Past Tense :DD

we learn about tenses again. now, we learn about past tense.


Verbs that tell about an action that happened in the past are called past tense verbs.


The basic form of a verb changes to make it a past tense verb.

What does that mean?

Here are just a few of the rules!


RULE # 1
The letters ed can be added to many verbs to show that something happened in the past.

Check out the chart!

Basic Form Past Tense
talk talked
blink blinked
play played

RULE # 2

When the basic form ends with a silent e, drop the e, then add ed.
Check out the chart!

Basic Form Past Tense
love loved
smile smiled
bake baked

RULE # 3

When the basic form ends with a consonant plus y, change the y to i, then add ed.
Check out the chart!

Basic Form Past Tense
fry fried
cry cried
carry carried


Keep these rules in mind when changing the basic form of a verb to the past tense.
*Sometimes adding ed to a verb will change it to the past tense.
*When a verb ends in silent e, drop the e, then add ed.
*When a verb ends with a consonant plus y, change the y to i,
then add ed.


the auxiliary verb did isn't conjugated. it's the same for all persons (i did, you did, he did, etc). and the base form and past form do not change. look at these examples with the main verbs go and work:

+ i went to school
you worked very hard

- she did not go with me
we did not work yesterday

? did you go to London ?
did they work at home ?


exception! the verb to be is different. we conjugate the verb to be (i was, you were, he/she/it was, we were, they were) and we do not use an auxiliary for negative and interrogative sentences or question, we exchange the subject and verb.
look at these examples:

+ i, he, she, it was here
you, we, they were in London

- i, he, she, it was not there
you, we, they were not happy

? was i, he, she, it right ?
were you, we, they late ?

Irregular Verbs

Base Form Simple Past Tense Past Participle awake awoke awoken be was, were been bear bore born beat beat beat become became become begin began begun bend bent bent beset beset beset bet bet bet bid bid/bade bid/bidden bind bound bound bite bit bitten bleed bled bled blow blew blown break broke broken breed bred bred bring brought brought broadcast broadcast broadcast build built built burn burned/burnt burned/burnt burst burst burst buy bought bought cast cast cast catch caught caught choose chose chosen cling clung clung come came come cost cost cost creep crept crept cut cut cut deal dealt dealt dig dug dug dive dived/dove dived do did done draw drew drawn dream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt drive drove driven drink drank drunk eat ate eaten fall fell fallen feed fed fed feel felt felt fight fought fought find found found fit fit fit flee fled fled fling flung flung fly flew flown forbid forbade forbidden forget forgot forgotten forego (forgo) forewent foregone forgive forgave forgiven forsake forsook forsaken freeze froze frozen get got gotten give gave given go went gone grind ground ground grow grew grown hang hung hung hear heard heard hide hid hidden hit hit hit hold held held hurt hurt hurt keep kept kept kneel knelt knelt knit knit knit know knew know lay laid laid lead led led leap leaped/leapt leaped/leapt learn learned/learnt learned/learnt leave left left lend lent lent let let let lie lay lain light lighted/lit lighted lose lost lost make made made mean meant meant meet met met misspell misspelled/misspelt misspelled/misspelt mistake mistook mistaken mow mowed mowed/mown overcome overcame overcome overdo overdid overdone overtake overtook overtaken overthrow overthrew overthrown pay paid paid plead pled pled prove proved proved/proven put put put quit quit quit read read read rid rid rid ride rode ridden ring rang rung rise rose risen run ran run saw sawed sawed/sawn say said said see saw seen seek sought sought sell sold sold send sent sent set set set sew sewed sewed/sewn shake shook shaken shave shaved shaved/shaven shear shore shorn shed shed shed shine shone shone shoe shoed shoed/shod shoot shot shot show showed showed/shown shrink shrank shrunk shut shut shut sing sang sung sink sank sunk sit sat sat sleep slept slept slay slew slain slide slid slid sling slung slung slit slit slit smite smote smitten sow sowed sowed/sown speak spoke spoken speed sped sped spend spent spent spill spilled/spilt spilled/spilt spin spun spun spit spit/spat spit split split split spread spread spread spring sprang/sprung sprung stand stood stood steal stole stolen stick stuck stuck sting stung stung stink stank stunk stride strod stridden strike struck struck string strung strung strive strove striven swear swore sworn sweep swept swept swell swelled swelled/swollen  swim swam swum swing swung swung take took taken teach taught taught tear tore torn tell told told think thought thought thrive thrived/throve thrived throw threw thrown thrust thrust thrust tread trod trodden understand understood understood uphold upheld upheld upset upset upset wake woke woken wear wore worn weave weaved/wove weaved/woven wed wed wed weep wept wept wind wound wound win won won withhold withheld withheld withstand withstood withstood wring wrung wrung write wrote written

Regular Verbs base -s form past past participle -ing form call calls called called calling clean cleans cleaned cleaned cleaning look looks looked looked looking talk talks talked talked talking end ends ended ended ending wait waits waited waited waiting kiss kisses kissed kissed kissing wash washes washed washed washing live lives lived lived living love loves loved loved loving beg begs begged begged begging sin sins sinned sinned sinning play plays played played playing stay stays stayed stayed staying cry cries cried cried crying studies studied studied studying die dies died died dying tie ties tied tied tying