Speaking: Grammar in Speaking A2 - Lesson 1
Using Past Simple (Regular & Common Irregular Verbs)
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to talk about finished past actions using both regular (-ed) and common irregular past tense verbs.
Talking About Yesterday
We use the Past Simple1 tense to talk about actions that are finished. Let's read a short story about yesterday. Notice the two types of past tense verbs: regular2 and irregular3.
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.
Key Grammar Terms & Verbs
- Past Simple (Tense) | អតីតកាលធម្មតា | A verb tense used for actions that started and finished in the past. ↩
- Regular Verb (Noun) | កិរិយាស័ព្ទទៀងទាត់ | A verb that forms its past tense by adding "-ed" (e.g., walk -> walked). ↩
- Irregular Verb (Noun) | កិរិយាស័ព្ទមិនទៀងទាត់ | A verb with a special past tense form you must remember. ↩
- go / went (Verb) | ទៅ / បានទៅ | To move from one place to another. ↩
- see / saw (Verb) | ឃើញ / បានឃើញ | To use your eyes to look at something. ↩
- eat / ate (Verb) | ញ៉ាំ / បានញ៉ាំ | To put food in your mouth. ↩
- buy / bought (Verb) | ទិញ / បានទិញ | To get something by paying money for it. ↩
Pronunciation Review: -ed Endings
Remember, the "-ed" ending on regular verbs has three possible sounds. It is very important not to pronounce "ed" as a full syllable unless the verb ends in a 't' or 'd' sound.
- /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". There is one very important rule.
The Golden Rule: After "did" or "didn't", ALWAYS use the base form (present tense) of the verb.
Questions
- You went to the market. ➡ Did you go to the market? (NOT "went")
- She bought a new phone. ➡ Did she buy a new phone? (NOT "bought")
Negative Statements
- He walked to school. ➡ He didn't walk to school.
- I saw him. ➡ I didn't see him. (NOT "saw")
Practice Past Simple
Activity 1: What's the Past Form?
Write the correct Past Simple form for these verbs.
- study -> studied (Regular)
- go4 -> went (Irregular)
- watch -> watched (Regular)
- eat6 -> ate (Irregular)
- buy7 -> bought (Irregular)
Activity 2: Fix the Sentence
These sentences have mistakes. Find the mistake and correct it.
- Incorrect: Did you watched the movie? -> Correct: Did you watch the movie?
- Incorrect: He didn't came to class yesterday. -> Correct: He didn't come to class yesterday.
Activity 3: What Did You Do?
Work with a partner. Ask each other questions about what you did yesterday. Answer with "Yes, I did." or "No, I didn't."
- Did you eat breakfast yesterday?
- Did you go to the market?
- Did you study English?
Your Grammar Mission
This week in Siem Reap, your mission is to talk about the past.
Think about three things you did last weekend. Write them down and then tell a friend. Use at least one regular verb and one irregular verb. For example: "On Saturday, I played football with my friends, and then we went to a café."