Unit 10A

In Units 10A, 10B and 10C you will learn:

• how to talk about past events
• time expressions in the past
• questions in the past simple
• how to invite people to events
• expressions for illness
• more telephone dialogs

Lesson 1:    The Past Simple Verb

I worked.

The Past Simple is similar in structure to the Present Simple.
While the Present Simple expresses routine action, the Past 
Simple expresses completed past action. The Present Simple 
uses do, but the Past Simple uses did. However, the verb in the
Past Simple does not change its form.

Often students have problems pronouncing verbs in the Past Simple. For example, the word walked is pronounced with a single syllable. It isn't pronounced as walk-id. Many verbs, such as those with a hard ending (k) or soft 'h' sound, are pronounced with a 't' sound at the end. It is simply necessary to practice saying verbs and memorize how the endings should be. 
Practice saying the verbs below.

We worked.  She walked.  They talked.  He asked.  I danced.

Many verbs with a soft ending are pronounced with a soft 'd' sound
at the end.

I played.  She stayed.  We cleaned.  They smiled.  He cried.

Verbs ending with the letter (or sound) 't' or 'd' are pronounced with the extra 'id' syllable.

We waited.  I planted.  They painted.  He rested.  She knitted.

Lesson 2:    Verbs V

The boss shouted at me.

Practice saying the verbs below.

	shout, plant, yawn, stay, start
	turn on, turn off, look(at), sing, love
	hate, serve, invite, arrive, forget

Exercise 1  Choose the correct verb.

Lesson 3:    Regular Verbs

Judy walked to the park.

In English there are regular verbs and irregular verbs.
Regular verbs take the -d or -ed ending. Most of the English
verbs are regular.

Lesson 4:    Irregular Verbs

I forgot.

Even though there are only about  210 irregular verbs, many are used in everyday life quite often. Practice saying the verbs below.

	begin-began, buy-bought, drink-drank, eat-ate
	give-gave, go-went, know-knew, leave-left
	read-read, see-saw, sleep-slept, write-wrote

Exercise 2    Below is a list of many verbs you have studied so far. Look at the verbs and try to insert the past tense form. Then check the answers and print the list for reference.

Lesson 5:    Asking Questions with Did

Where did you eat lunch?

Exercise 3    Choose the correct questions below with what, 
where, when and who.

*In the above examples Sorry? and Pardon? are polite ways to respond to a remark you didn't understand or didn't hear. It's more polite than What?, especially with people you don't know well.