Elementary

Past Tense

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Contents

1 Elementary past tense vocabulary dictation

2 Past tense endings

3 Create a conversation

4 Past tense sentences 1

5 Past tense sentences 2

6 A Good Day

7 A Bad Day

8 Bad Vacation

9 Ghosts- past tense game

Elementary Past Tense

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1worked on Saturday met friends on Sunday passed the exam

2broke my leg rode an elephant learned to scuba dive

3lost my wallet saw a shark stayed home

4saw a movie went shopping studied for a test

5got a haircut had lunch watched TV

6did homework waited for a friend finished work

7ate fruit started the game bought a ticket

8took a vacation called a friend cooked a meal

9changed my clothes wanted to rest got wet

Teacher’s    Sheet  

Page  1  Dictate  the  words  below  (in  any  way  you  like)  and  tell  the  students  to  write  the  words  on  the  appropriate  pictures.    First, I    dictate  1  word (giving context with example sentences) from  each  row  so  the  students  have  to find  the  correct   pictures.  I do this twice. So I dictate 2 columns randomly and then ask the students to match the remaining two thirds of the words by themselves. This is a great way to introduce or reinforce vocabulary. I added page 3 for very low level classes as they need assistance with spelling and vocabulary. So they find the words (as they are dictated on page 3) and then match them to the pictures on page 1.

rode an elephant

met friends

on Sunday

wanted

to rest

ate fruit

got wet

studied for a test

worked on Saturday

lost my wallet

got a haircut

chan

ged

my

clot

hes

took a vacation

stayed home

saw a movie

finished work

passed the exam started the game

watched TV

Past tense vocabulary

cooked a mealwaited for a friend

bought a ticket

broke my leg

had lunch

went shopping

called a friend

saw a sharklearned to scuba dive

did homew

ork

waited for a friend

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Past tense endings worksheet

Look at the words above and put each word in the appropriate column.

/d/ /t/ /Id/

Write 5 sentences using the words above. Read them to your class.

Example: When I was young, I cried when I couldn’t pronounce a word correctly.

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5. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Past tense endings worksheet

Look at the words above and put each word in the appropriate column.

/d/ /t/ /Id/ offendedneededdatedcomplicatedwantedactedinflatedhated

believedcalledadviseddeserveddeniedplayedinspiredcriedmovedofferedthreatened

kissedstoppedmatchedlikedmisseddiscussedwashedkickedjumpedplaced

NB: Mainly after "p"/"k"/"ss"/"sh"...

NB: after "t"/"d'

Write a conversation exercise: past tense

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Write a conversation with at least 6 of the phrases above.Example: Harry, What did you do last weekend ?

Where….?

called

playedDid you..?

wanted

jumped

missed

How did…?stopped

How was….?cried

went

walked

washed

kissed

What did ……?

What was…?

bought

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Past tense sentences 1

1 He missed the bus.

2 ____________________________3_______________________4_______________________5_______________________6_______________________7_______________________8_______________________9_______________________10______________________

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11_______________________12_______________________13_______________________14_______________________15_______________________

enter drop take land go shopping lose

pick up decide eatreceive finish packmiss knock on open

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Past tense (possible answers) 1 He missed the bus. 2 She finished her homework. 3 The bus took the students home. 4 They entered the building. 5 He ate everything on his plate. 6 He knocked on the door. 7 The plane landed and the passengers got off. 8 He picked up the wallet on the ground. 9 I opened the bottle. 10 She carefully packed her bag. 11 He lost the keys to his house. 12 She dropped the books. 13 She received a text message. 14 She went shopping today. 15 She decided to eat the apple.

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Making past tense sentences

1 (buy) He bought a car last week.

2 (drink) _______________________3 (get dressed) ___________________4 (do weights) ___________________5 (graduate)____________________6 (win)________________________7(teach) _______________________8 (plant) ______________________9 (recycle)______________________10 (rob)________________________

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11 (save)_______________________12 (send) _______________________13 (throw)_______________________14 (water)_______________________15 (type)_______________________

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Write past tense sentences to describe the pictures. Try to use differentpast tense time phrases for each picture. For example: today…..this week… on Monday… 2 days ago….at 9 AM a few minutes ago….before dinner…..after work…on the weekend…..last year etc.

Making past tense sentences 2 (possible answers) 1 He bought a car last week. 2 He drank a lot of alcohol last night. 3 He got dressed before he went to work. 4 He did weights this morning. 5 He graduated last year. 6 He won the competition and got a trophy last month. 7 He taught statistics on Monday. 8 He planted some flowers on the weekend. 9 He put his trash in the recycling bin at around 2 PM this afternoon. 10 He robbed a bank at midnight. 11 He saved a lot of money last year. 12 He sent a text message two hours ago. 13.He threw some paper in the bin a few minutes ago. 14 He watered the plants after work. 15 He typed a report after dinner.

1 He made some money.

A Good Day- using past tense simple eslflow.com

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Match the vocabulary below to the pictures and write sentences in the past tense for each picture.

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VERBS meet receive cook fall in love visit get eat take finish win

NOUNS gift scholarship selfie

A Good Day (possible answers) 1 He made some money. 2 She won a scholarship from her university. 3 She received a present from her mother. 4 He took a selfie with a group of friends 5 They fell in love at first sight when she had a bicycle accident. 6 He ate a delicious meal. 7 They cooked dinner together. 8 They finished their exams. 9 He got A+ in every subject. 10 We visited an art gallery.

1 He got some bad news.

A Bad Day- using past tense simpleeslflow.com

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Match the vocabulary below to the pictures and write sentences in the past tense for each picture.

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VERBS slip bite break up get fall bite splash find have shout lose

NOUNS acne bookcase flat tyre

A Good Day (possible answers) 1 He made some money. 2 A bookcase fell on him. 3 His boss shouted at him. 4 She broke up with her boyfriend. 5 He had a flat tyre on the way to work. 6 She found some acne on her face. 7 Her dog bit a man in the park. 8 The car splashed water on the woman on the sidewalk. 9 He lose his job. 10 He slipped on a banana and fell over .

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Bad Vacation

Match the vocabulary above to the pictures and then answer the questions below. Every answer must include something bad that happened on the holiday.

Example: We went to the beach but the car broke down.

1. Where did you go ?______________________________________________________2. What was the weather like ?______________________________________________________3. What did you do ?______________________________________________________4. Did you go shopping ?_____________________________________________________5. What else did you do ?_____________________________________________________6. Did you have any other problems?_____________________________________________________

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took too many things very bad traffic jams very windy the car broke down a thief stole my purse/wallet the staff were very rude

left my bag on a bench saw a shark got sunburnt

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Bad Vacation (possible answers) 1 We went to the beach but the car broke down/we got stuck in very bad traffic jams. 2 The weather was very windy. 3 We ate at local restaurants but the staff were very rude. 4 I went shopping but a thief stole my wallet 5 I went to a beautiful beach but I got sunburnt/saw a ahark. 6 Yes,on the way home, I forgot my bag on a bench when I took a taxi to the airport..

Ghosts- past tense grammar gameeslflow.com

Ghosts is a brilliant high energy game perfect for practicing the past tense. With a capable elementary or pre-intermediate class it can become something quite special.

3 Have example round: 

First, he got out of bed.Next, he brushed his teeth.

Then, he went for a run.After that, he had a shower.

Finally,  he ate breakfast.

2 BrainstormPast Tense Verbs

wentreadsaid

foundetc, etc

1 Create 3 or 4 teams

4 explain rulesA team loses a life if………

 * they repeat a verb  already used* they make a grammar mistake* they take too long* they make a ridiculous sentence

Ghosts 

 INTRO This is a communicative game for reviewing past tense. STEP 1 Draw the above stick figures on the whiteboard. Each team has 3 lives. STEP 2 Divide the class into teams.There are three teams in my example. Brainstorm past tense verbs (get a lot). Explain the rules on the right.Model the exercise. The idea is that the first team starts with the word “First”, the second team “Next”, the third team “Then” . Return to the first for “After that” and the second for “Finally” and continue with each team making past tense sentences Every time you come round to “First” the story can start in a new situation. STEP 3 The teams that lose three lives die and become ghosts. The last team alive is the winner.

This team made 3 mistakesThis team have become ghosts.

They are out of the game.