Are you finding it challenging to master the simple past tense? No need to worry, as you are not alone. The simple past tense describes actions that occurred at a specific point in the past. It’s formed by using the past form of the main verb.
In other words, regular verbs are formed by adding “-ed” at the end, while irregular verbs have unique past tense forms. Though it may be a bit tricky, you can use it like a pro with some practice.
In this article, we’ll provide simple past tense exercises with answers to help you test your knowledge and improve your skills.
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct verb form in parentheses.
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1. Yesterday, I __________ (walk) to the store.
2. They __________ (watch) a movie last night.
3. She __________ (sing) a song at the concert.
4. He __________ (eat) pizza for dinner.
5. We __________ (play) soccer in the park.
Answers:
1. walked
2. watched
3. sang
4. ate
5. played
Exercise 2: Rewrite the sentences in the simple past tense.
1. I am reading a book.
2. They are talking on the phone.
3. She is cooking dinner.
4. He is playing video games.
5. We are watching TV.
Answers:
1. I read a book.
2. They talked on the phone.
3. She cooked dinner.
4. He played video games.
5. We watched TV.
Exercise 3: Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentence.
1. He __________ (go/went) to the gym yesterday.
2. They __________ (study/studied) for the test last night.
3. She __________ (dance/danced) at the party last weekend.
4. We __________ (travel/traveled) to Europe last summer.
5. I __________ (write/wrote) a letter to my friend yesterday.
Answers:
1. went
2. studied
3. danced
4. traveled
5. wrote
Exercise 4: Write the negative form of the sentence.
1. I ate breakfast this morning.
2. They watched a movie last night.
3. She went to the park yesterday.
4. He played soccer on Saturday.
5. We visited our grandparents last week.
Answers:
1. I didn’t eat breakfast this morning.
2. They didn’t watch a movie last night.
3. She didn’t go to the park yesterday.
4. He didn’t play soccer on Saturday.
5. We didn’t visit our grandparents last week.
Exercise 5: Write the interrogative form of the sentence.
1. She ate breakfast this morning.
2. They watched a movie last night.
3. He went to the park yesterday.
4. We played soccer on Saturday.
5. I wrote a letter to my friend yesterday.
Answers:
1. Did she eat breakfast this morning?
2. Did they watch a movie last night?
3. Did he go to the park yesterday?
4. Did we play soccer on Saturday?
5. Did I write a letter to my friend yesterday?
Final Words
Congratulations, you made it through all the exercises! How did you do? If you got all the answers right, pat yourself on the back. If you didn’t do as well as you hoped, don’t worry. The more you practice, the better you’ll get. Keep studying the simple past tense, and you’ll use it like a native speaker in no time.
Azizul Hakim is the founder & CEO of englishfinders.com. He is a passionate writer, English instructor, and content creator. He has completed his graduation and post-graduation in English language and literature.
