Beginners’ English: Past tense exercises

7th July 2020

Grammar: verbs

Good list of 100 verbs in 3 forms at: https://www.linguasorb.com/english/verbs/most-common-verbs/

Grammar – verb practice

Let’s start to use more verbs. Here’s the 15 most common:

infinite / present / past / past participle (verb 3)

1 to be am / was / been

are / were / been

2 to have have / had / had

3 to do do did done

4 to say say / said / said

5 to go go / went / gone

6 to get get / got / gotten

7 to make make / made / made

8 to know know /knew / known

9 to think think / thought / thought

10 to take take / took / taken

11 to see see / saw / seen

12 to come come / came / come

13 to want want / wanted / wanted

14 to use use / used / used

15 to find find / found / found

Past Tense Exercise

1. He (walk) to school yesterday.

He WALKED to school yesterday.

2. They (do) their homework last night.

They ——-  their homework last night.

3. You (are) lazy last week.

You ——- lazy last week.

4. That woman (buy) a new book this morning.

That woman  ——– a new book this morning.

5. The janitor (clean) the blackboard yesterday.

The janitor ——– the blackboard yesterday.

6. My mother (cook) food yesterday.

My mother  ——– food yesterday.

7. This morning my teacher (teach) English.

This morning my teacher ———- English.

8. I (am) hungry yesterday.

I  ——- hungry yesterday.

9. The gardener (cut) the trees last month.

The gardener ———— the trees last month.

10. She (drink) milk this morning.

She  ——— milk this morning.

11. Last month the man (ride) a horse.

Last month the man ——–  a horse.

12. Sam (go) to Hong Kong last year.

Sam ——- to Hong Kong last year.

13. The birds (fly) in the sky this morning.

The birds  ——— in the sky this morning.

14. I (know) Tom’s sister last year.

I  ——– Tom’s sister last year.

15. The joiner (make) tables and chairs yesterday.

The joiner  —— tables and chairs yesterday.

16. The farmer (grow) rice last year.

The farmer ——– rice last year.

17. Two weeks ago the boy (has) a new bicycle.

Two weeks ago the boy  ——- a new bicycle.

18. He (feel) happy yesterday.

He  ——- happy yesterday.

19. We (work) hard last week.

We  ——– hard last week.

20. The students (meet) in the hall last week.

The students ——– in the hall last week.

Asian female drinking milk stock photo © WONG SZE FEI (szefei ... — She drank milk

Sing On, Cowboy: Head to Old Town Scottsdale to See the Singing ... — He rode a horse and played guitar

Where to Find Girls in Hong Kong (Plus 9 Dating Tips) - Global Seducer — They went to Hong Kong

NOW make short sentences or stories from these exercises.

A. Complete the sentences, put the verb into the correct form, positive or negative. (simple past tense)

1. It was warm, so I  off my coat. (take)

2. The film wasn’t very good. I it very much. (enjoy)

3. I knew Sarah was very busy, so I  her. (disturb)

4. I was very tired, so I  to bed early. (go)

5. The bed was very uncomfortable. I  very well. (sleep)

6. Sue wasn’t hungry, so she  anything. (eat)

7. We went to Kate’s house but she  at home. (be)

8. It was a funny situation but nobody  (laugh)

9. The window was open and a bird  into the room. (fly)

10. The hotel wasn’t very expensive. It  very much. (cost)

11. I was in a hurry, so I  time to phone you. (have)

12. It was hard work carrying the bags. They  very heavy. (be)

Slight Hitch after birds tern on the island twitchers | UK | News ... — In this film, many birds flew into a room

B. Complete the exercise with the verbs inside the box. (simple past tense)

buy	catch	cost	drink
fall	hurt	sell	spend
teach	throw	win	write

1. Mozart more than 600 pieces of music. Mozart WROTE more than 600 pieces of music

‘How did you learn to drive?’ ‘My father ——- me.’

3. We couldn’t afford to keep our car, so we ——– it.

4. I was very thirsty. I  the ——– water very quickly.

5. Paul and I played tennis yesterday. He’s much better than me, so he ——–

easily.

6. Don ——– down the stairs this morning and  his leg.

7. Jim  ——– the ball to Sue, who ——– it.

8. Ann ——– a lot of money yesterday. She ——– a dress. It   ——– 100.

Past Tense

What did you do last night ?

Last night, I listened to music and played computer games.

Regular verbs add -ed:

Verb+ed For example: want+ed→ wanted work+ed→ worked	Verb, ending in –e+d For example: dance+d→ danced live+d→ lived
Verbs, ending in –y: y → i + ed (* There are exceptions (for example played) ) For example: cry→ cried try→ tried	One vowel verb: double the consonant For example: stop → stopped blog → blogged

Good verb list here: https://www.linguasorb.com/english/verbs/most-common-verbs/

Black Young Man Listening Music and Dancing by Stockland on Envato ... — Last night he listened to music and played computer games

irregular verbs – no rules.

Present – Past / Present – Past / Present – Past

I am – I was / begin – began / have – had

eat – ate / go – went / drive – drove

tell – told / hear – heard / catch – caught

buy – bought / write- wrote / see – saw

Listening: How many past tense verbs ?

Yesterday, I went to visit my friend. We played badminton then walked in the park.

After, we ate lunch and drank beer. Later, I bought coffee and wrote some emails.

Corrections: Write in the past tense

I (am) born in London and (arrive) in Viet Nam in 2015. I (work) as teacher in District 1 and 3 but I (want) to work near my home. Last week, my friend (have) a party. She (dance) all night and I (hear) her singing. In the morning, she (catch) a plane and (go) to Thailand.

Chut Thai: Thailand's Beautiful Traditional Dress — Welcome to Thailand

Beginners’ English: The passed is past – pronunciation guide

7th July 2020

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A quick blog to help with pronunciation.

In English, verb can be regular or irregular.

Regular verbs add -ed or -d in the past tense.

EXAMPLE:

I walk to work // I WALKED to work

I play guitar // I PLAYED guitar

She smiles on TV / She SMILED on TV

They dance in T-ara // They DANCED in T-ara

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-ed past tense verbs pronunciation

Words have 3 end sounds:

‘t’

‘d

‘id’

If the word ends with:

ch / f / k / p / s / sh / thi – The sound is ‘t’ look = ‘lookt’

t /or / d/ – The sound is ‘id’ visit – ‘visitid’

Other sounds are ‘d’ bang = ‘bangd’

What is the correct pronunciation for these regular verbs ?

Look = Looked / laugh = laughed / end =

beg = / visit = kiss =

brush = / breath = love =

Read these sentences:

He cleared up the mess / He rolled up the newspaper / I have visited India

No Homework ! That sounded good / Teacher shouted, ‘No way !’

We all worked hard today / Tom talked so much /

The students played many games and laughed.

Top 10 Places to visit in India for First Time Traveler — They have visited India

Beginners’ English: I was reading your blog – Past continuous

2nd July 2020

Past Continuous

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Subject + was / were + verb ing

I was reading a book

You were taking a rest

At the party, we were singing, playing music, eating, drinking, talking and laughing.

USES:

Something was happening in the past

When I came to class, teacher was playing music.

[The teacher was ALREADY playing]

Compare with Past Simple:

When I got to class, teacher played music

[Teacher started playing AFTER I arrived]

Something was happening in the past:

Last night, I was reading the news.

Something that happens all the time OR a long time ago:

They are always shouting at each other [happens all the time].

A Wife Caught Her Husband Boarding a Plane with His Mistress

When he was young, he was always playing piano [a long time ago].

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Practice:

When I phoned my friends, they (play)———-Monopoly.

When I phoned my friends, they were playing Monopoly.

Yesterday at six I (prepare)————–dinner.
The kids (play)——in the garden when it suddenly began to rain.
I (practice)———–the guitar when he came home.
We (not / cycle)———all day.
While Alan (work)——–in his room, his friends (swim) ——-in the pool.
I tried to tell them the truth but they (not / listen )————-.
What (you / do)———–yesterday?
Most of the time we (sit)——–in the park.
I (listen)———to the radio while my sister (watch)————-TV.
When I arrived, they (play)————–cards.
We (study)———English yesterday at 4:00 pm .

Beginners’ English: ‘Have to’ or ‘must’ ?

1st July 2020

Two Asian College Girls Doing Stock Footage Video (100% Royalty ...

‘must’ or ‘have to’

‘have’ is a main verb, ‘must’ is a modal auxiliary verb

have can be followed by to + verb, and can be used in different tenses

e.g. I have to go home

He has to do his homework

I had to write two reports (past tense)

A lot of fear': Asian community a target of racism amid ... — We have to wear a face mask

‘must’ is an auxiliary verb so:

is followed by a main verb

is never used with ‘to’

I must exercise NOT I must to exercise

Why exercise is best medicine | The Guardian Nigeria News ... — They must keep fit, they must exercise

‘have to’

an obligation made by someone else

‘must’

an obligation made by yourself

I have to get a visa to enter China OR not allowed into China

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I must do more exercise [This is MY choice, not forced.]

Rapid rise in obesity in India: Facts and reasons - Education ... — I must do more exercise … I must do A LOT more exercise. I must stop eating pizza and pasta !

‘have to’

Sub + have to + infinite

POSITIVE: She has to try harder

NEGATIVE: He does not have to work tomorrow

QUESTION: Do you have to be so noisy ?

‘must’

Sub + must + base verb

I must sleep soon

You must go shopping

He must be nicer to his sister

Negative: Students must not (mustn’t) cheat in class

Question: Must we visit your family ?

Exercises: (answers at end of blog)

1. Yesterday I ________ finish my geography project.

must
mustn’t
had to

2. She will ________ wait in line like everyone else.

must
have to
has to

3. All employees ________ on time for work.

must be
mustn’t
have to

4. We ________ forget to take the chicken out of the freezer.

have to not
must
mustn’t

5. If you are under 13 you _____ to get your parents’ permission.

have
must
musn’t

6. Your daughter may ________ try on a few different sizes.

have to
had to
must

7. You _____ get here as soon as you can.

must
mustn’t
have to

8. Do you _____ work next weekend?

have to
must
mustn’t

9. Bicyclists _____ remember to signal when they turn.

mustn’t
must
has to

10. Angela, you _____ leave your clothes all over the floor like this.

mustn’t
must
have to

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ANSWERS

1 had to // 2 had to // 3 must be // 4 mustn’t // 5 have // 6 have to // 7 must // 8 have to // 9 must // mustn’t //

Beginners’ English: Introducing yourself

25th June 2020

Saying Hello To Students From Home Stock Image - Image of students ...

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Introducing youself:

Hello, my name is Paul and I’m from London. I’m an English teacher, and I have been in Vietnam for about 2 years. My hobbies are reading books, watching films and listening to music. In Vietnam, I have been to Ha Noi and Hue and I really want to visit Hoi An and Halong Bay.

about: with time. I have been studying English for about 6 months.

really: adverbs I am happy / I am really happy – stronger and more interesting

continuous verbs: I like to read / I like reading / She likes to read

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She likes reading

East indian people watching movies Stock Photos - Page 1 : Masterfile

They like watching movies

She likes listening to music

Introduce yourself, and answer the questions:

Name

What is your hometown ?

How long have you lived in your town or city ?

What are your hobbies ?

Where do you want to visit ?

World heritage in Turkey: Historical areas of Istanbul with ... — Istanbul, Turkey

present perfect:

sub + have/has + verb 3 (past participle)

I have visited Ha Noi

She has eaten Thai food

We have seen Barcelona play football

COOK WITH ME | Easy Peasy Red Thai Curry Meal Prep - YouTube — She has eaten Thai food

Look out for plurals and 3^rd person verb endings

I like sports / he loves cooking /

I don’t like smoking / She doesn’t like smoking

I like playing computer games/ reading books/ watching films.

He likes playing football / going to the park / studying English

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Beginners’ English: Sentence building

24th June 2020

A lesson is how to use an auxiliary (or helping) verb, and then make your answers longer by using simple adjectives.

Today, we use the verb ‘like’

A simple question is:

What do you like? Learn food vocabulary | English Lesson 11 - YouTube

I like ice cream or I like fruit

To make your sentences longer:

I like strawberry or chocolate ice cream.

I like all fruit. My favourites are apples and bananas.

Now … Your Turn

Ask your friend or tell me, What do you like ?

I like …

Match the answers with the pictures:

keeping fit

drinking beer

shoes

shopping

cakes

Now make your sentences longer:

I + like + verbing + noun

I like buying shoes / I like eating cakes /

I like ___________ beer / I like ________ shopping

Do you go alone or with friends ?

I like going shopping with my sister

I like drinking beer with my ______

I like keeping fit with my _________

I like eating cakes with my _____

Finally, tell we where you like to do these things ?

Look how long the sentences are now !

I like to drink beer with my friends in the beergarden.

I like to go shopping with my friend at the market.

I like to eat cakes with my _______ at the _________

I like to buy shoes with my _______ (where ?)

where can people buy shoes today ?

Market / shop / Mall / Online / Store

Adult Speaking Class, level 1: What do they like ?

22nd June 2020

An exercise for lower-intermediates. Help to use basic verbs, and to build long sentences.

We can see five people:

Andrew, Fiona, Helen, Mark and Tina

We see what they eat (dinner), their job (occupation), what they do in their free time (hobby) and what that do on Saturday and Sunday (the weekend).

For example, Andrew likes to drink beer, Tina like to do karate

What do they do ?

Name // dinner // occupation // hobby // weekend

Andrew	steak and chips spaghetti	brewer	football & beer	sports & cinema DOESN’T like shopping
Fiona	tuna salad soups	accountant	reading driving	visits family & shopping DOESN’T like sports
Helen	sushi Korean BBQ	marketing	yoga & keep fit craft beer	exercises & cinema DOESN’T like loud clubs
Mark	fish and chips kebabs	civil servant	cars and bikes sports	fixing cars & drinking beer DOESN’T like loud clubs
Tina	pasta pizza	dentist	karaoke clubs	shopping and meeting friends DOESN’T like beer or sport.

Couple watching a football game | Royalty free photo - 404574 — Andrew likes to watch football but his girlfriend does not (doesn’t)

CMA - Lady accountant - (S) - YouTube — Fiona is an accountant

Dara eating sushi (Line play 053115) | 2ne1, South korean idol, Yg ... — Helen likes to eat sushi

Buy his bikes, bee-cause! - Los Angeles Times — Mark likes to ride a bicycle

Taekwondo Girl - Bing Images | Martial arts girl, Taekwondo girl ... — Tina likes to do karate

Make sentences

Use so does with positives, neither does with negatives.

EXAMPLE:

Mark eats chips and so does Andrew.

Helen doesn’t drink beer neither does Tina.

Tina likes shopping …

Mark doesn’t like loud clubs …

Make questions

EXAMPLE:

Who likes beer ? Who eats Italian food (pizza, pasta, spaghetti) ?

IELTS Project: Holidays and travel language

16th June 2020

Turkey to allow visa-free travel for six European countries ...

Theme: travel

Vocabulary builder

Read this excerpt from a travel blog. How many adjectives can you see ?

This is my first visit to Turkey. It’s a wonderful place ! The people are friendly and the meals are delicious. Farmers here grow many different crops including many kinds of fruit. They also grow a lot of wheat, and the bread in Turkey is really good. Of course, the geography and climate in different parts of Turkey affect the kind of food farmers can produce in each region. In central Anatolia, the land is almost flat, and the weather is usually warm and dry. It’s a good place to grow crops and to raise animals such as cattle and sheep. High up in the mountains of eastern Turkey, farmers also keep animals as they can’t grow crops. Today, I’m visiting the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in southern Turkey. The weather here is hot and humid, but the fish and seafood are excellent.

meals / crops / geography (dʒɪˈɒɡrəfi) / climate / flat / humid (hjuːmɪd)

describes land without mountains

plants grown for food

breakfast, lunch and dinner

features of a place, such as mountains, rivers, forest, desert

air with a lot of water in it

normal weather in a certain area

Happy bellies: 2020 to be a year of Turkish cuisine | Daily Sabah — Turkish food

The #Turkish people are great. Average age is 20. #Turkey is great ... — Welcome to Turkey

Grammar practice: past tense

Tell about your favourite, or more memorable holiday (UK English). You will have to use the past tense. Try to use adverbs and adjectives to describe the vacation (US English).

Activity:

Present a holiday using a mixture of advertising slogans and practical information. Remember:

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it

Make your voice sound excited, as if this were the best holiday ever !

Holiday terms:

transfers / half-board / inclusive / amenities / package tour / itinerary

Language:

breathtaking / stunning / sensational / incredible / remarkable / exclusive

once in a lifetime experience / never to be forgotten / unbeatable prices

book now to avoid disappointment / best decision you’ll ever make

holidays to suit all budgets , from 7* luxury to backpacking

Structure:

To begin with / furthermore … additionally / the fact is … / therefore

Demonstration with an advert for London:

Now is the perfect time to visit London, England’s glorious capital.

To begin with, the weather is perfect for walking, so you can enjoy the lush parks, world-famous museums and incredible, unbelievable shops.

Furthermore, there is something for everyone … and more ! Like sports ? Go to one of the many Premier League football games. Love shopping ?

The fact is, everything is here – shop till you drop !

Additionally, if you adore culture – soak up hundreds of years of history.

Flights from TSN airport daily. Seven-day all-inclusive package tour starting from only 50m VND ! All transfers and transport included. Air-conditioned mini bus with Vietnamese-speaking guide.

Therefore, don’t delay … book TODAY !

Sell a holiday

Advertising vocabulary and intonation

Prepare a presentation to market / sell a holiday.

New vocabulary:

sensational / once in a lifetime / luxury / all-inclusive / unforgettable experience / mysterious / majestic / breathtaking

book now to avoid disappointment / exhilarating / world-famous

local food / new cultures / visit our website / worth every penny

fun for all the family/ the perfect getaway /

Plan a tour of your city for my friend

Ethan Hawke Sticks Up For Texas, Reps Beto and Turns a Dead ... — My friend Ethan is coming to visit your hometown

It is his first time in your hometown. He likes history, traditional food, and he wants to buy souvenirs.

Think about:

What time to start

What to do first

Where to go (remember the heat OR the rain could be an issue / a problem).

Explain your choices

Try to incorporate (use) these adjectives:

interesting // historical // fascinating // authentic

typical // bustling // lively // thought-provoking

Beginners’ English: Let’s start building

5th June 2020

Sentence Building

A blog to help beginners start to speak and write in longer sentences.

Who / Doing / What / When / Where / Why What do you do … When … Why ?

Old Chinese women can't stop won't stop dancing in the streets ...

I exercise in the morning at home to be healthy.

The Story Behind the "Happiest Man in China" Photo

He eats rice … When … Where

NOW … Your Turn

He (what is he doing // where is he doing it // why ? He feels …)

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She

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Traveling to the Baltic Sea (Germany) on a Budget

They

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ANSWERS

I exercise in the morning at home to be healthy.

He eats rice at lunch time on the steps because he’s very hungry !

He plays in the garden to practice. He feels very happy.

She teaches at a school because she’s an English teacher.

We travel every week to the beach because it’s hot and quiet and fun.

They are shopping in the market in Barcelona because the food is very fresh.

Ask each other: when do you go shopping ? What do you buy ?

Craft beer is having an identity crisis, as big breweries muscle ... — What a choice of beers ! My favourite is Pilsner Urquel, second shelf up, on the left

I go shopping at the weekend because …

I shop in the in the afternoon because …

I shop on Monday mornings because …

Verbs

Choose from these, or add your own. Good list of 100 verbs in all tenses at:

http://www.linguasorb.com/english/verbs/most-common-verbs/

Make short sentences using modal verb ‘like’ and ‘need’.

to practise // to dance // to study // to shop // to cook // to travel // to shout // to order // to book

I like to dance on Saturday nights

I need to study English

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Adding information

Use adjectives (describe the noun) or adverbs (describe the verb)

I saw a man begging

I saw a poor old man desperately begging for money.

We heard a girl playing piano

He likes to walk in the park

She thought the museum was interesting

I hated the film

My cat eats fish.

Adding a reason

I hate coffee because it keeps me awake

I only eat healthy food because

Although I find Burger King very tasty, I avoid eating there because

(I find = I think something is //avoid= keep away from)

Internet cafes are very convenient but you should be careful because

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To disagree: Formal with multiple reasons

Example: You can just use an internet cafe to book your ticket.

I disagree for the following reasons. Firstly,

I disagree for the following reasons. Firstly, I don’t think it’s a good idea to enter my personal data on a public server and secondly, I don’t know who’s watching me.