ESL Helpful Handouts Page 1 of 6 Some English verbs have irregular past tense forms. For example, the past tense form of eat is ate. This is the past tense of is conjugation of eat: I ate You ate He ate She ate We ate They ate Tim, Rita, and Joe ate hamburgers for lunch yesterday. The past tense forms of these verbs are irregular. break - broke bring brought buy bought catch caught come came do did drink drank drive - drove fly - flew get got go went have had hear - heard meet - met pay -paid put put ride - rode run - ran see saw send - sent sleep slept stand stood think thought write wrote The information and practice exercises on pages 1-3 will prepare you to play the grammar game on pages 4-6. Write the past tense form of the verb in the blank. Example: Melinda came (come) home at 5:00 yesterday afternoon. 1. Julianne (see) a movie Saturday afternoon. 2. We (do) the laundry this morning. 3. Mia (sleep) for 9 hours last night. 4. Joe (eat) a hamburger for lunch. 5. Mark (stand) in line at the post office for 30 minutes this morning. 6. Lisa (get) up at 7:30 this morning. 7. Linda (write) in her journal every day last month. 8. Barry (go) downtown last week. 9. Nick (bring) his dictionary to class yesterday. 10. Annette (have) supper at 6:00 yesterday. 11. Marie (buy) new clothes last week. 12. Josh (put) his coat in the closet. 13. Frank (catch) a fish at the lake. 14. Ben and Yolanda (think) about their family this morning. 15. Charlie (run) a marathon in October. 16. Harry (drink) 5 cups of coffee this morning. 17. Stanley (drive) to the beach last summer. 18. Deborah (ride) her bicycle in the park on Sunday. 19. David (fly) to Chicago last week. 20. Jordan (send) his mother a birthday present. 21. We (hear) a baby cry this morning. 22. I (pay) the rent on the first of May. 23. I (break) my arm two years ago. 24. She (drink) tea this morning. 25. Bill (meet) his best friend at school.
ESL Helpful Handouts Page 2 of 6 Questions In The Past Tense Questions about the past use a question word, the past tense of do (did), the subject, and the main verb. The answer uses the past tense of the main verb. When and What time ask for information about time. When did Julianne see a movie? Julianne saw a movie Saturday afternoon. What time did Lisa get up? Lisa got up at 7:30 this morning? Where asks for information about a place. Where did Bill meet his best friend? Bill met his best friend at school. What asks for information about things. What did Joe eat for lunch? Joe ate a hamburger. Who asks about people. Who did Bill meet at school? Bill met his best friend at school. Last is added to the question in order to ask about the most recent occasion that something happened. Question Word + Did + Subject + Last + Main Verb When did you last pay the rent? I paid the rent on the first of May. What time did you last see the doctor? I saw the doctor at 10:00 this morning. Where did you last go on vacation? I went to Spain. How many asks for a number. How many hours did you sleep last night? I slept 9 hours last night. How many cups of coffee did Harry drink this morning? Harry drank 5 cups of coffee this morning.
ESL Helpful Handouts Page 3 of 6 Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb. Example #1: When did Julianne _see a movie? Example #2: When did you last write an e-mail? Julianne _saw_ a movie Saturday afternoon. I _wrote_ an e-mail this morning. 1. When did you the laundry? 17. When did you a baby cry? We the laundry this morning? We a baby cry last night. 2. How many minutes did Mark in line at the post office? 18. When did you last the rent? Mark in line at the post office for 30 minutes this morning. I the rent on the first May. 3. What time did Lisa up this morning? 19. When did you your arm? Lisa up at 7:30 this morning. I my arm two years ago. 4. When did Barry go downtown? 20. Who did Bill at school? Barry downtown last week. Bill his best friend at school. 5. What did Nick to class yesterday? 21. When did you last drink a Coca-Cola? Nick his dictionary to class yesterday. I a Coca-Cola yesterday. 6. What time did Annette supper yesterday? 22. When did you last do the laundry? Annette supper at 6:00 yesterday. I the laundry on Tuesday. 7. When did Marie new clothes? 23. Where did you last stand in line? Marie new clothes last week. I in line at the grocery store. 8. Where did Josh his coat? 24. Where did you go last weekend? Josh his coat in the closet. I to the park. 9. Where did Frank a fish? 25. Where did you buy your shoes? Frank a fish at the lake. I my shoes at Macy s. 10. When did Ben and Yolanda about their family? 26. When did you last drive a car? Ben and Yolanda about their family this morning. I a car this morning. 11. When did Charlie a marathon? 27. When did you last fly in an airplane? Charlie a marathon in October. I in an airplane last year. 12. How many cups of coffee did Harry this morning? 28. When did you last hear a baby cry? Harry 5 cups of coffee this morning. I a baby cry this morning. 13. When did Stanley to the beach? 29. Where did you last break a glass? Stanley to the beach last summer. I a glass in the kitchen. 14. Where did Deborah her bicycle on Sunday? 30. Where did you put your wallet? Deborah her bicycle in the park on Sunday. I my wallet in my pocket. 15. When did David to Chicago? 31. How many e-mails did you send yesterday? David to Chicago last week. I 6 e-mails yesterday. 16. What did Jordan his mother? 32. When did you last catch a cold? Jordan his mother a birthday present. I a cold 6 months ago.
ESL Helpful Handouts Page 4 of 6 Past Tense Game Instructions: You will need a pair of dice for this game. This game is played in pairs. Student A gets Worksheet A and Student B gets Worksheet B. The worksheets are on pages 5 and 6. Student B casts the dice and adds the numbers rolled. Student A asks the question on his/her own worksheet that corresponds with that number. If Student B answers correctly, then he/she crosses out that question on Student A s worksheet. For Example, if Student B rolls a 4, then Student A asks Question 4 on Worksheet A which is: Where did you buy your shoes? If Student B answers correctly, he/she crosses out Question 4 on Student A s worksheet. Now, Student A casts the dice and adds the numbers rolled. Student B asks the question on his/her own worksheet that corresponds with that number. If Student A answers correctly, then he/she crosses out that question on Student B s worksheet. For Example, if Student A rolls a 7, then Student B asks Question 7 on Worksheet B which is: What time did you have supper yesterday? If Student A answers correctly, he/she crosses out Question 7 on Student B s worksheet. If a student does not answer a question correctly, the question remains active and does not get crossed out. This question can be asked again depending on the roll of the dice. This gives the student an opportunity for selfcorrection the next time the question is asked. The first student to cross out all of the opponents questions wins the game. The worksheets are on pages 5 and 6.
ESL Helpful Handouts Page 5 of 6 Worksheet A 1 When did you last drink a Coca- Cola? 2 Where did you meet your best friend? 3 How many e-mails did you send yesterday? 4 Where did you buy your shoes? When did you last fly in an airplane? 5 When did you last pay the rent? 6 How many hours did you sleep last night? 7 When did you last catch a cold? 8 What time did you get up this morning? 9 10 What did you bring to class? 11 When did you last ride a bicycle? 12 Where did you last stand in line?
ESL Helpful Handouts Page 6 of 6 Worksheet B When did you last hear a baby cry? 1 Where did you put your wallet? 2 What time did you come home yesterday? 3 4 Where did you go last weekend? When did you last think about your family? 5 6 When did you last do the laundry? What time did you have supper yesterday? 7 What did you eat for breakfast? 8 How many e-mails did you write yesterday? 9 10 Where did you last break a glass? 11 When did you last drive a car? 12 When did you last see a movie?