Mastering English Past Simple Tense: 8th Grade Grammar Guide

The Past Simple Tense

English Grammar for 8th Grade

When do we use it?

We use the Past Simple for actions that started and finished in the past.

<br/><strong>Time Expressions:</strong><br/>Last night, yesterday, last week, last month, last year, two days ago, in 2010, a few minutes ago

Positive Form

 I                                             <br/>you                                       <br/>we                                        <br/>they                +V2                <br/>he                                         <br/>she                                        <br/>it                                          <br/>

<div style='font-size:30px; color:#2c3e50; max-width:700px;'><strong style='font-size:32px; color:#1a5276;'>Examples</strong></div>

I<br>you<br>we<br>they<br>he<br>she<br>it

Spelling Rules: -ed, -d, or -ied?

1. General Rule: Add -ed<br/>Walk → Walked<br/>Play → Played

<strong>2. Ends in 'e':</strong> Add <em>-d</em><br>Like → Liked<br>Dance → Danced

<strong>3. Consonant + 'y':</strong> Change 'y' to <em>-ied</em><br>Study → Studied<br>Cry → Cried

Irregular Verbs

Some verbs do NOT follow the rules. They do not end in -ed. You must remember them!

<table style='width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; background:white;'><tr><td style='padding:15px; border-bottom:1px solid #ddd;'><strong>Go</strong></td><td style='padding:15px; border-bottom:1px solid #ddd; color:#e74c3c;'><strong>Went</strong></td></tr><tr><td style='padding:15px; border-bottom:1px solid #ddd;'><strong>Have</strong></td><td style='padding:15px; border-bottom:1px solid #ddd; color:#e74c3c;'><strong>Had</strong></td></tr><tr><td style='padding:15px; border-bottom:1px solid #ddd;'><strong>Do</strong></td><td style='padding:15px; border-bottom:1px solid #ddd; color:#e74c3c;'><strong>Did</strong></td></tr><tr><td style='padding:15px; border-bottom:1px solid #ddd;'><strong>Eat</strong></td><td style='padding:15px; border-bottom:1px solid #ddd; color:#e74c3c;'><strong>Ate</strong></td></tr><tr><td style='padding:15px; border-bottom:1px solid #ddd;'><strong>See</strong></td><td style='padding:15px; border-bottom:1px solid #ddd; color:#e74c3c;'><strong>Saw</strong></td></tr></table>

The Negative Form

Subject + <strong>didn't</strong> + Base Verb

In negative sentences, the verb returns to the BASE form. No -ed!

<ul><li>I <span style='color:#e74c3c'>didn't play</span> football. (NOT played)</li><li>She <span style='color:#e74c3c'>didn't go</span> to school. (NOT went)</li><li>We <span style='color:#e74c3c'>didn't see</span> the movie. (NOT saw)</li></ul>

The Question Form

<strong>Did</strong> + Subject + Base Verb?

<ul><li><strong>Did</strong> you <strong>play</strong> football?</li><li><strong>Did</strong> she <strong>go</strong> home?</li><li><strong>Did</strong> they <strong>eat</strong> pizza?</li></ul>

Exercise 1: Positive Form

Fill in the blank with the correct Past Simple form.

<ol><li>I ________ (visit) my grandmother yesterday.</li><li>She ________ (study) for the test last night.</li><li>We ________ (buy) a new car last month.</li><li>He ________ (stop) the car.</li></ol>

Exercise 2: Negative Form

Change these sentences to NEGATIVE (didn't).

<ul><li>1. I walked to school.<br><span style='color:#e74c3c;'>-> I _____ _____ to school.</span></li><br><li>2. They saw a ghost.<br><span style='color:#e74c3c;'>-> They _____ _____ a ghost.</span></li><br><li>3. She liked the idea.<br><span style='color:#e74c3c;'>-> She _____ _____ the idea.</span></li></ul>

Exercise 3: Question Form

Make a question using the words provided.

<ol><li>(you / watch / TV) <br><span style='color:#16a085'>-> _____ you _____ TV?</span></li><br><li>(she / eat / lunch) <br><span style='color:#16a085'>-> _____ she _____ lunch?</span></li><br><li>(they / go / to the park) <br><span style='color:#16a085'>-> _____ they _____ to the park?</span></li></ol>

Mixed Practice 1: Correct the Mistakes

<ul><li>1. I <strong>didn't went</strong> to the party yesterday.</li><li>2. <strong>Did</strong> you <strong>played</strong> video games?</li><li>3. She <strong>studys</strong> hard last night.</li><li>4. We <strong>eated</strong> pizza on Friday.</li></ul>

Mixed Practice 2: A Short Story

Last weekend, I _______ (go) to the beach with my family. The weather _______ (be) funny. In the morning, it _______ (rain), but later the sun _______ (come) out. We _______ (play) volleyball and _______ (swim) in the sea. I _______ (not / see) any sharks, thankfully!

Mixed Practice 3: True or False?

<ul><li>1. The past simple of 'buy' is 'buyed'. (T/F)</li><li>2. We use 'didn't' for negative sentences. (T/F)</li><li>3. For questions, we say 'Did you went?'. (T/F)</li><li>4. The verb 'be' has two past forms: was / were. (T/F)</li></ul>

Appendix: High Frequency Irregular Verbs

<strong>Be</strong> - Was/Were<br><strong>Become</strong> - Became<br><strong>Begin</strong> - Began<br><strong>Break</strong> - Broke<br><strong>Bring</strong> - Brought<br><strong>Buy</strong> - Bought<br><strong>Catch</strong> - Caught<br><strong>Choose</strong> - Chose<br><strong>Come</strong> - Came<br><strong>Do</strong> - Did

<strong>Drink</strong> - Drank<br><strong>Drive</strong> - Drove<br><strong>Eat</strong> - Ate<br><strong>Fall</strong> - Fell<br><strong>Feel</strong> - Felt<br><strong>Find</strong> - Found<br><strong>Fly</strong> - Flew<br><strong>Forget</strong> - Forgot<br><strong>Get</strong> - Got<br><strong>Give</strong> - Gave

<strong>Go</strong> - Went<br><strong>Have</strong> - Had<br><strong>Hear</strong> - Heard<br><strong>Keep</strong> - Kept<br><strong>Know</strong> - Knew<br><strong>Leave</strong> - Left<br><strong>Lose</strong> - Lost<br><strong>Make</strong> - Made<br><strong>Meet</strong> - Met<br><strong>Pay</strong> - Paid

Appendix: More Irregular Verbs

<strong>Put</strong> - Put<br><strong>Read</strong> - Read<br><strong>Run</strong> - Ran<br><strong>Say</strong> - Said<br><strong>See</strong> - Saw<br><strong>Sell</strong> - Sold<br><strong>Send</strong> - Sent<br><strong>Sing</strong> - Sang<br><strong>Sit</strong> - Sat

<strong>Sleep</strong> - Slept<br><strong>Speak</strong> - Spoke<br><strong>Stand</strong> - Stood<br><strong>Swim</strong> - Swam<br><strong>Take</strong> - Took<br><strong>Teach</strong> - Taught<br><strong>Tell</strong> - Told<br><strong>Think</strong> - Thought<br><strong>Throw</strong> - Threw

<strong>Understand</strong> - Understood<br><strong>Wake</strong> - Woke<br><strong>Wear</strong> - Wore<br><strong>Win</strong> - Won<br><strong>Write</strong> - Wrote<br><strong>Cut</strong> - Cut<br><strong>Cost</strong> - Cost<br><strong>Build</strong> - Built<br><strong>Draw</strong> - Drew