We use the simple past tense to say that something happened sometime ago. This tense form is quite commonly used with past time expressions like yesterday, last week, two hours ago or last year.

• I met him yesterday.
• She recognized me instantly.
• I called him yesterday.
• They arrived in the morning.

In the simple past tense, we make questions and negatives with did.

• I did not see him yesterday.
• She did not recognize me.
• I did not call him.
• He did not pass the test.
• Did you see him yesterday?
• Did she say anything?
• Did I hurt you?

This grammar worksheet tests a students ability to make sentences in the simple past tense. Fill in the blanks with an appropriate simple past tense form.

1. I ……………………….. an egg in the morning. (eat)

2. She ………………………. me a liar. (call)

3. I ………………………… to slap him. (want)

4. Ramya ………………………. to say hi. (stop)

5. It …………………………. me quite some time to repair the car. (take)

6. I …………………………. the job in two hours. (finish)

7. She ………………………….. out of the window but didn’t find anything. (look)

8. It ………………………… for hours yesterday. (rain)

9. The children …………………………. another window yesterday. (break)

10. He ……………………….. me a story. (tell)

11. She ………………………… that she would come. (say)

12. She ………………………….. a famous writer. (become)

Answers

1. ate, 2. called, 3. wanted, 4. stopped, 5. took, 6. finished, 7. looked, 8. rained, 9. broke, 10. told, 11. said, 12. became

Worksheet 2

Change the following sentences in the simple present tense into simple past.

1. My son writes with his left hand.

2. Sachin enjoys playing cricket.

3. Lata sings lovely songs.

4. The birds fly in the sky.

5. I wake up at 6 o’clock in the morning.

6. It takes me ten minutes to get ready for school.

7. She works hard to make a living.

8. I want to be a scientist.

9. She works at a multinational company.

10. All children like to play with their toys.

11. I read the newspaper in the morning.

12. I have breakfast at 8 am.

Answers

1. My son wrote with his left hand.

2. Sachin enjoyed playing cricket.

3. Lata sang lovely songs.

4. The birds flew in the sky.

5. I woke up at 6 o’clock in the morning.

6. It took me ten minutes to get ready for school.

7. She worked hard to make a living.

8. I wanted to be a scientist.

9. She worked at a multinational company.

10. All children liked to play with their toys.

11. I read the newspaper in the morning. (The past tense of read is read.)

12. I had breakfast at 8 am.

Worksheet 3

Fill in the blanks with the simple past tense form of the verb.

1. She ……………………… in 2005. (graduate)

2. The doctors ………………….. on him yesterday. (operate)

3. He ……………………. me a liar. (call)

4. The train ……………………. an hour ago. (depart)

5. She …………………. me the reason for her unhappiness. (tell)

6. The glass …………………… (break) when I ……………………. (drop) it.

7. When I ………………….. (call) her, she ………………….. (come) at once.

8. They …………………….. (take) the injured to the hospital.

9. I …………………….. an old friend of mine at the party. (meet)

10. I ……………………. an interesting story yesterday. (read)

11. I …………………….. (hear) that you were moving.

12. She …………………….. (show) me her old photos.

13. The cop …………………… (run) after the thief.

14. She …………………….. the whole water. (drink)

15. We ……………………. across the river. (swim)

16. Who ……………………. the window? (break)

17. I …………………….. the yellow frock. (choose)

18. My mother ……………………… (buy) me a nice necklace.

19. She ……………………. (ask) the same question again and again.

20. I ………………………… (write) all answers.

Answers

1. graduated, 2. operated, 3. called, 4. departed, 5. told, 6. broke, dropped, 7. called, came; 8. took, 9. met, 10. read, 11. heard, 12. showed, 13. ran, 14. drank, 15. swam, 16. broke, 17. chose, 18. bought, 19. asked, 20. Wrote

Worksheet 4

Affirmative sentences in the simple past tense are given below. Change them into negative sentences.

1. They donated a lot of money.

2. The teacher gave us a lot of homework.

3. We won the championship last year.

4. I waited for several hours.

5. She spoke for an hour.

6. I talked to the minister.

7. She took an hour to finish the job.

8. He ate everything on his plate.

9. I wanted to talk to him.

10. She worked hard for several years.

11. I made a coffee.

12. He asked for a raise.

13. The cat caught the mouse.

14. They sang and danced.

15. He swam across the stream.

16. The cat jumped over the fence.

Answers

1. They did not donate a lot of money.

2. The teacher did not give us a lot of homework.

3. We did not win the championship last year.

4. I did not wait for several hours.

5. She did not speak for an hour.

6. I did not talk to the minister.

7. She did not take an hour to finish the job.

8. He did not eat everything on his plate.

9. I did not want to talk to him.

10. She did not work hard for several years.

11. I did not make a coffee.

12. He did not ask for a raise.

13. The cat did not catch the mouse.

14. They did not sing and dance.

15. He did not swim across the stream.

16. The cat did not jump over the fence.

Worksheet 5

Change affirmative to interrogative

1. She arrived in the morning.

2. The train was late by an hour.

3. She paid off the loan.

4. She apologized for the mistake.

5. Robbers attacked the traveler.

6. The passengers quickly the boarded the train.

7. She remembered every minute detail.

8. I ate a sandwich in the morning.

9. She refused to talk to him.

10. She became a doctor.

11. The students went to school by bus.

12. The hostess received the guests with pleasure.

Answers

1. Did she arrive in the morning?

2. Was the train late by an hour?

3. Did she pay off the loan?

4. Did she apologize for the mistake?

5. Did the robbers attack the traveler?

6. Did the passengers quickly board the train?

7. Did she remember every minute detail?

8. Did I eat a sandwich in the morning?

9. Did she refuse to talk to him?

10. Did she become a doctor?

11. Did the students go to school by bus?

12. Did the hostess receive the guests with pleasure?