A1/A2 · Grammar
The past simple: regular verbs
After this page you can tell about finished actions in the past with regular verbs, spell -ed correctly (lived, stopped, studied) and say the ending the right way.
Rules
1.
Verb + -ed: one form for everyone
- I worked late on Monday.
- Tom visited his grandparents last weekend.
- We booked a table for eight.
- The children played in the garden all afternoon.
Regular verbs add -ed in the past simple. The form is the same for I, you, he, she, it, we and they. There is no -s for he, she and it.
work → worked
- I · you · we · they worked
- he · she · it worked
She worked. (not: She workeds.)
Present: she works · past: she worked
2.
Finished actions in the past
- Priya started her new job two weeks ago.
- I phoned the doctor yesterday morning.
- They moved to Leeds in 2021.
- Last night we stayed at home and cooked pasta.
Use the past simple for actions that are finished. Often a time word tells you when: yesterday, last week, three days ago, in 2021.
Past time words
- yesterday · yesterday afternoon
- last night · last Friday · last summer
- an hour ago · five years ago
- in 2021 · on Monday · at 6:15
The time word goes at the end or at the start: I phoned Anna yesterday. Yesterday I phoned Anna.
past time word → past verb: Last week I visited Bristol.
Not: Yesterday I visit Bristol.
3.
Spelling: -ed, -d, -ied or a double letter
- We lived in Cardiff for two years.
- The bus stopped near my office.
- Marek studied English in the evening.
- Lucy played tennis with her brother.
Most verbs add -ed. Verbs with an e at the end add only -d. Some verbs change the y or double the last letter.
Spelling of -ed
- most verbs + ed: work → worked · watch → watched · visit → visited
- e at the end + d: live → lived · like → liked · arrive → arrived
- consonant + y → ied: study → studied · try → tried · carry → carried
- vowel + y → ed: play → played · stay → stayed · enjoy → enjoyed
- short verb, one vowel + one consonant → double letter: stop → stopped · plan → planned · shop → shopped
live → lived · study → studied · stop → stopped
play → played: a vowel before the y, so the y stays.
4.
Say -ed: /t/, /d/ or /ɪd/
- I walked to work. (/t/)
- She opened the window. (/d/)
- We waited for the bus. (/ɪd/)
- Ben needed a new laptop. (/ɪd/)
The -ed ending has three sounds. Usually it is only one sound at the end, /t/ or /d/. After t and d, it is an extra syllable: /ɪd/.
Three sounds
- /t/ after p, k, f, s, sh, ch, x: helped · walked · kissed · washed · watched
- /d/ after vowels and most other sounds: played · lived · opened · called
- /ɪd/ after t and d, an extra syllable: want-ed · wait-ed · need-ed · start-ed
Do not say an extra syllable in walked or played. walked has one syllable, like walkt.
Only after t and d: an extra syllable → wait-ed, need-ed
worked = one syllable · visited = vi-si-ted
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