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Past simple tense in British English (Crown Academy of English) UNIT 8 - part of lesson C
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A complete lesson about the simple past tense in British English.

THE PAST TENSE OF THE REGULAR VERBS


Simply add -ED to the verb:
work --> worked
jump --> jumped

SPELLING

Verbs ending in -E:
dance --> danced
pause --> paused

Verbs ending in consonant+Y:
study --> studied
cry --> cried
but if they end in vowel+Y:
stay --> stayed

Sometimes, the final consonant is doubled:
plan --> planned
prefer --> preferred
clap --> clapped
This happens when the last syllable of the verb ends in one single stressed vowel + one single consonant.

PRONUNCIATION

The suffix for the past -ED is pronounced /d/ or /t/:
stop --> stopped (pronounced /stopt/)
try --> tried (pronounced /traid/)
But if the verb ends in -D or -T then we pronounce the vowel: /id/
start --> started (pronounced /startid/)
end --> ended (pronounced /endid/)

(the difference between /t/ & /d/ is not important, what you need to understand is when you must pronounce /id/)

IRREGULAR VERBS

Some verbs are irregular, you will see that in another lesson.

FORMS

affirmative--> I lived in Rome
negative--> I didn't live in Rome / he didn't work for Philips
interrogative--> Did you live in Rome? / Did he know you?
Notice that when we use DID or DIDN'T, they carry the mark of the past, not the main verb.

ADVERBS
now --> then, at that time
today --> yesterday, that day, etc.
here --> there

I am here today --> I was there yesterday
They are reading now --> They were reading then
She doesn't work today --> She didn't work yesterday / that day / on Saturday, etc.

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