Simple Past Tense P3 English Grammar

Simple Past Tense

We can use the simple past tense to:

• talk about past states

e.g. She was surprised.
Sam’s parents were happy because Sam did well in his English test.

• talk about past activities or events

e.g. I won a prize in last year’s singing competition.
Jolly weighed 20kg two years ago.
He planted a tree for the first time when he was five years old.

Some common sign posting words include: last, ago, yesterday.

Format:

I I I
we we we
you you you
Did they watch the film? Yes, they did. No, they didn’t.
he he he
she she she
it it it

he he he
she she she
Was was. wasn’t.
it it it
I happy? Yes, I No, I
we we we
Were you you were. you weren’t.
they they they
Simple Past Tense P3 English Grammar

Basic

Drill 1
Fill in the blank with the simple past tense.

1. Jim __________ (learn) swimming when he was three years old.

2. Sandy __________ (have) her first piano lesson two days ago.

3. I ___________ (be) 80cm tall last year.

4. I __________ (dance) in the show yesterday.

5. He __________ (love) playing car when he was a baby.

6. My dog, Coco, __________ (eat) very little food so she was weak.

7. George __________ (play) the piano when I __________ (sing) in the competition.

8. They __________ (paint) the picture last week.

9. Grandma says, ‘When I __________ (be) young, I ________________ (not watch) TV.’

10. I __________ (help) mum wash dishes yesterday.

Drill 2
Fill in the blank with the simple past tense.

1. I __________ (be) sick yesterday so I ________________ (not go) to school.

2. Simon __________ (water) the plant three days ago.

3. __________ you __________ (go) to school by school bus when you __________ (be) in

kindergarten?

4. We __________ (visit) my Grandpa last week. He __________ (be) happy to see us.

5. __________ you __________ (tidy) up your room yesterday?

6. I __________ (stay) in Australia for a week last summer holiday.

7. She __________ (be) so proud because she __________ (make) a cake by herself.

8. It __________ (be) my birthday yesterday. My aunt __________ (give) me a present.

9. Lily is very helpful. She __________ (sweep) the floor two days ago.

10. Marcus __________ (be) very lazy. He __________ (not finish) his homework yesterday.
Simple Past Tense P3 English Grammar

Drill 3
Complete the diary using the simple past tense.

5th May 2020 (Sunny)

Yesterday (1) __________ (be) Mother’s Day. My sister, Kelly, and I (2) __________

(stay) at home to help mum with the housework. Kelly (3) __________ (clean) the dining table

and (4) __________ (sweep) the floor. I (5) __________ (wash) the dishes and (6)

__________ (iron) the clothes. We also (7) __________ (make) a card to Mum. Dad (8)

__________ (bring) us to a restaurant where we (9) __________ (have) a lot of delicious food.

All of us (10) __________ (have) a wonderful time.

Drill 4
Complete the story using the simple past tense.

be be arrive ask leave wake get not bring run go answer look

It (1) __________ Ben’s school picnic last Friday. He (2) __________ to bed early the

night before. He (3) __________ up at seven o’clock the next morning.

When he (4) __________ on the bus, he found that he (5) __________ his Octopus card!

He (6) __________ all the way to school. He thought he would be late!

Finally, Ben (7) __________ the school but he couldn’t see any teacher or classmates. He

(8) __________ the caretaker, ‘Why the school (9) __________ so quiet today?’ The caretaker

(10) __________, ‘Today is a public holiday.’ Ben (11) __________ at his watch and realized that

he mixed up the dates. He (12) __________ the school sadly.

Simple Past Tense P3 English Grammar

Advanced

Drill 5
Cindy and Abby are chatting on the phone. Finish what they say.
Cindy: Thanks for your e-mail! How was Chinese New Year? (1) ____________ you and your family

____________ (go) to the flower market?

Abby: Yes, we (2) ____________. We (3) ____________ (buy) a lot of flowers.

Cindy: (4) ____________ you ____________ (visit) your relatives?

Abby: Yes, we (5) ____________ . I (6) ____________ (get) a lot of red packets. I also

(7) ____________ (eat) many turnip cakes. (8) ____________ you ___________ (eat)

any?

Cindy: No, I (9) ____________ . I (10) ____________ (not feel) sick during the Chinese New

Year holiday.

Abby: Oh, no! How unlucky you are! I hope you are doing well now.

Drill 6
Rearrange the words to form questions in the simple past tense. Then answer the questions.
1. Q: did / do / the brothers / What / at the weekend
__________________________________________________________________
A: They ____________ (visit) their grandparents.

2. Q: yesterday / you / What / did / do

__________________________________________________________________
A: I ____________ (make) models at home.

3. Q: What / do / last night / Sam / did

__________________________________________________________________
A: He ____________ (have) buffet meal at a hotel.

4. Q: do / you and your family / did / What / last Sunday

__________________________________________________________________
A: We ____________ (ride) bicycles.
Simple Past Tense P3 English Grammar

Drill 7
Gary is talking to his aunt on the phone. Complete the dialogue using the simple past tense.

Gary: Hello, Aunt.

Aunt: Hi, Gary. Where (1) __________ you __________ (go) last Sunday?

Gary: I (2) __________ (go) to Disneyland with my friend. We (3) __________ (have) lots of

fun!

Aunt: That’s great! What (4) __________ you __________ (do) there?

Gary: We (5) __________ (go) on some exciting rides and (6) __________ (play) games there.

We also (7) __________ (take) photos with some cartoon characters! Let me show them

to you when I see you next time.

Aunt: Sure! How about the food? (8) __________ you __________ (enjoy) the food there?

Gary: Oh, well. The food (9) _______________ (be) expensive but it (10) __________ (not be)

tasty at all! We (11) __________ (not bring) enough money but we (12) __________ (be)

not too hungry because we (13) __________ (have) a big breakfast before going there.

Aunt: I see. You are lucky!

Gary: Yes. Yesterday (14) __________ (be) your birthday. Happy belated birthday! How (15)

__________ you __________ (celebrate) it?

Aunt: I (16) __________ (go) to countryside with my family. We (17) __________ (fly) kites in

the afternoon. At night, we (18) __________ (have) a barbecue. We laid on the grass and

(19) __________ (look) at the stars. It (20) __________ (be) so beautiful!

Gary: That’s wonderful!

Aunt: Hey, I have to go. Talk to you later.

Gary: Okay. Bye, aunt.

Simple Past Tense P3 English Grammar

Drill 8
Read the narrative story below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate tenses.

Alan still (1) _____________ (remember) the first swimming competition he (2)

__________(win) during Sports Day in Primary 3. When he (3) ___________ (finish) the race,

he (4) __________ (feel) surprised as he (5) ___________ (have) no ideas he was so good at

(6) ______________ (swim). Straight after the event, the PE teacher (7) ____________

(choose) him for the school team.

He (8) _________ (train) three to four times a week and although it (9) _________ (make)

him very tired, he (10) ________ (do) his best. His coach (11) ___________ (think) he can (12)

________ (do) even better. Last week, he (13) _______________ (not/swim) fast enough and

the coach (14) ____________ (yell) at him!

“Come on David! You (15) _________________ (not/try) hard enough! If you (16)

_______________ (not/work) harder, I (17) ______________ (drop) you from the team!”

After that, David (18) _______________ (not give) up and (19) ___________ (work) even

harder. Every day, he (20) ___________ (wake) up at five thirty in the morning and (21)

___________ (go) the swimming training.

His efforts (22) _____________ (pay) off. Yesterday, he (23) ____________ (join) the

Inter-school Swimming Competition and (24) __________ (win) first prize in 200 Metre

competition. He (25) ____________ (hope) to be an Olympic swimmer one day.

Simple Past Tense P3 English Grammar

Drill 9
There is one mistake in each line. Underline the incorrect word and write the answer in the
blank on the right.

Sally is packing her school bag for tomorrow. She need a 1. ___________

pair of glasses because she can’t sees well. She needs to 2. ___________

ties up her hair with two hair bands. She needs a 3. ___________

handkerchief to dry her hand after washing them. 4. ___________

She puts her books in his school bag. She has a 5. ___________

pencil box to keep all her stationery. She have P.E. lesson 6. ___________

tomorrow so she needs to bring her runing shoes. 7. ___________

Last week, she forgets to bring her running shoes 8. ___________

so her teacher scolds her. 8. ___________

Simple Past Tense P3 English Grammar

Answer Keys

Drill 1
1. learnt
2. had
3. was
4. danced
5. loved
6. ate
7. played
8. sang
9. painted
10. was, didn’t/did not watch
11. helped

Drill 2
1. was, didn’t/did not go
2. watered
3. Did…go, were
4. visited, was
5. Did…tidy
6. stayed
7. was, made
8. was, gave
9. swept
10. was, didn’t/did not finish

Drill 3
1. was
2. stayed
3. cleaned
4. swept
5. washed
6. ironed
7. made
8. brought
9. had
10. had
Simple Past Tense P3 English Grammar

Drill 4
1. was
2. went
3. woke
4. got
5. didn’t/did not bring
6. ran
7. arrived
8. asked
9. was
10. answered
11. looked
12. left

Drill 5
1. Did, go
2. did
3. bought
4. Did, visit
5. did
6. got
7. ate
8. Did, eat
9. didn’t
10. didn’t feel

Drill 6
1. What did the brothers do at the weekend?
visited
2. What did you do yesterday?
made
3. What did Same do last night?
had
4. what did you and your family do last Sunday?
rode

Drill 7
1. did…go
2. went
Simple Past Tense P3 English Grammar

3. had
4. did…do
5. went
6. played
7. took
8. Did…enjoy
9. was
10. was not
11. didn’t/did not bring
12. were
13. had
14. was
15. did…celebrate
16. went
17. flew
18. had
19. looked
20. was

Drill 8
1. remembers
2. won
3. finished
4. felt
5. had
6. swimming
7. chose
8. trains
9. makes
10. does
11. thinks
12. do
13. did not swim
14. yelled
15. are not trying
16. do not work
17. will drop
Simple Past Tense P3 English Grammar

18. did not give

19. worked
20. wakes
21. goes
22. paid
23. joined
24. won
25. hopes

Drill 9
Sally is packing her school bag for tomorrow. She need a 1. ___needs___

pair of glasses because she can’t sees well. She needs to 2. ____see____

ties up her hair with two hair bands. She needs a 3. ____tie ____

handkerchief to dry her hand after washing them. 4. ___hands ___

She puts her books in his school bag. She has a 5. ____her ____

pencil box to keep all her stationery. She have P.E. lesson 6. ____has____

tomorrow so she needs to bring her runing shoes. 7. ___running____

Last week, she forgets to bring her running shoes 8. ___forgot____

so her teacher scolds her. 8. ___scolded___