A selection of English ESL 'past simple' printables

Five pages where students can practise the Past Simple of regular and irregular verbs. The first page is a grammar guide to the formation of irregular verbs. The next 4 pages are a variety of grammar exercises.

Grammar Guide & Exercises - Past Simple of Irregular Verbs - 5 Pages

The aim of this worksheet is to practice and review the past simple after the midterm exam. It consists of 2 pages with 3 different tasks and includes a B&W version on the second page. 

Past Simple Review – 3 tasks  • 2 pages  • B&W version

Here is a new pair work activity to practise making question in the past  simple , you can ask thm to add some more details then you ask them to comments on their friends' weekends

Did you work last weekend: past simple pair work activity

he above printable, downloadable handout is intended for high school students and adults at Pre-intermediate (A2) and Intermediate (B1) level. It is aimed at revising Verb tenses in English.



    Mixed tenses: Past Simple – Past Continuous - Present Perfect -  Past Perfect

Tenses chart (FORM). The rules of each tense are detailed so that students have a visual aid in case they need to choose from different tenses. Rules at the bottom are explained in Spanish. Useful for secondary school students.

Present simple, present continuous, past simple and future simple. (FORM)

A 2-page worksheet dealing with the past simple of irregular verbs (affirmative form) with a grammar guide, examples and exercises to introduce, practice or review the topic - with answers.

Advanced Past Simple Affirmative Irregular Verbs + Time Word Fill Ins

Here is the second pair work activity after the one to practice present perfect yesterday, they have to put teh verbs in the past simple , then ask their partner these questions, note the answers then report to the class

When was the last time you......+past simple; pair work

These are 2 stories in which your students should insert a proper verb form in Simple Past, Present Simple or Present Continuous, do some exercises to practise their speaking skills.

Sally and George. Present Simple/Present Continuous and Past Simple

Students have to fill in the verbs in Past Simple in the right form (regular and irregular). They can speak about their last weekend afterwards.Hope you can use it when teaching Past Simple. Have a nice day!   ;)

Lizzy's Busy Weekend - What Did She Do - Past Simple Review

A simple worksheet on some irregular verbs. t's really helpful if you include the solutions in the resource as it makes it easier for us in class to check the answers. Also, the solutions make the resource suitable for self-study.

Mary's Long and Tiring Day - Past Simple Tense - Irregular Verbs

Gap-fill exercise in which students must write the past simple form of the verb indicated.  Page 2 can be distributed for students to check their own answers.  The worksheet can be used for all levels for pronunciation practice of the three endings of regular verbs in the past simple.

A Day Out in the Park - the Past Simple Tense

An activity to help students practise the past simple, ‘ed’ pronunciation and their listening skills.



Learners first change the verbs from the base infinitive into the past simple. They then must try decide the ‘ed’ pronunciation for regular verbs ending in ‘ed’



Learners then practise their aural skills by listening to the audio from the songs (1-2 times): https://youtu.be/SGdDBnBGQrQ

NOTE: This activity was aimed at B2 level and above, however it can be made easier by simply removing a number of the gap fills.



Finally, learners self correct their answers by watching the video above with special attention paid to pronunciation of ‘ed’ verbs.

Past simple / 'ed' pronunciation and mixed verbs (songs - listening skills)

Culture, intercultural communication, cross-cultural communication

Adjectives to describe feelings, emotions

Adjectives to describe personality and character

Adjectives: Gradable / Non-gradable adjectives

Articles: Definite or indefinite article (a, an or the)

BE + infinitive structures (e.g. he was to become famous)

Clauses of contrast (e.g.  although, while)

Clauses of purpose (e.g. in order to, so that, so as to)

Clauses of reason (e.g. because, because of, due to, as, since)

Cleft sentences (e.g. It's Joey we're looking for)

Comparison: Comparative adjectives and structures

Comparison: Superlative adjectives and structures

Conditional 2 (second conditional) - would

Conditionals: Conditional phrases (e.g. unless, provided that, as long as)

Conjunctions (aka connectives, e.g. and, but, or, so, then)

Contractions (shortened forms, e.g. don't, aren't, etc.)

Determiners (words that can come before nouns)

Formal and informal English (politeness or colloquial language)

Future perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Future perfect simple and continuous (progressive) tense

Future phrases (e.g. be about to, bound to, likely to, due to, set to + INF)

Homonyms (two words with the same pronunciation - homophones and homographs)

It as preparatory subject (e.g. it's raining, it's nice of you to)

Linking verbs (aka copulas, e.g. I am a student)

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how to accuse somebody of something in English

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how to ask for something, make requests in English

how to blame somebody for something in English

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how to deny or admit something in English

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how to evaluate people or progress in English

how to express agreement /disagreement in English

how to express approval and disapproval  in English

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how to express interest in something in English

how to express likelihood, probability in English

how to express likes and dislikes in English

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how to express shock and disbelief in English

how to express sympathy and condolences in English

how to give permission, authorization in English

how to inform somebody about some news in English

how to interpret what was said in English

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how to make guesses about something in English

how to make, accept and refuse offers in English

how to order or make a booking in English

how to persuade, convince people in English

how to praise people and express appreciation in English

how to reassure somebody of something in English

how to refuse and object to something in English

how to remind people of something in English

how to rephrase, paraphrase what was said in English

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Nouns: Collective nouns (team, class, family, committee)

Nouns: Proper nouns (names of people, cities, companies)

Oxymorons (phrases with words of contradictory meaning, e.g. living dead)

Participles: Past participle (e.g. HAVING DONE)

Participles: Present participle (e.g. DOING)

Parts of Speech (aka word classes, e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs)

Past perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Phonetics (pronunciation, IPA, phonetic symbols)

Plural nouns: regular plurals with S ending

Prefixes (e.g. A, UN, IM, DIS, MIS, EN, etc. )

Prepositions vs adverbs (e.g. before me, saw him before.)

Prepositions: Double prepositions (e.g. out of)

Prepositions: Participle prepositions (e.g. pending, concerning)

Prepositions: Phrase prepositions (e.g. by means of)

Present perfect continuous (progressive) tense

Present perfect simple or present continuous tense

Present simple tense: S for third person singular verbs

Present simple vs continuous (progressive) tense

Pronouns: EACH OTHER, ONE ANOTHER (reciprocal pronouns)

Pronouns: Possessive pronouns (e.g. my, mine)

Pronouns: Reflexive pronouns (e.g. myself, yourself))

Pronouns: SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, EVERYBODY, NO ONE, NOTHING, etc.

Pronouns: THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE (demonstratives)

Pronouns: YOU and THEY to talk about people in general

Quantifiers (e.g. some, many, much, any, few, little)

Questions: WH questions (open-ended questions)

Reported speech: reported questions (indirect questions)

There is / there are / there was / there were / there will be, etc.

Verbs: Transitive or intransitive verbs (words that can or cannot stand with objects)

Working with Paragraphs: ordering, titling

Role play, miming, drama activity or improv game

Pictionary (picture dictionary) or picture matching

Writing an opinion essay (persuasive essay)

Learners who are Pre-A1 have just begun learning English and will first learn how to:<ul><li>Say the letters in the alphabet and numbers</li><li>Say hello, talk about names and age</li><li>Name the colors and dates, express likes and dislikes</li></ul>

Absolute beginners who have begun to learn the letters and numbers

Learners taking the A1 Elementary exam should be able to:<ul><li>Introduce themselves and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, things he/she has, people he/she knows.</li><li>Communicate using very basic phrases as long as the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: common adjectives & adverbs of frequency, going to, how much/how many, imperatives, I'd like, 's – possessive, common prepositions of place and time, present simple & continuous, there is/are</li></ul>

A very basic tourist level, which is enough for buying food and a bus ticket

Learners taking the A2 Pre-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand sentences and frequently used expressions (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).</li><li>Complete tasks that are routine and exchange information about familiar matters.</li><li>Describe matters of immediate need in simple terms.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: countable/uncountable nouns, adverbs of frequency, future will/going to, much/many, present perfect, past simple, past continuous, common phrasal verbs, common modals: can/should</li></ul>

A tourist who can do basic conversations about the past, present and future

Learners taking the B1 Intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand points regarding family, work, school or leisure-related topics.</li><li>Deal with most travel situations in areas where the language is spoken.</li><li>Create simple texts on topics of personal interest.</li><li>Describe experiences, events, dreams, and ambitions, as well as opinions or plans in brief.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: question tags, intensifiers: too/enough, future tenses, past tenses, modals, conditionals, wh-questions in the past</li></ul>

Learners who can deal with both familiar and routine situations, in friendly and work contexts

Learners taking the B2 Upper-intermediate exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization.</li><li>Interact with fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without difficulty for either party.</li><li>Produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain an opinion on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.</li><li>Main grammar points to know: perfect tenses, mixed conditionals, modals in the present, phrasal verbs, reported speech, wish, relative clauses</li></ul>

The level where you can be a tour guide for your foreign friends and talk about a lot of topics, even abstract ones, with ease and fluency

Learners taking the C1 Advanced exam should be able to: Express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts. Produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, using linking phrases (=words that connect ideas between sentences). Main grammar points to know: inversion, mixed conditionals, modals in the past, all passive forms, phrasal verbs (all patterns), wish/if only for regrets

Learners who can smoothly communicate in every walk of life, read long texts and write well

Learners taking the C2 Proficient exam should be able to:<ul><li>Understand almost everything read or heard with ease.</li><li>Summarize information from a variety of sources into a coherent presentation.</li><li>Express themselves using precise meaning in complex scenarios.</li><li>Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations</li></ul>

Get here and you are ready to study in English at university

1,492 'past simple' English ESL worksheets pdf & doc