UNIT 21: Past simple

I.Grammar

1.Form

a) Regular verbs: Infinitive verb + -ed

• Examples:
• Positive: I played football.
• Negative: I did not play football.
• Question: Did you play football? -Yes, you did./No, you didn’t.

- Exceptions in spelling regular verbs (ngoại lệ trong động từ có qui tắc)

- after the final -e, only add –d (sau đuôi –e, chỉ thêm –d): love, loved

- final consonant after a vowel (phụ âm cuối đứng sau một nguyên âm: admit, admitted) or -l as final consonant after a vowel, double –l (-l là phụ âm cuối đứng sau một nguyên âm, nhân đôi -l): travel, travelled

- the final -y after a consonant becomes –i (đuôi –y sau một phụ âm chuyển thành –i):hurry, hurried

b) Irregular verbs: 2^ndcolumn in the table of irregular verbs (cột 2 trong bảng động từ bất qui tắc)

Example: to go, went , gone

Positive: I went to the supermarket.

Negative: I did not go to the supermarket.

Question: Did I go to the supermarket? -Yes, I did. No, I didn’t.

c) To be

I, he, she, it: was

You, we, they: were

• Examples:
• I was very interested in the film we watched last night.
• They were some students we met last week.

d) Modal verbs (động từ quyết thiếu)

Modal verbs change in simple past (động từ quyết thiếu chuyển sang dạng quá khứ đơn thành): Can: could

        May: might

        Will: would

        Have to/must: had to

        Shall: should

2. Usage (cách dùng)

a) Talk about an action/situation/an event in the past(nói về một hành động/tình huống/sự kiện trong quá khứ)

-  Completed actions in the past (hành động đã hoàn thành trong quá khứ)

• Examples:
• I saw a movie yesterday.
• I didn't see a play yesterday.
• Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.

-  A series of completed actions (một chuỗi các hành động đã hoàn thành)

• Examples:
• I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.
• Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?

-  Duration in the past (một quãng thời gian trong quá khứ)

• Examples:
• I lived in Brazil for two years.
• They sat at the beach all day.
• They did not stay at the party.

-  Habits in the past (thói quen trong quá khứ)

• Examples: I studied French when I was a child.

b) When we tell a story in the past (khi kể một câu chuyện trong quá khứ)

Examples:  “It was cold. The door opened and James entered. He took off his coat, and ordered a cup of coffee. He sat down quietly and drank his coffee."

c) The 2^nd type conditional sentences. (trong câu điều kiện loại 2)

If I had a lot of money, I would travel around the world. (nếu tôi có nhiều tiền, tôi sẽ đi du lịch vòng quanh thế giới).

3.  Signal words (từ nhận biết)

• Examples:
• ago: I met her five years ago
• last: last year/ last month / last week: I met her at the station
• in the past, in 2002...
• yesterday
• before: why didn’t you tell me before?

II.        Exercises

1.         Put the verb into the correct form of past simple.

1. Last year I (to spend) my holiday in Ireland.
2. It (to be) great.
3. I (to travel) around by car with two friends and we (to visit) lots of interesting places.
4. In the evenings we usually (to go) to a bar.
5. One night we even (to learn) some dances.
6. We (to be) very lucky with the weather.
7. It (not/to rain) a lot.
8. But we (to see) some beautiful rainbows.
9. Where (to spend / you) your last holiday?
10. Mary (live) in Paris ten years ago.
11. She (work) as a teacher there.
12. Her flat (be) near the beach.
13. She (can) see the Eiffel Tower from her window.
14. Her flat mate (be) David. He (be) a painter. He (paint) beautiful pictures.
15. Mary (have) a small green car. She (drive)her car to work every day but she (ride) her bike on Sundays.
16. Mary (eat) apples every day. They (be) delicious! She sometimes (drink) some red wine. She                (not eat) dog meat. Mary (not like) snails.
17. Her best friend Vicky (live) in England. Mary sometimes (visit) her. They (play) tennis or (go) in a park. On rainy days they (play) cards or (watch) a film.

2.    Complete the text with the past simple form of the following verbs.

    Buy, catch, cost, drink        , fall, hurt, sell, spend, teach, throw, beat, write

a. Mozart … more than 600 pieces of music.

b. “How did you learn to drive?” “My father … me.”

c. We couldn’t afford to keep our car, so we … it.

d. I was very thirsty. I … the water very quickly.

e. Paul and I played tennis yesterday. He’s much better than me, so he … easily.

f. Don … down the stairs this morning and … his leg.

g. Jim … the ball to Sue, who … it.

h. Ann … a lot of money yesterday. She …a dress which… 100 Dollars.

3.  Have a look at James' last week's diary and answer the questions

James’ diary:

• Mon: football
• Tue: shopping, cinema
• Wed: meeting, tennis
• Thu: call Jane, English course
• Fri: buy flowers, Italian restaurant
• Sat: concert
• Sun: sailing

Answer these following questions:

a.     When was his English course?

b.     When did he go shopping?

c.     When did he buy flowers?

d.     When was his meeting?

e.     When did he play football?

f.      When did he go to the Italian restaurant?

g.     When did he ring Jane?

h.     When did he go to the cinema?

i.      When did he play tennis?

j.      When was the concert?

k.     When did he go sailing?

III.       How to write a letter (viết một bức thư thế nào)

a)         Informal letter (thư thân mật)

Hi Britney, dear all,                                                                   4^th September 2010

Thanks for your last letter and the nice photos. I miss you and hope I can come back one day to see you again. Our time was amazing for me. You taught me so many things, you made me laugh and happy when I was sad and I enjoyed every second with you so much. We had plenty of fun together.

Yesterday I looked at the pictures and thought how wonderful it was to be with you. You were always open and friendly and it was an unbelievable pleasure to meet you.

I would like to say thank you for all the things that you shared with and everything you did for me.

Every single one of you is so great; I will always keep you in a special place in my heart.

Hope to see  you soon.

Love,

Vera

-           beginning: Dear ...(name).

-           ending: Take care, Cheers, Greets, Hugs, Have a nice day/evening/weekend, Yours, In love

b) An unknown company/person: Dear Sir or Madam ... Yours faithfully

a person whose name you know: Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Fisher ... Yours sincerely

a person you know personally: Dear Ann/John ... (With) Best wishes,  Yours, Love, Best regards