analyze it again in detail and carefully. Two accents - regular/irregular verbs and the auxiliary verb did.
Note: types of simple Simple (simple) tense
It must be repeated that if you grasp the principle of using tenses in English, and it is unique and simple, then the entire table of tenses in English will become understandable and transparent.
For example, simple in translation - " simple" There are three Simple tenses in English: Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple ( present simple and past simple, as well as future simple), that is, present simple, past simple and future simple tense. Each of these types of tense is characterized by its own construction of sentences and its own characteristics, which are presented in the table.
It will also be extremely useful to perform exercises on comparison and construction of sentences in this line of the Simple direction (for example, past simple and future simple, present simple and future simple). And the more practice, the better!
We hope that this article was useful and informative for you.
This is one of the most commonly used tenses in the English language. Its second name is Indefinite. Past Simple describes events, facts and incidents that happened in the past.
The simple past belongs to a group of tenses that express temporal uncertainty.
What is Past Simple used for?
- before (before);
- as soon as (as soon as);
- untill (not yet);
- after (after);
- when (when).
Examples:
- As soon as John graduated from the college, he found an appropriate work - As soon as John graduated from college, he found an appropriate job.
- She was surprised when I saw her - She was surprised when I saw her.
As can be seen from the examples, the Past Simple is used in both parts.
Past Simple Rules
In most cases, to form the simple past you need to add a particle "ed" to the initial form of the verb. Irregular verbs have their own forms. There are spelling peculiarities of writing verbs with endings "ed".
Let's look at the basic writing rules:
- If the verb ends in -y, and before -y, there is a consonant letter, then when writing -y is replaced by -i-.Example: try-tr ied ( try - tried).
- If before -y there is a vowel letter, then no changes occur (stay – stay ed stay-stayed).
- If the verb has one closed syllable (slap clap - slapped slapped).
- Verbs consisting of several syllables (two or more) have a consonant at the end and a short vowel in front of it, then the last consonant should be doubled (with the stress falling on the last syllable). Example: (submit-submitted- give up - gave up).
- If the verb ends with a consonant letter L (trave l travel - traveled traveled).
Education Past Simple
When forming this tense, you should start from whether the verb is regular or belongs to the category of irregular verbs.
First, let's look at the rules for forming the simple past tense of regular verbs.
It is necessary to form the second form of the verb. It is formed by adding the ending – ed to the verb (irregular ones have their own form). There are no changes in faces.
Affirmative sentences
Let's look at examples of the formation of the affirmative form:
- I played - I played.
- You played
- He (she, it) played - He (she) played.
- We played - We played.
- They played - They played.
Interrogative sentences
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Past Simple with irregular verbs
- I was not a student.
- You were not a doctor.
- He was not a boy.
- It was not a hen.
- We were not happy.
- They were not upset.
Interrogative form:
- Was I a student?
- Were you a doctor?
- Was he an engineer?
- Are you happy?
- Were they upset?
There are shortcuts for negative formsto be:
- Wasn't
- Weren't
Past simple exercises with answers
- Exercise 1
Open the brackets in the sentence in the correct form:
- John (to visit) his grandparents last Saturday.
- She (to cook) a tasty breakfast yesterday.
- Beth (to go) to sleep at 11 p.m.
- What (he\to do) last Monday?
- Alice (to stay) in her mothers’ flat the day before yesterday?
- The performance of the song (to be) very good, we really (to enjoy) it.
- My father usually (to take) a bus to the job.
- I (not/to/speak) Italian five years ago.
- Exercise 2
Select correct form verb to be:
- Chef (to be) angry becauseshe (to be) late.
- Their family (to live) on the fifth floor and they (to be) very friendly.
- (To be) Alexander a clerk?
- It (to be) cold enough to sit on the bench outside.
- (To be) the supper tasty?
- Tom (to be) at the bathroom when I (to call) him.
- We (to be) so busy at work.
- My parents (to be) upset because I (to fail) my exams last week/
- Exercise 3
Expand the brackets into the correct form:
- We (to see) how she (to go out) of the supermarket.
- My grandfather (to work) in this corporation when he (to be) 25.
- He (to become) King of England in 1899.
- The prank was funny but no one (to laugh).
- What exactly (they/ to watch)?
- She (to take) children home yesterday at six o’clock.
- He (not/to/add) salt in the soup. It (to be) insipid.
- Exercise 4
Put the verbs in the past tense, not forgetting about the presence of regular and irregular verbs:
- 1 begin __________
- change__________
- cycle __________
- hear __________
- practice __________
- awake __________
- like __________
- broadcast __________
- shout __________
- seek __________
- Exercise 5
Past Simple Tense- past simple tense, one of the main tenses of the English language, which is studied at the level elementary and at subsequent levels is considered in comparison with other times. To understand more complex tenses, you need to thoroughly know and be able to use Past Simple tense. Today we will talk in detail about the formation and use of this time.
Past Simple tense: education and use.
Learning the Past Simple is a milestone in language learning. Mastery of the past tense instantly expands the range of topics for conversation and gives more freedom in expressing thoughts. On the other hand, the Past Simple opens up the possibility of learning other, more complex past tenses. You are introduced to new forms of verbs that you most likely have not used before, which is undoubtedly a huge step forward.
Considering the importance of mastering Past Simple tense, a lot of time is devoted to it in classes.
When studying any tense, we must know how to construct a statement and how to use given time, what actions it conveys.
Let's start with statements.
Statement always begins with a subject followed by a semantic verb. In the statement in Past Simple the semantic verb is placed in the second form (V2):
I lived in Moscow ten years ago. - I lived in Moscow ten years ago.
He wrote a letter yesterday. - He wrote a letter yesterday.
They came to see us last weekend. - They came to visit us last weekend.
What is the second form of the verb?
This is a verb form that is used in the Past Simple to convey a past action. You probably know that all verbs are divided into correct And incorrect. Let's talk about regular verbs. They are called regular because they always form the second (and third) forms according to the rule. To form the second form of regular verbs, you need to add an ending to the verb ED:
Help - helped
look - looked
work - worked
When adding an ED ending to a verb, its pronunciation and spelling may change, so there are a number of rules to remember.
There are not many of these rules, but you need to understand them well, since now you are forming the basis for your further study. Therefore, we have dedicated a separate section to the end of ED, which discusses all the features of its use, rules of pronunciation and writing. Be sure to study! In this article we will look at them briefly.
Rules for pronunciation of words ending in ED.
| /id/ | /t/ | /d/ |
| Only after the sounds /t/ and /d/ | After voiceless and sibilant /p/, /h/, /s/, /k/, /f/, /tʃ/, /ʃ/ | After all other sounds (voiced and vowels) |
Rules for writing words ending in ED.
Let's move on to writing verbs ending in ED. There are several simple rules:
|
If the verb ends in a silent E, then when adding the ending we add only D |
close - closed dance - danced live - lived |
|
|
If a verb ends in a closed stressed syllable, then when adding an ending, the final consonant is doubled * letters X and W at the end of a word are not doubled |
admit- admitted beg - begged permit- permitted fixed-fixed row-rowed |
|
|
If a verb ends in Y preceded by a consonant, then Y is changed to I and ED is added |
apply - applied copy - copied dry - dried |
|
|
If there is a vowel before Y at the end of a word, then the ending is added without changes: |
enjoy - enjoyed obey - obeyed play - played |
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If a verb ends in L and is preceded by a short vowel, the final consonant is doubled * in AmE the letter L at the end of a word before a short vowel is not doubled |
travel - travelled quarrel - quarreled |
|
|
If a verb ends in R in a stressed syllable, the final R is doubled |
occur - occurred prefer - preferred star- starred |
If the verb is irregular, then you need to refer to the table of irregular verbs and look in the second column. Tables of irregular verbs are usually found at the end of textbooks. Irregular verbs can be difficult to remember. How to make this task easier, read.
The second form of the verb is used only in statements.
IN denials and questions(except for a question to the subject) it is not the second form that is used, but first. The only exception is the question to the subject, where we do not change the word order and use the second form.
Negation is formed using auxiliary verb DID and negative particle NOT . Auxiliary verb with particle NOT is placed before the semantic verb in the first form. Colloquially DID NOT is shortened to DIDN"T :
| Subject | DIDN"T | V1 |
I didn't close the door. - I didn't close the door.
He didn't answer the question. - He didn’t answer the question.
We didn't go on holiday last year. - We didn’t go on vacation last year.
General issues are formed using the auxiliary verb DID, which is placed before the subject, followed by the semantic verb in the first form:
| DID | Subject | V1 | ? |
Did you understand the rule? - Did you understand the rule?
Did she find a job? - Has she found a job?
Did they go to Europe? - Did they go to Europe?
For building information question Before the auxiliary verb we put the necessary question word:
|
WHAT
|
DID | Subject | V1 | ? |
What did you do yesterday? - What did you do yesterday?
When did she sell her car? - When did she sell her car?
Why did they leave? - Why did they leave?
IN question to the subject(Who? Who?) the auxiliary verb DID is not used, but direct word order is used (as in the statement):
| WHO | V2 | ? |
Who called you yesterday? - Who called you yesterday?
Who repaired the car? - Who fixed the car?
Who told them about it? -Who told them about this?
Use of Past Simple tense.
Now that you know how to form Past Simple, let's look at the uses of this tense in English:
1. Past Simple is an action that happened in the past and has no relation to the present, a fact about the past:
I went to the movies yesterday. - I went to the cinema yesterday.
She graduated from University last year. - She graduated from university last year.
They moved to the USA three years ago. - They moved to America three years ago.
2. Past Simple is used if the action was regularly repeated in the past or was habitual, but is no longer repeated:
When I was a child, we often went fishing with my father. - When I was a child, we often went fishing with my dad.
She attended gym three times a week to keep fit. - She went to the gym three times a week to keep fit.
They sold fruits and vegetables. - They sold fruits and vegetables.
To express regular actions in the past, the USED TO and modal verb WOULD. You can read more about their use.
3. Actions that occurred in a row, one after another in the past:
I entered the room and greeted everyone. - I entered the room and said hello.
He turned on the TV and sat in his armchair. - He turned on the TV and sat down in his chair.
We bought some bread and left the shop. - We bought some bread and left the store.
4. When we talk about historical events and figures:
Columbus discovered America. - Columbus discovered America.
The First World War began in 1914. - First World War started in 1914.
Admiral Nelson defeated the French in the Battle of Trafalgar. - Admiral Nelson defeated the French at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Any time is perceived better if you remember its indicators.
Typical Past Simple tense indicators include: yesterday(yesterday), as well as combinations including words last(past, last) and ago(ago):
Last week - last week
last month - last month
last year - last year
an hour - an hour ago
two days ago - two days ago
three weeks ago - three weeks ago
In addition, prepositions of time can be used in, on, at and others, if the context makes it clear that the action occurred in the past:
We had breakfast at 8 o"clock. - We had breakfast at eight o'clock.
Their first lesson was on Tuesday. - Their first lesson was on Tuesday.
He got married in 2000. - He got married in 2000.
Common mistakes when using Past Simple tense:
- incorrect pronunciation of endings of regular verbs.
You can correct this error by doing exercises on reading endings. Pronounce endings clearly. Don't try to speak quickly until you can pronounce the endings without deafening them.
- adding ED to irregular verbs or using the wrong form of an irregular verb.
You will most likely be understood, but it is better to avoid this mistake. Read more texts in Past Simple, highlight the regular and irregular verbs in them with different colors. You can make up examples with irregular verbs and give them to your familiar teachers or for checking.
Many people forget to put DID before the subject in questions or use the second form of the verb in questions and statements.
This problem is relevant for all times. In this situation, only practice will help.
If you are learning English on your own, you can try this method: write down all the formulas (affirmations, negations, general and informational questions) in the margins of the page, then select sentences from the texts in the Past Simple and form all the forms by writing them opposite the formulas. At first you will often look at the hint, then less and less, and in the end you will remember everything automatically. Tested by experience!)
The Past Simple is often confused with other tenses. In particular, this and . It's important to understand the differences here. Read about the differences in the use of tenses in our following articles: and.
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We continue to study the tenses of the English language. Let's consider the Past Simple tense - past indefinite time in English. Before you get acquainted with the Past Simple table, it is advisable to learn how to use In addition to the sentence structure and cases of using this tense, I will draw your attention in this article to the shortcomings of students, and Past Simple table, will help us with this.
Past Simple is used:
to express an action that happened sometime in the past and is not related to the present. In this case, the moment of the action is either indicated using marker words or implied. For example: We bought a flat (yesterday). We bought an apartment (yesterday).
to describe a series of sequential actions in the past. For example: He woke up up, cleaned his teeth, had breakfast and walked to school.
to express an action that in the past occupied a certain period of time (it is indicated by the words for And during). For example: She didn't speak for an hour.
Marker words(read more about marker words in the article) for Past Simple: yesterday, last week (month, year, autumn), in 2013, 3 days ago. Also indicators of the past tense in English are the words when (when) and where (where)- an indication of a certain time in the past. Therefore, the Past Simple table will be useful to you, in particular, for questions that begin with When? and Where? For example: Where did you go?
Legend for the Past Simple (The Past Indefinite Tense) table:
V– verb – verb
S– subject – subject (who? what?)
Ved – regular verb with the ending – ed (“regular” are verbs that form the affirmative form of The Past Indefinite Tense according to the rule - by adding the ending -ed to the main form of the verb e.g. I work - I work ed(I work - I worked))
V2– “irregular” verb in the second form (“irregular” are verbs that form the affirmative form of The Past Indefinite Tense not according to the rule (by adding the ending -ed to the main form of the verb), but by changing the main form. To do this, you need to use a verb, standing in the second column of the table of irregular verbs, e.g. I go - I went (I go - I went).To determine whether a verb is correct or irregular, you just need to learn all the irregular verbs :) (there are 218 of them in English, of which 190 are widely used - 195). Then, when forming a statement in the past indefinite tense, you can confidently add the ending -ed to those verbs that are not in the table of irregular verbs.
THE PAST INDEFINITE TENSE
(THE PAST SIMPLE)
Past indefinite tense
Affirmative form
+
| Structure | |
|---|---|
|
You(you you) We(We) They(They) He(He) She(she) It(he, she, it - about animals and objects) |
|
| Examples | Translation |
|
I lived in a big city. |
I lived in a big city. |
|
We listened to music. |
We listened to music. |
|
They went to England. |
They went to England. |
|
He swam in the swimming pool. |
He was swimming in the pool. |
|
Sheliked the movie. |
She liked the film. |
|
Itstarted in the morning. |
|
I hope everything is clear with the statement in the past tense. The situation is more complicated with questions - general and special. The video below provides an accessible and simple explanation of how to write questions in Past Indefinite Tense.
Interrogative form
?
| Structure | ||
|---|---|---|
|
you(you you) we(We) they(They) he(He) she(she) it(it) |
It is important not to deliver the ending -ed, which went to Do+ed = Did |
|
| Examples | Translation | |
|
– Did you cook yesterday? |
– Did you cook food yesterday? |
|
|
– Did they swim last night? |
– Did they swim last night? |
|
|
– Did he enjoy the party? |
– Did he like the party? |
|
|
Did is an auxiliary verb - it only helps to form a question and a negative, but is not translated. It is important to use only did (didn’t) in short answers. Saying: “Yes, I cooked” or “Yes, I swam” is a mistake! |
||
Wh-?
Special questions
(start with special words)
| Structure | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
How many (much, far...) |
you(you you) we(We) they(They) he(He) she(she) it(it) |
||
| Examples | Translation | ||
|
What did they do at the weekend? |
What did they do on the weekend? |
||
|
It is important to understand that “did” is not translated, but only shows that it is a sentence in the Past Simple. Thanks to this, the word “do” is translated “did” (and not “do”). |
|||
|
Where did your friend play tennis? |
|||
|
Why did she like ballet? |
Why did she love ballet? |
||
|
How much did it cost? |
|||
Negative form
—
| Structure | ||
|---|---|---|
|
You(you you) We(We) They(They) He(He) She(she) It(it) |
didn't (didn't) |
|
| Examples | Translation | |
|
I didn't like Spanish. |
I didn't like Spanish. |
|
|
(I didn’t like – I didn’t like, not “me not liked”) |
||
|
You didn't understand Spanish. |
You (you) did not understand Spanish. |
|
|
We didn't teach Spanish. |
We didn't teach Spanish. |
|
|
They didn't know Spanish. |
They didn't know Spanish. |
|
|
He didn't speak Spanish. |
He didn't speak Spanish. |
|
|
She didn't learn Spanish. |
She didn't study Spanish. |
|
|
Please note that not a single semantic verb in negation is in the second form and does not have the ending -ed – know, speak, like... |
||
Interrogative-negative form
(Speaking)
?-
Schematically the structure of the sentence in Past Simple can be shown like this:
+
S+V2(ed)
?
Did + S + V?
Wh - ?
Wh + did + S + V?
–
S + didn't + V
? –
Didn't + S + V?
This diagram can be printed and pasted together with others into notebook, for example, is a ready-made cheat sheet, where everything is short and concise.
The past indefinite tense of the English language is usually easy for students - some have heard about irregular verbs and, before starting to study this tense, managed to learn the well-known “three columns”, while others are attracted by the presence of only one auxiliary verb did when constructing questions and negations. Sometimes, however, students forget about the ending - ed in the affirmative form. Past Simple Table (The Past Indefinite Tense) is simple and will be understandable to anyone, the main thing is to understand it right away and not delay practice.
Past Simple is translated as “simple past”. This tense would be really simple if it weren't for the irregular verbs. If you remember, verbs in the Past Simple are regular and irregular. But if they are “wrong”, they should not exist in nature at all, why teach them? But language has its own laws, and today we will try to understand them.
First, let's talk about Past Simple in general.
We use the Past Simple when we talk about a completed action in the past. We often clarify When this is exactly what happened (yesterday, last week when I was young).
In Past Simple verbs used to describe single or regular actions in the past.
How exactly is the simple past tense formed?
By changing the verb. All regular past simple tense verbs change in the same way, but the forms of irregular verbs need to be memorized.
First, let's discuss regular verbs.
All verbs have a base form, this is the form we see in the dictionary, e.g.
listen - listen
call - to call
To form the Past Simple form from a regular verb, just add the ending -ed to the base form.
How regular verbs change in the Past Simple: table
Depending on the final letters of the verb, ed can be added in different ways:
- If the verb ends in -e, only -d is added:
Move - moved
Like - liked - If the verb ends in a consonant + y, y changes to -ied:
Cry - cried
- If the verb has stress on the last syllable and ends in a vowel + one consonant, the final consonant is doubled:
Prefer - preferred
- Regardless of stress, if the verb ends in l, this letter is doubled in the Past Simple:
Travel - travelled
Irregular verbs Past Simple in English
For some reason, this phrase evokes sacred awe and, at best, the first lines of a table learned in school. You don’t have to call them “irregular” and use a “softer” version of the name of verbs that are not formed according to the rules - irregular Verbs. All this means is that these verbs form the past tense and the past participle not with the help of the -ed ending, but in their own way. This is due to processes that inevitably occur in language. English was constantly changing, influenced by other languages and historical events. Therefore, some grammatical phenomena are not always explainable by logic.
Native English speakers themselves do not like these irregular verbs, make mistakes in them, and children, out of ignorance, produce sentences like:
I fell
It seems that everything is clear, they added -ed to the English word “fall”... But this is an irregular verb - fall, its Past Simple is fell. Children who make such mistakes do not know this yet.
But you and I are not children, are we? So let's quickly arm ourselves with knowledge! Yes, you may first have to paper all the walls with lists of these non-standard verbs. When speaking English, sometimes you will stop and think - is this a correct verb? What would the verb “say” look like in the Past Simple? Did I pronounce the correct form, or did I mix up anything? This will happen, but over time, less and less often. Soon you will reach a level where irregular verb forms will come to mind automatically. This is inevitable because:
- These verbs are very, very common. You will get used to them, there is no other way. Neither eat- eat (Past Simple - ate), neither say something - say (Past Simple - said), nor write(write), nor get something (get) in English will not work without them. You will hear these forms anywhere and everywhere. And therefore remember them better.
- There are enough of them, but still a limited number. Many new verbs appear every year, but they are all regular, that is, they form the past tense with -ed. For example, there is a new verb to google - to google, or search for something in the Google search engine. The past tense will be googled.
I googled"Past Simple irregular verbs" and found this article - I googled "Past Simple irregular verbs" and found this article
Google is the correct verb, it is new; found - incorrect, invented a long time ago.
So how do you teach them, these irregular verbs? - you ask.
The most proven tool for studying different forms Past Simple - table of verbs. Humanity has not yet invented anything more perfect. Additionally, you can use apps to memorize irregular verbs, do exercises where you need to choose their correct form, and even sing memory songs (they are on Youtube).
In the tables, the first column contains the verb in its basic form - the infinitive, the second - the past tense form, the third - the past participle (Past Participle).
The past participle is used in Perfect tenses:
I have done my homework (I did my homework)
and in passive voice:
My homework was done (Homework was done).
Learning lists of irregular verbs is not easy. To make the task easier, you can select different groups and subgroups of these verbs, and teach them separately. Many of them have general signs. For example, there are verbs in which the forms do not differ from each other, others in which the same vowels alternate, and so on. So,
Past Simple verb table No. 1: verbs where all three forms are the same
Table No. 2 - verbs where the Past Simple and Past Participle forms do not differ from each other (these are the most):
And finally, Past Simple verbs, table No. 3 - when all three options are different. There are several patterns in which they change, i.e. different letters appear in certain places:
Good luck to you in the difficult but necessary task of learning irregular verbs! Let's treat them like beautiful old English cars. There are not many of them left; new ones are no longer produced. They may not be as convenient to use, but they are unusual in shape and absolutely unique!
