PAST TENSE Prepared by Varia V Virdaus M

PAST TENSE Prepared by: Varia V. Virdaus, M. A. (source: Hayden, Rebecca E. , Pilgrim, Dorothy W. , and Haggard, Aurora Q. 1998. Mastering American English. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing)

Simple Past Tense Pattern: (+) S+ V 2+ C (-) S +Did + NOT + V 1 + C (? ) Did + S + V 1 + C? Using Verb (+) S + was/ were + Adj/ N (-) S + was/ were + NOT + Adj/ N (? ) Was/ were + S + Adj/ N Using non-Verb

THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE The simple past tense is the same as the past form of a verb. The form is the same for all persons, singular and plural. Be is an exception. WANT: I wanted you wanted we wanted he wanted they wanted SING: I sang she sang you sang they sang we sang BE: I was he was you were they were we were

The past form of all regular verbs is made by adding d or ed (occasionally t) to the simple form of the verb. (1) The ending d is added when the simple form ends in e or ee. hoped freed agreed raised

(2) The ending ed is added to all other verbs. The following changes in spelling occur: a. Final y, preceded by a consonant, is changed to i before adding ed. Study studied try tried b. A final consonant letter (except h, w, x, y), preceded by a single vowel letter, is doubled in words of one syllable. begged stopped BUT: tax (ends in x) taxed

c. A final consonant letter (except h, w, x, y), preceded by a single vowel letter, is doubled in words accented on the last syllable. permitted occurred BUT: attempt (ends in three consonant letters) attempted gather (ends on first syllable) gathered (3) Occasionally t is added to the simple form. An example is meant.

1. Columbus (discover) America in 1492. 2. They (study) in the library when the fire alarm went off. 3. It (snow) when I got up this morning. 4. The man (drop) the heavy suitcase on my foot. 5. Einstein (die) on April 18, 1955. 6. I (write) a letter to Janet when she telephoned. 7. Prof. Kit (teach) English at Harvard for almost 50 years.

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