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Improve Your Past Tense Skills in 5 Minutes! đź•’

Learn how to talk about past events with the simple past tense. Perfect for improving your fluency in just 5 minutes!

Author

AJ Adam
September 25, 2024

Good Morning! Today, we’ll explore the simple past tense so you can talk about things that happened before. You’ll also pick up useful vocabulary, refine your pronunciation, and learn a practical phrase.

Let’s get started!

GRAMMAR
Simple Past Tense

The simple past is used to talk about actions that happened and finished in the past.

Structure:

[Subject] + [verb (past form)]

Examples:

  • I walked to school yesterday.

  • She talked with her friend last night.

  • They played football after class.

When to use it:

  • Completed actions in the past: "I visited my parents last weekend."

đź“ť Practice: Write one sentence about something you did yesterday.

VOCABULARY BUILDER
Common Past Tense Verbs

Here are 5 common past tense verbs:

  1. Walked – The past tense of walk.

    • "I walked to the store."

  2. Talked – The past tense of talk.

    • "She talked to her boss yesterday."

  3. Played – The past tense of play.

    • "They played football after school."

  4. Ate – The past tense of eat.

    • "We ate pizza for dinner."

  5. Bought – The past tense of buy.

    • "He bought a new phone last week."

đź“ť Try This: Use one of these verbs in a sentence about something you did last week!

PRONUNCIATION
Pronouncing "-ed" Endings

In English, "-ed" endings can be pronounced in three different ways depending on the last sound of the verb:

  • /t/: "walked," "talked"

  • /d/: "played," "opened"

  • /ÉŞd/: "wanted," "decided"

đź‘‚ Listen & Repeat: Practice these different "-ed" sounds by saying the verbs aloud.

CONVERSATIONAL PHRASES
"Can I help you with…?"

Use this phrase to offer help. It’s a polite way to show someone you are available to assist them.

Example:

  • "Can I help you with your bags?"

  • "Can I help you with your project?"

🗣️ Today’s Challenge: Offer help to someone using this phrase!

FUN FACT
English Verbs Don’t Change for Gender!

In some languages, verbs change depending on the gender of the subject. In English, verbs stay the same whether the subject is male or female. Easy, right?

That’s it for today! đźŽ‰

I hope you enjoyed today’s quick lesson. Make sure to practice what you’ve learned, and I’ll be back tomorrow with more tips to help you on your English journey!

Keep practicing,

AJ Adam

P.S. Reply with your sentence using the past simple, and we’ll send feedback!