[Junior High 1 English] Mastering the Past Tense!
Hello! How is your English study going?
Today, let’s learn about the "past tense," which will really expand your English expressions. Being able to say not just "I play tennis now," but also "I played tennis yesterday!" makes writing journals and chatting with friends so much more fun.
You might feel like there's a lot to memorize at first, but don't worry! If you organize the rules one by one, you will definitely master it. So, let’s hop on a time machine and take a peek into the past!
1. Past Tense of be-verbs (was, were)
First, let’s look at the "be-verbs": am, is, and are. In the past tense, they change into just two forms.
[Basic Forms]
・am / is → was
・are → were
Examples:
I am happy. (I am happy now.)
I was happy yesterday. (I was happy yesterday.)
They are busy. (They are busy now.)
They were busy then. (They were busy at that time.)
★ Key Point
Use was when the subject is singular (I, He, She, It, Tom, etc.).
Use were when the subject is plural (We, They, You, Tom and Ken, etc.).
(*Remember: You always use "were," even if it refers to just one person!)
[Negative and Interrogative Sentences]
Just like in the present tense, simply place not after the be-verb, or move the be-verb to the beginning of the sentence.
・Negative: I was not (wasn't) tired.
・Interrogative: Were you free yesterday?
→ How to answer: Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.
[Summary]
The most important thing for be-verbs in the past tense is knowing when to use was vs. were!
2. Past Tense of Action Verbs
This is for "action verbs" (like walk, play, etc.). There are two patterns: "Regular Verbs" and "Irregular Verbs."
① Regular Verbs (Verbs that follow the rules)
Basically, you just add -ed to the end of the verb.
・play → played
・watch → watched
[Rules for adding -ed]
1. Just add -ed: walk → walked
2. If it ends in e, just add -d: use → used
3. If it ends in "consonant + y," change y to i and add -ed: study → studied
4. If it ends in a short vowel + consonant, double the last consonant and add -ed: stop → stopped
② Irregular Verbs (Verbs that change completely)
Some "stubborn" verbs ignore the rules and change their form entirely. You have to memorize these one by one, but let's start by getting used to the most common ones!
・go → went
・have / has → had
・eat → ate
・see → saw
・do → did
💡 Pro-Tip:
The fastest way to memorize irregular verbs is to say them out loud in a rhythm, like "go-went!" or "have-had!"
[Summary]
・For regular verbs, add -ed.
・For special (irregular) verbs, memorize their forms!
3. Negative and Interrogative Sentences for Action Verbs (Enter "Did"!)
When you want to say "I didn't..." or "Did you...?" with an action verb, our powerful helper did enters the scene.
[Negative Sentences: Use did not (didn't)]
Place didn't before the verb. Here is a super important rule:
Key Point: When you use "didn't," the verb must return to its original form (the present tense)!
I played soccer.
I didn't play soccer.
(We do NOT say "didn't played." Think of "did" as absorbing the past tense marker!)
[Interrogative Sentences: Place "Did" at the beginning]
Just like in negative sentences, the verb returns to its original form.
Did you go to the park?
→ How to answer: Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.
⚠️ Common Mistake!
If you want to say "I didn't go to school yesterday":
(×) I not went to school.
(×) I didn't went to school.
(○) I didn't go to school.
"When did appears, the verb goes back!" Let’s make this our motto.
[Summary]
For negatives and questions with action verbs, did is the star. Afterward, the verb must be in its original form!
4. Words Used with the Past Tense
If you see these words at the end of a sentence, it’s a hint that you should use the past tense!
・yesterday
・last night / last week
・... ago (e.g., two days ago)
・then (at that time)
Final Message
The past tense is a big step toward broadening your English world. You might find it confusing at first that go turns into went, but the more you use it, the more naturally it will come to you.
"Practice makes perfect!" Try saying just one sentence today about something that happened, using the past tense. I'm rooting for you!