Positive form — Irregular verbs

Some verbs are irregular (not regular). The Past Simple is not -ed.

Here are some important irregular verbs

begin –> break bring build buy catch come do drink eat

began broke brought built bought caught came did drank ate

fall –> find fly forget get give go have hear know

fell found flew forgot got gave went had heard knew

leave –> lose make meet pay put read ring say see

left lost made met paid put read(/red/) rang said saw

sell –> sit sleep speak stand take tell think win write

sold sat slept spoke stood took told thought won wrote

- I usually get up early but this morning I gotup at 9.30.

- We dida lot of housework yesterday.

- Caroline wentto the cinema three times last week.

- Mr Todd cameinto the room, tookoff his coat and satdown.

Exercise 3. Complete the sentences putting the verbs in the Past Simple Tense. Use each verb only once.

sell spend buy fly drive run cost drink understand

Example: Mr and Mrs Brown drove from London to Manches­ter last weekend.

1. We needed money badly so we__our car.

2. Ann__a lot of money yesterday. She__a dress which__$70.

3. Dan__the marathon in two hours.

4. They__champagne to celebrate their wedding an­niversary.

5. As teenagers, we__each other very well.

6. They__to Spain the day before yesterday.

Negative form and questions

■ We use didin past simple negatives and questions:

infinitive	positive	negative	question
watch clean play do go have begin	I we you they he she it	watched cleaned played did went had began	I we you they he she it	did not (didn’t)	watch clean play do go have begin	did	I we you they he she it	watch? clean? play? do? go? have? begin?

■ do/does (present) -> did(past):

- I don't watch television very often.

- I didn'twatch television yesterday.

- Doesshe often go out?

- Didshe go out lastnight?

■ We use did/didn't + infinitive (watch/clean/doetc.):

I watched but I didn't watch(not 'I didn't watched¹)

he wentbut did he go?(not 'did he went?¹)

- I played tennis yesterday but I didn't win.

- Don didn't havebreakfast this morning, (not 'Don hadn't breakfast')

- They wentto the cinema but they didn't enjoy the film.

- We didn'tdo much work yesterday.

Exercise 4. Make the following positive sentences negative.

Example: She spoke to me at the party. — She didn't speak to me at the party.

He had to find a new job. — He didn't have to find a new job.

1. I bought some new clothes last week.
2. The train arrived on time.
3. You made a bad mistake.
4. They had to leave for the airport at 5 a.m.
5. She had a headache yesterday

■ Note the word order in questions with did:

did+ subject + infinitive

What How Where

Did did did did

Sue you the accident your parents

give do happen? go

you a birthday present? yesterday evening?   for their holidays?

■ short answers

Yes, {I/we/you/they/he/she/it} did.

No, {I/we/you/they/he/she/it} didn’t.

- 'Did you see Joe yesterday?' 'No, I didn't.'

- 'Did itrain on Sunday?' 'Yes,it did.'

- 'Did Helencome to the party?' 'No, she didn't.'

- 'Didyour friendshave a good holiday?' 'Yes, they did.'.

General questions

Exercise 5. Make these sentences into general questions. Give short answers.

Example: I finished work early last night. Did you finish work early last night? - Yes, I did.

1. I didn't enjoy Peter's birthday party.
2. Peter had a light breakfast in the morning.
3. She didn't know his telephone number.
4. Mrs Adams had to travel tourist class.
5. I felt tired and went to bed early.

Exercise 6. Rewrite each sentence as positive, negative or a general question, according to the instructions.

Example: My dad didn't work late yesterday. (positive) – My dad worked late yesterday,

Greg went to the theatre at the weekend. (question) – Did Greg go to the theatre at the weekend?

I had to visit my parents last week. (negative) – I didn’t have to visit my parents last week.

1. Jim had a lot of adventures in the jungle. (question)
2. We began our new language course book in May. (negative)
3. I ate nothing for breakfast this morning. (question)
4. The sun didn't rise at 5.15 a.m. (positive)
5. They had to work overtime in their new job. (negative)

Alternative questions

Exercise 7. Ask alternative questions with the following words. Give answers.

Example: The bus/arrive/late/early?

Did the bus arrive late or early? — (It arrived) late.

1. Denis/attend the first lecture/miss it/yesterday?
2. They/play football/volleyball/yesterday?
3. They/have to stay in town/go to the country/last weekend?
4. You/have a pet cat/a dog/in your childhood?

Tag questions

Exercise 8.Give the correct tag to these sentences.

1. You didn't have a cup of coffee this morning, ___?
2. They didn't have to go out of town last Saturday ___?
3. They arrived in the city a fortnight ago, ___?
4. They had awful weather while they were on holiday, ___?
5. You had to live at home with your parents years ago, ___?

Special questions

Exercise 9.Ask questions about the information in italics.

Example:Bobby played golf yesterday. — What did Bobby do yesterday?

They had to travel in a car. — How did they have to travel?

1. Mrs Taylor's pupils often asked embarrassing questions.
2. It took Clare an hour to pack her travelling bag.
3. Charlotte Hughes (the second oldest person in the world) didn’t marry until sixty-three.
4. Alexander Bell started his first telephone company on August 2nd 1877.
5. Martin worked the whole summer. The job was tiring but he earned a lot of money.

Exercise 10.Ask subject or object questions. Give answers to subject questions.

Example: We waited for him at the door. — Who waited for him at the door? — We did. Who did you wait for at door?

1. We listened to the news at breakfast.
2. Anthony talked to his girlfriend on the phone all evening.
3. Fred's sister married a famous actor.
4. They bought a present for us.
5. I had to report the accident to the police.

Revision test

- Complete these sentences. Use one of these verbs in the past simple: