Life

Level 3 Unit 4a
Simple past

Did you go to the movies

yesterday?
Yes, I did. We saw the
movie Blade Runner.

Who did you go with?

Brian. He wanted to see it.

Was it good?
I didn’t like it, but
Brian loved it.

Presentation
Use the simple past to talk about actions and situations to be
in the past.
was
I / He / She / it
to be wasn’t (was not)
very good.
The simple past forms of to be are was and were: were
You / We / They
weren’t (were not)
The movie was good. The actors were great.
I / he / Yes, I / he / she / it was.
Regular Verbs Was
she / it No, I / he / she / it wasn’t.
With most other verbs add -ed to make affirmative forms: good?
you / we / Yes, you / we / they were.
Were
want → wanted, like → liked they No, you / we / they weren’t.
Use did/didn’t + infinitive to form questions and negatives.
Other verbs
Did you like the movie?
I didn’t like it. I / you / he / she / liked
the movie.
it / we / they didn’t like
Use did/didn’t to form short answers.
Did you like it? No, I didn’t.
I / you / he / she / it /
Who did go with?
we / they
Irregular Verbs
I / you / he / she / it /
Some verbs have an irregular affirmative form in the Did like the movie?
we / they
simple past:
see → saw, go → went Yes, I / you / he / No, I / you / he /
did. didn’t.
she / it / we / they she / it / we / they
Time expressions
Here are some common time expressions often used Key spelling rules
with the simple past: yesterday, last week, last year, two You may sometimes need to make small changes to the
years ago, five minutes ago spelling of the verb:
live → lived (not liveed)  cry → cried (not cryed)

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 Level 3 Unit 4a
Exercises

Exercises
1 Put the words in the correct order to make questions.
1 night what you last do did? Waht did you do last night?
2 see you what movie did? What movie did you see?
3 actors were who the? Who were the actors?
4 about was what it? What it was about?
5 it you enjoy did? Did you enjoy it?
4 Match the responses a–e to the questions in Exercise 1. Then listen and check.
2
a Yes, it was great. 5
b A writer and an actress who fell in love. 3
c An old black-and-white movie called In A Lonely Place. 2
d We went to the movies. 1
e Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. 4

3 Complete the conversations with the simple past form of the verb in parentheses or a short answer.
Conversation 1
A: 1 Did you watch (you / watch) soccer last night?
B: No, I 2 didn't . 3 it was (it / be) a good match?
A:  Yes, it 4 was . It was a very close match so you 5 didn't know (not / know) who would win until the
end.
B: So 6 Did real madrid winMadrid / win)?
(Real
A: Yes, they 7 Won , but only just.

Conversation 2
A: I 8 Saw (see) Louise and her husband last week.
B: How were
9
(be) they?
A: OK, but 10 did you hear (you / hear) about her job?

B: No, I 11 didn't . What happened?

A: She 12 asked (ask) her company for a pay raise, but they 13didn't give (not / give) it to her.
So she 14 leaved (leave).

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