Past Simple: Irregular Verbs
I can use a small set of common irregular past forms and return to the base form after did.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Choose a short recording.
Start with the contrast
On Saturday, I went to a market, bought a notebook and met a friend. I didn’t buy a bag. Did we take a bus home? No, we walked.
Read the situation transcript
On Saturday, I went to a market, bought a notebook and met a friend. I didn’t buy a bag. Did we take a bus home? No, we walked.
Which past forms in the opener do not end in -ed?
Compare your idea
Went, bought, met and took are irregular past forms.
How it works
Some common verbs have a special past form: go → went, buy → bought, meet → met, take → took, see → saw, eat → ate. Learn them in short meaningful sentences.
The past form is the same with I, she or they. After did or didn’t, return to the base verb: Did you go? I didn’t buy anything.
go/went; buy/bought; meet/met; take/took; see/saw; eat/ate. After did: base form.
Notice this
I went to the market.
Went is the past of go.
Compare this
She bought a notebook.
Bought is the past of buy.
Hear the examples
I went to the market.
Went is the past of go.
She bought a notebook.
Bought is the past of buy.
They met at the station.
Met is the past of meet.
Did you see the film?
Use see after did.
One mistake worth avoiding
Instead of: I didn’t went out.
Say: I didn’t go out.
Use the base form go after didn’t.
You say
Hear the prompt, answer aloud, then deliberately reveal or hear one possible model. Check it and retry with a changed detail.
Your turn 1
Say where you went on a recent day.
Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text
I went to the library on Saturday.
Check yourself: Use went in the affirmative.
Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.
Your turn 2
Say what you ate or bought.
Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text
I bought some bread.
Check yourself: Use one irregular past form.
Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.
Your turn 3
Ask about someone’s journey.
Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text
Did you take the bus?
Check yourself: Return to take after did.
Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.
Two guided self-checks
Say or write your answer before opening a model.
Self-check 1
Make past: She sees a friend.
Compare a model and explanation
She saw a friend.
See becomes saw.
Self-check 2
Make a question: They ate lunch.
Compare a model and explanation
Did they eat lunch?
Use eat after did.
Check your understanding
Choose one answer to each question, then check your answers. One of the ten questions is listening.
Automatic scoring needs JavaScript. Use the answer key after attempting all ten questions.
Answer key with explanations
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Yesterday I ___ to the beach.
went: Went is the irregular past of go.
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She ___ a new notebook last week.
bought: Bought is the past of buy.
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Did you ___ Sam yesterday?
meet: Use meet after did.
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Choose the correct negative.
We didn’t take a taxi.: Didn’t is followed by take.
-
Which pair is correct?
see → saw: Saw is the simple-past form of see.
-
Correct “He eated breakfast.”
He ate breakfast.: Ate is the simple past; eaten is a participle used in other patterns.
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“I went; she went.” What stays the same?
The past verb: This past form does not change with the subject.
-
What did the speaker buy?
A notebook: Bought a notebook identifies the purchase.
-
Choose the question about a finished visit.
Did they go to the museum?: Use did plus go for the finished past question.
-
What should follow didn’t, even with an irregular verb?
The base form: Didn’t go and didn’t see follow the same base-form rule as regular verbs.
Take it with you
I can use a small set of common irregular past forms and return to the base form after did.