Exercise on Simple Past

Exercise on Simple Past

Exercise Was or Were?
Complete the sentences with was or were.
1. I happy.
2. You angry.
3. She in London last week.
4. He on holiday.
5. It cold.
6. We atschool.
7. You at the cinema.
8. They at home.
9. The cat on the roof.
10. The children in the garden.

Exercise on positive sentences
Write positive sentences in simple past.
1. he / the question / answer
2. you / a question / ask
3. the dog / bark
4. they / us / call
5. we / a mountain / climb
6. John / stamps / collect
7. we / in London / live
8. I / hungry / be
9. they / a hamster / have
10. he / to school / go

Exercise on Simple Past
Have a look at James's last week's diary and answer the questions in complete sentences. Put the time expression at the end of the sentence.
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Football shopping meeting ring Jane buyflowers concert sailing
cinema tennis English Italian restaurant
1. When was his English course? →
2. When did he go shopping? →
3. When did he buy flowers? →
4. Whenwashis meeting? →
5. When did he play football? →
6. When did he go to the Italian restaurant? →
7. When did he ring Jane? →
8. When did he go to the cinema? →
9. When did he play tennis? →
10. Whenwas the concert? →
11. When did he go sailing? →
Have a look at James's last week's diary and answer the questions in complete sentences. Put the time expression at the end of the sentence.
Exercise on Simple Past
Exercise on negative sentences
Rewrite the sentences in the negative.
1. Theycollectedpostcards. →
2. You jumpedhigh. →
3. Albert played squash. →
4. The teacher tested our English. →
5. Fiona visitedhergrandma. →
6. He washed the car. →
7. You werethirsty. →
8. He had a computer. →
9. I boughtbread. →
10. You saw the house. →
Exercise on negative sentences
Rewrite the sentences in the negative.
1. Theycollectedpostcards. →
2. You jumpedhigh. →
3. Albert played squash. →
4. The teacher tested our English. →
5. Fiona visitedhergrandma. →
6. He washed the car. →
7. You werethirsty. →
8. He had a computer. →
9. I boughtbread. →
10. You saw the house. →
Erxercise on questions
Write questions in simple past.
1. Anna / the window / open
2. she / home / walk
3. you / in the garden / work
4. you / a song / sing
5. she / on a chair / sit
6. you / the castle / visit
7. Jenny / the door / lock
8. she / happy / be
9. Greg / the ball / kick
10. the car / at the corner / stop
Exercise on questions with interrogative
Ask for these sentences.
1. Shepushedher bike. →
2. Shecarrieda bag. →
3. We waited in the park. →
4. The policeman arrested the thief. →
5. Weatefish. →
6. She watched the match last night. →
7. She asked her friend because she did not know what to do. →
8. Iopened the door. →
9. The teacher checked our homework. →
10. Cindyhad a dog. →

Put the verbs into the correct form (simple past).
1. Last year I (spend) my holiday in Ireland.
2. It (be) great.
3. I (travel) around by car with two friends and we (visit) lots of interesting places.
4. In the evenings we usually (go) to a pub.
5. One night we even (learn) some Irish dances.
6. We (be) very lucky with the weather.
7. It (not / rain) a lot.
8. But we (see) some beautiful rainbows.
9. Where (spend / you) your last holiday?





Exercise “Goldilocks and the three bears”

Part 1
Write the verbs in simple past.
1. Once upon a time there (be) three bears: huge Papa Bear, ordinary Mama Bear and tiny little Baby Bear. They (live) in a greatbigwood.
2. One day, ordinary Mama Bear (cook) a delicious porridge for her family and (put) it into bowls: a huge bowl for huge Papa Bear, an ordinary bowl for ordinary Mama Bear and a tiny little bowl for tiny little Baby Bear.
3. To give the porridge some time to cool down, the three bears (go) for a walk.
4. Near the great big wood, there (live) a little girl called Goldilocks.
5. She (be) not allowed to go into the wood. But one day, she (sneak) out of the house and (run) into the great big wood.
6. After a while, she (come) to the house of the three bears.
7. She (knock) at the door. She (look) through the windows. But nobody (seem) to bethere.
8. So, little Goldilocks (step) inside.
Exercise “Goldilocks and the three bears”
Part 2
Write the verbs in simple past.
1. In the kitchen Goldilocks (smell) the porridge.
2. She (get) very hungry and (try) the porridge in the huge bowl - too hot.
3. Then she (taste) some of the porridge from the ordinary bowl - too cold.
4. But the porridge in the little bowl (be) just right and Goldilocks (eat) it all up.
5. In the sitting-room, there (be) three chairs.
6. Goldilocks (sit) down in the huge chair - too hard.
7. She (not / like) the ordinary chair either - too soft.
8. She (love) the little chair, however. But she (not / sit) on that one very long, as soon it (break) into pieces.
9. So, Goldilocks (go) on exploring.
10. In the bedroom, there (stand) the three bears' beds.
11. Goldilocks suddenly (feel) very tired.
12. She (climb) onto the huge bed - too hard.
13. Then she (crawl) into the ordinary bed - too soft.
14. The little bed, however, (be) just right.
15. So, Goldilocks (lie) down.
16. And in next to no time, she (fall) asleep.
Exercise “Goldilocks and the three bears”

Part 3
Write the verbs in simple past.
1. After a while, the three bears (return) home.
2. One look at their bowls and chairs and they (start) wondering. Something (not / be) right.
3. They (come) into the bedroom. And there they (see) little Goldilocks in Baby Bear's bed.
4. The three bears (watch) her for a while and then they (wake) her up.
5. Goldilocks (open) hereyes.
6. She (see) the bears, (begin) to scream and as fast as she (can) , Goldilocks (run) out of the bears' house.
7. The three bears (follow) her.
8. But at the edge of the wood, the bears suddenly (stop) .
9. Frightened little Goldilocks, however, (not / stop) .
10. She (hurry) home to her parents.
11. And she never (visit) the bears' house again.

Write the verbs in simple past.
1. The first settlers (be) the Potawatomi.
2. They (call) this place Checagou (wild onion) because it (smell) like onions.
3. Constructions on the Sears Tower (begin) in 1970.
4. Until 1997, the Sears Tower (be) the highest building in the world.
1. the highest building in the world.


Oxford
Grammar Exercise on the Text
Simple Past
We use the simple past for situations and actions in the past. For further information, check out our grammar section: Simple Past.
Write the verbs in simple past.
1. The University of Oxford (be) the first British university.
2. The lecturers of the colleges (speak) a very clear English.
3. That's why Oxford English (become) known as the English of educated people.
4. In the 19th century, Lewis Carroll (write) 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' in Oxford.
5. Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean) (study) electrical engineering at Oxford.