Speaking: Grammar in Speaking A2
Using the Past Simple
Listen to the examples here.
Talking About Yesterday 🗓️
We use the Past Simple tense to talk about actions that are finished. Let's read a short story about yesterday. Notice the past tense verbs (like walked, ate).
Yesterday was Tuesday. I woke up early and ate breakfast.
Then, I walked to school because my moto was broken.
At school, I saw my friends and we studied for our exam.
After class, I went to the market and bought some vegetables for my mother.
Two Types of Past Simple Verbs
These verbs are easy! Just add -ed to the base verb.
study → studied
watch → watched
These verbs have a special form. You must remember them!
see → saw
buy → bought
eat → ate
Pronunciation & Questions
🗣️ Pronunciation Review: -ed Endings
Remember, the "-ed" ending has three possible sounds. It's usually not a full extra syllable. Click 🔊 to hear.
- /t/ sound: walked , watched , helped
- /d/ sound: played , opened , listened
- /ɪd/ sound (extra syllable): wanted , needed , started
💡 The Golden Rule: Questions & Negatives with "did"
To make questions and negatives in the Past Simple, we use the helping verb "did".
Questions (using "did")
- You went to the market. ➡ Did you go to the market?
- She bought a new phone. ➡ Did she buy a new phone?
Negative Statements (using "didn't")
- He walked to school. ➡ He didn't walk to school.
- I saw him. ➡ I didn't see him.
Practice Past Simple 🎯
Activity 1: What's the Past Form? (Self-Check)
Type the correct Past Simple form for these verbs, then click "Check".
Activity 2: Fix the Sentence
These sentences have mistakes. The wrong part is crossed out. The correct way is shown after →.
- Did you watched the movie? → Did you watch the movie?
- He didn't came to class yesterday. → He didn't come to class yesterday.
- I not go market. → I didn't go to the market.
- She buyed a new skirt. → She bought a new skirt.
Activity 3: What Did You Do?
Work with a partner or practice alone. Ask and answer questions about yesterday using "Did you...?". Answer with "Yes, I did." or "No, I didn't."
- A: Did you eat breakfast yesterday?
B: Yes, I did. / No, I didn't. - A: Did you go to the market?
B: Yes, I did. / No, I didn't. - A: Did you study English?
B: Yes, I did. / No, I didn't. - A: Did you watch TV?
B: Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.
Key Verbs & Terms
- Past Simple A verb tense for actions that started and finished in the past.
- Regular Verb A verb that adds "-ed" for the Past Simple (e.g., walked).
- Irregular Verb A verb with a special Past Simple form (e.g., go → went).
- go / went To move from one place to another.
- see / saw To notice something with your eyes.
- eat / ate To put food into your mouth.
- buy / bought To get something by paying money for it.
- walk / walked To move using your legs.
- study / studied To spend time learning about something.
Your Grammar Mission ⭐
This week, your mission is to talk about the past. Think about three things you did last weekend. Tell a friend using the Past Simple.
Use at least one regular verb (-ed) and one irregular verb (like went, ate).
Example: "On Saturday, I played football with my friends, and then we went to a café."