The Simple Past

the preterite (North American English also preterit) [singular] (grammar) a form of a
verb that expresses the past
specific adj relating to one thing and not others; particular
The virus attacks specific cells in the brain.
The money is intended to be used for specific purposes.
frequently adv often
Buses run frequently between the city and the airport.
some of the most frequently asked questions about the Internet
Opposite infrequently
generalization U C a general statement that is based on only a few facts or examples; the
act of making such statements
a speech full of broad/sweeping generalizations
to make generalizations about something
Simple Past Forms
in addition (to somebody/something) used when you want to mention another person or
thing after something else
In addition to these arrangements, extra ambulances will be on duty until
midnight.
There is, in addition, one further point to make.
Modal Verbs
modal (also modal verb, modal auxiliary, modal auxiliary verb) (grammar) a verb
such as can, may or will that is used with another verb (not a modal) to express
possibility, permission, intention, etc.
behave [intransitive] + adv./prep. (specialist) to naturally react, move, etc. in a particular
way
a study of how metals behave under pressure
strangely adv in an unusual or surprising way
She's been acting very strangely lately.
The house was strangely quiet.strangely shaped rocks
notice [intransitive, transitive] to see or hear somebody/something; to become aware of
somebody/something
People were making fun of him but he didn't seem to notice.
notice somebody/something The first thing I noticed about the room was the
smell.
notice (that)… I couldn’t help noticing (that) she was wearing a wig.
notice how, what, etc… Did you notice how Rachel kept looking at her watch?
notice somebody/something do something I noticed them come in.
notice somebody/something doing something I didn't notice him leaving.
Simple Past Uses
specific adj relating to one thing and not others; particular
The virus attacks specific cells in the brain.
The money is intended to be used for specific purposes.
duration [uncountable] (formal) the length of time that something lasts or continues
The school was used as a hospital for the duration of the war.
a contract of three years’ duration
skip something to not do something that you usually do or should do
I often skip breakfast altogether.
(especially North American English) She decided to skip class that afternoon.
generalization U C a general statement that is based on only a few facts or examples; the
act of making such statements
a speech full of broad/sweeping generalizations
to make generalizations about something
shy adj (of people) nervous or embarrassed about meeting and speaking to other people
SYNONYM TIMID a quiet, shy man
She was too shy to ask anyone for help.
As a teenager I was painfully shy.
Opposite bold, confident
outgoing adj liking to meet other people, enjoying their company and being friendly
towards them
SYNONYM SOCIABLE an outgoing personality
She was always cheerful and outgoing.
I’ve become more confident and outgoing.
Simple Past Tips
tip a small piece of advice about something practical
SYNONYM HINT
tip (on/for doing something) handy tips for buying a computer
tip (on/for something) useful tips on how to save money
Adverb Placement
placement [uncountable] the act of placing something somewhere
This procedure ensures correct placement of the catheter.
Past simple

fixed adj staying the same; not changing or able to be changed

fixed prices a fixed rate of interest
people living on fixed incomes
The money has been invested for a fixed period.
Exercises
Answers
1 danced 2 drove 3 helped 4 shouted 5 was; gave
6 spent 7 wrote 8 wanted 9 saw 10 went; stayed; took
all the way (also the whole way) during the whole journey/period of time
She didn't speak a word to me all the way back home
Hamburg a port in northern Germany, on the River Elbe
Cadiz a city and port on the coast of south-western Spain
beetle an insect, often large and black, with a hard case on its back, covering its wings.
There are several types of beetle.
a black beetle a dung beetle
bath [countable] an act of washing your whole body by sitting or lying in water
I think I'll have a bath and go to bed.
(especially North American English) to take a bath
go on, have, take a holiday
We’re going on holiday to France this summer.
Are you having a holiday this year?
Crete a Greek island in the eastern Mediterranean
modal (also modal verb, modal auxiliary, modal auxiliary verb) (grammar) a verb
such as can, may or will that is used with another verb (not a modal) to express
possibility, permission, intention, etc.
Exercise
Answers
1 Did you fly to Geneva? 2 Did we lose all the money?
3 Did they give him a prize? 4 Did you show her your photos?
5 Did Rebecca borrow the money? 6 Did Martin go home for lunch?
7 Did he sit on the beach all day? 8 Did he write twenty postcards?
Geneva a city in south-western Switzerland, on Lake Geneva; population 179,971
(2007). It is the headquarters of international bodies such as the Red Cross, various
organizations of the United Nations, and the World Health Organization.
give something to somebody Give the letter to your mother when you've read it.
give somebody something Give your mother the letter.
show something You have to show your ticket as you go in.
 show something to somebody If there's a letter from France please show it
to me.
show somebody something Have you shown anyone your work?
postcard (also card) a card used for sending messages by post without an envelope,
especially one that has a picture on one side
colourful postcards of California
Send us a postcard from Venice!
Exercise
1 Colin wasn’t in the kitchen. 2 I didn’t lose the car key.
3 I didn’t see the bank robbers. 4 We didn’t fly to Hawaii.
5 Neil didn’t write to his uncle. 6 She didn’t work in that restaurant.
7 They didn’t dance all night.
Exercise
Answers
1 wanted 2 went 3 found 4 knew 5 met 6 fell
7 got 8 helped 9 became 10 loved 11 was 12 died
powerful adj (of people) being able to control and influence people and events
SYNONYM INFLUENTIAL an immensely powerful organization
one of the most powerful directors in Hollywood
Exercise
Answers
fit [intransitive, transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) to agree with, match
or be suitable for something; to make something do this
Something doesn't quite fit here.
fit into something His pictures don't fit into any category.
fit something The facts certainly fit your theory.
fit something to something We should fit the punishment to the crime.
1 What nationality was she? 2 Why did she go to Buenos Aires?
3 What did she do there? What was her job?
4 Who fell in love with her and married her? Who did she marry?
5 When did Juan Peron become President?
6 What did Argentinians call Vera?
6 When did she die?
7 How old was she when she died?
Exercise
Answers
1 Were 2 Was 3 Did 4 Did 5 Was 6 Did
7 Did 8 Were
relaxed (about something) (of a person) calm and not anxious or worried
He appeared relaxed and confident before the match.
 She had a very relaxed manner.
surprised (at/by somebody/something) I was surprised at how quickly she agreed.
I'm surprised at you, behaving like that in front of the kids.
surprised (to see, hear, etc.) They were surprised to find that he'd already
left.
surprised (that…) You shouldn’t be surprised (that) he didn’t come.
Past tenses
Past simple; past continuous

Past Simple
1 Past Simple – forms
shop (for something) to buy things in shops/stores
to shop for food He likes to shop at the local market.
She was determined to go out and shop till she dropped.
2 Past simple – use
on adv connected or operating; being used
The lights were all on.
The TV is always on in their house.
Past Continuous
1 Past continuous – forms
stative verb a verb that describes a state and not an action
"Be", "seem", and "understand" are stative verbs.
Past Continuous – use
ring rang, rung
shower the act of washing yourself with a shower
(especially British English) to have a shower
(especially North American English) to take a shower
shower gel
have, take a shower
Grammar exercises
Exercise 1
2 visited 3 saw 4 did not work 5 was 6 had
7 went 8 ate 9 spent 10 found 11 bought
12 Did you go?
postcard (also card) a card used for sending messages by post without an envelope,
especially one that has a picture on one side
colourful postcards of California Send us a postcard from Venice!
Send your answers on a postcard to the above address.
be (away) on, go on, make, take a trip
She’s away on a business trip
From here visitors can take a boat trip along the coast to Lundy Island.
have a trip
Did you have a good trip
Brighton a large town on the coast of East Sussex in southern England
The Royal Pavilion (also the Brighton Pavilion) a famous building in Brighton,
England, designed in an Indian style by John Nash. It was completed in 1820 and was a
 favourite building of the Prince Regent, later King George IV. The rooms are mainly in a
Chinese style. It is now kept as a museum.
do, go for, go on, have, take a walk
The book contains circular walks you can do in half a day.
We'll go for a walk before lunch.
We went on a ten-mile walk along the coast
fish and chips a dish of fish that has been fried in batter served with chips / fries, and
usually bought in the place where it has been cooked and eaten at home, etc., especially
in Britain
Three portions of fish and chips, please. a fish and chip shop
Exercise 2
Answers
2 Tanya was buying the drinks and Tony was choosing the music.
3 Tanya was tidying the house and Tony was preparing the food.
4 Tanya was blowing up the balloons and Tony was decorating
the rooms.
5 Tanya was ironing her dress and Tony was having a shower
give, have, hold, organize, throw a party
On moving in they threw a huge house-warming party.
tidy [intransitive, transitive] (especially British English) to make something look neat by
putting things in the place where they belong / clean, clean up
I spent all morning cleaning and tidying.
tidy up When you cook, could you please tidy up after yourself.
tidy something (up) to tidy (up) a room
blow blew, blown
blow sth up to fill something with air or gas so that it becomes firm
The tyres on my bike need blowing up.
press something to make clothes smooth using a hot iron
SYNONYM IRON My suit needs pressing.
Exercise 3
Answers
2 were working / met 3 was studying / fell
4 was cooking / burnt 5 was staying / painted
6 was tidying / discovered 7 were climbing / saw
disc jockey (abbreviation DJ) (also informal deejay) a person whose job is to introduce
and play recorded popular music, on radio or television or at a club
asleep adj [not before noun] sleeping
The baby was sound asleep (= sleeping deeply) upstairs.
I waited until they were all fast asleep (= sleeping deeply).
He was so exhausted that he fell asleep at his desk.
 She was still half asleep (= not fully awake) when she arrived at work.
Opposite awake
drop, fall asleep
I fell asleep almost immediately.
sleepy adj needing sleep; ready to go to sleep
SYNONYM DROWSY a sleepy child
He had begun to feel sleepy. The heat and the wine made her sleepy.
be, feel, look, sound sleepy
drug medicine, medical drug, medication
medication U C a drug or another form of medicine that you take to prevent or to treat an
illness
to be on medication Are you currently taking any medication?
Exercise 4
Answers
2 went 3 met 4 invited 5 didn’t go
6 didn’t get 7 was watching 8 was having 9 was reading
10 rang 11 looked 12 was standing 13 went
14 didn’t open 15 got 16 had
give, have, hold, organize, throw a party
On moving in they threw a huge house-warming party.
pyjama loose trousers/pants tied at the waist and worn by men or women in some Asian
countries
He was dressed in a pyjama and kurta, ideal for a summer evening.
have, take a shower
ring rang, rung
Exercise 5
Answers
2 wanted 3 was 4 was counting 5 chose 6 wrapped
7 was waiting 8 decided 9 found 10 ran 11 looked
12 was searching 13 were looking 14 knocked 15 waved
honest adj always telling the truth, and never stealing or cheating
an honest man/woman
Opposite dishonest
parcel (especially British English) (North American English usually package) something
that is wrapped in paper or put into a thick envelope so that it can be sent by mail, carried
easily, or given as a present
There's a parcel and some letters for you.
She was carrying a parcel of books under her arm.
search [intransitive, transitive] to look carefully for something/somebody; to examine a
particular place when looking for somebody/something
 search (for something/somebody) She searched in vain for her passport.
+ adv./prep. The customs officers searched through our bags.
search something His house had clearly been searched and the book was
missing.
search something for something/somebody Police searched the area for clues.
counter a long flat surface over which goods are sold or business is done in a shop/store,
bank, etc.
I asked the woman behind the counter if they had any postcards.
cupboard a piece of furniture with doors and shelves used for storing dishes, food,
clothes, etc.
kitchen cupboards
knock at/on something Somebody was knocking on the window.
Past Time

Quiz 1: Simple past

quiz (especially North American English) an informal test given to students
a reading comprehension quiz
Exercise A
Answers
1 live 2 work 3 take 4 arrived 5 begin 6 takes
7 took 8 was 9 finished 10 caught 11 got 12 were
13 found 14 went 15 ordered 16 looked 17 didn’t buy
18 took 19 got 20 walked 21 did not see 22 ended
23 are
be (away) on, go on, make, take a trip
She’ s away on a business trip.
From here visitors can take a boat trip along the coast to Lundy Island.
have a trip
Did you have a good trip?
go on, make, pay sb. undertake a visit
We used to go on school visits to museums and historical buildings.
How many doctors are still able to make home visits?
Pay us a visit next time when you’re in town.
during/on a/the visit
On one of her regular visits home, she told her parents she was engaged.
go by, go on, take, travel by, use, catch, get. miss a bus
board, get on/onto, get off, step off a bus
by bus
It’s about 15 minutes away by bus.
on a/the bus
people travelling on buses
wonton (from Chinese) a small piece of food wrapped in dough, often served in Chinese
soup or as dim sum
egg roll a type of spring roll in which the pastry is made with eggs
jade U a hard stone that is usually green and is used in making jewellery and decorative
objects
a jade necklace
ivory [uncountable] a hard yellowish-white substance like bone that forms the tusks (=
long teeth) of elephants and some other animals
a ban on the ivory trade an ivory chess set
jewellery (especially US English jewelry) objects such as rings and necklaces that people
wear as decoration
 silver/gold jewellery
She has some lovely pieces of jewellery.
wharf (pl. wharves, wharfs) a flat structure built beside the sea or a river where boats
can be tied up and goods unloaded
Exercise B
Answers
2 Did Ted and Amy eat Mexican food?
No, they didn’t.
3 Did Ted and Amy catch a bus to Chinatown?
Yes, they did.
go by, go on, take, travel by, use, catch, get. miss a bus
board, get on/onto, get off, step off a bus
by bus
It’s about 15 minutes away by bus.
on a/the bus
people travelling on buses
4 Did Ted find a Japanese restaurant?
No, he didn’t.
5 Did Ted and Amy see boats (on the bay)?
No, they didn’t.
6 Did Ted and Amy visit a chocolate factory?
Yes, they did.
go on, make, pay sb. undertake a visit
We used to go on school visits to museums and historical buildings.
How many doctors are still able to make home visits?
Pay us a visit next time when you’re in town.
during/on a/the visit
On one of her regular visits home, she told her parents she was engaged.
Quiz 2: Past Progressive
quiz (especially North American English) an informal test given to students
a reading comprehension quiz
progressive (also continuous) (grammar) connected with the form of a verb (for
example I am waiting or It is raining) that is made from a part of be and the present
participle. Progressive forms are used to express an action that continues for a period of
time.
Exercise A
Open completion
Exercise B
Answers
1 getting 2 winning 3 worrying 4 hoping 5 leaving 6 beginning
7 tying 8 hiding 9 dropping 10 giving 11 running
Quiz 3: Simple Past vs. Past Progressive
quiz (especially North American English) an informal test given to students
a reading comprehension quiz
progressive (also continuous) (grammar) connected with the form of a verb (for
example I am waiting or It is raining) that is made from a part of be and the present
participle. Progressive forms are used to express an action that continues for a period of
time.
versus prep (abbreviation v, vs) used to compare two different ideas, choices, etc.
It was the promise of better job opportunities versus the inconvenience of moving
away and leaving her friends.
Answers
1 went 2 found 3 were 5 talked 6 talking 7 sat
8 was 9 ate 10 didn’t eat 11 was eating 12 was looking
13 were relaxing 14 listening 15 were singing 16 rocking 17 got
18 sat 19 relaxed 20 enjoyed 21 was 22 was having
soda (also old-fashioned soda pop) (both North American
English) [uncountable, countable] a sweet fizzydrink (= a drink with bubbles) made
with soda water, fruit flavour and sometimes ice cream
Do you have any diet soda?He had an ice cream soda.
audience [countable + singular or plural verb] the group of people who have gathered to
watch or listen to something (a play, concert, somebody speaking, etc.)
The audience was/were clapping for 10 minutes.
an audience of 10 000
The debate was televised in front of a live audience.
rock [intransitive, transitive] to move gently backwards and forwards or from side to
side; to make somebody/something move in this way
(+ adv./prep.) The boat rocked from side to side in the waves.
She was rocking backwards and forwards in her seat.
rock somebody/something (+ adv./prep.) He rocked the baby gently in his arms.
tired fed up with, bored with, weary of, sick of, sick and tired of
Exercise B
Answers
progressive (also continuous) (grammar) connected with the form of a verb (for
example I am waiting or It is raining) that is made from a part of be and the present
participle. Progressive forms are used to express an action that continues for a period of
time.
2 No, they didn’t 3 Yes, she was 4 Yes, he did 5 No, she wasn’t
6 Yes, she did
Exercise C
Answers
1 hurrying; hurried 2 stopping; stopped 3 referring; referred
4 studying; studied 5 moving; moved 6 planning; planned

USED TO

Form
Use
generalization U C a general statement that is based on only a few facts or examples; the
act of making such statements
a speech full of broad/sweeping generalizations
to make generalizations about something
Used to vs. Simple past
versus prep (abbreviation v, vs) used to compare two different ideas, choices, etc.
It was the promise of better job opportunities versus the inconvenience of moving
away and leaving her friends.
Active / Passive
Exercise
1 I used to live in a flat when I was a child.
flat countable] (British English) a set of rooms for living in, including a kitchen, usually
on one floor of a building
Do you live in a flat or a house?
They're renting a furnished flat on the third floor.
a ground-floor flat a new block of flats
2 Did we use to go to the beach every summer?
3 She used to love eating chocolate, but now she hates it.
4 He didn't use to smoke.
5 I used to play tennis when I was at school.
6 She used to be able to speak French, but she has forgotten it all.
7 Did he use to play golf every weekend?
8 They both used to have short hair.
9 Julie used to study Portuguese.
10 I didn't use to hate school.
11 I used to swim a lot when I was younger.
12 John didn’t use to eat vegetables, but now he eats them.
13 Did they use to have a sports car?
14 That building used to be a cinema, but it’s closed down.
close (sth) down if a business or organization closes down or someone closes it down,
it stops operating
All the mines in this area were closed down in the 1980s.
Our local butcher is closing down.
15 We didn’t use to like maths lesson – our teacher was horrible.
horrible adj (informal) (of people or their behaviour) unfriendly, unpleasant or unkind
SYNONYM NASTY, OBNOXIOUS a horrible man
My sister was being horrible to me all day.
What a horrible thing to say!
16 Where did you use to go to school?
17 You used to live next door to me.
next door adv in the next room, house or building
The cat is from the house next door.
The manager's office is just next door.
We live next door to the bank.
18 I / not enjoy / studying, but I do now
I didn’t use to enjoy studying, but I do now.