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English grammar

The past with -ed

A2 · Elementary Verbs and time Questions 10

The rule

Most English verbs make the past by adding -ed, and the form does not change for he, she or it: I worked, she worked, they worked. A verb ending in -e adds only -d, and a verb ending in a consonant + y changes the y to i: study → studied.

Pattern

work → worked · live → lived · study → studied · stop → stopped

Examples

  1. I worked in a shop last summer.

  2. She studied English for two years.

  3. We waited nearly an hour.

  4. They arrived at six.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: She worked-s in a shop.

    Right: She worked in a shop.

    The past never adds -s for he, she or it.

  • Wrong: I studyed at home.

    Right: I studied at home.

    A consonant before y turns the y into i.

Practice questions

Try each one yourself first, then open “Show answer” for the solution and the reason.

  1. 1Fill in the gap.

    I _____ the door before I left.

    1. locking
    2. lockt
    3. locked
    4. lock
    Show answer

    Answer: C I locked the door before I left.

    Add -ed to the plain verb.

  2. 2Fill in the gap.

    She _____ me twice yesterday.

    1. called
    2. call
    3. calling
    4. calls
    Show answer

    Answer: A She called me twice yesterday.

    The past is the same for she.

  3. 3Fill in the gap.

    We _____ in a small flat then.

    1. liveed
    2. living
    3. lived
    4. live
    Show answer

    Answer: C We lived in a small flat then.

    A verb ending in -e adds only -d.

  4. 4Fill in the gap.

    He _____ the bus and had to walk.

    1. mist
    2. missed
    3. miss
    4. missing
    Show answer

    Answer: B He missed the bus and had to walk.

    Regular verb, so -ed.

  5. 5Fill in the gap.

    They _____ the room last month.

    1. painted
    2. painting
    3. paint
    4. paintd
    Show answer

    Answer: A They painted the room last month.

    Regular verb, so -ed.

  6. 6Fill in the gap.

    The train _____ at the next station.

    1. stop
    2. stopped
    3. stopping
    4. stoped
    Show answer

    Answer: B The train stopped at the next station.

    A short verb doubles the last letter before -ed.

  7. 7Choose the correct sentence.

    1. I finishing the course in June.
    2. I finished the course in June.
    3. I did finished the course in June.
    4. I finish the course in June.
    Show answer

    Answer: B I finished the course in June.

    A finished past action takes the -ed form alone.

  8. 8Choose the correct sentence.

    1. She try three times.
    2. She trying three times.
    3. She tryed three times.
    4. She tried three times.
    Show answer

    Answer: D She tried three times.

    try → tried, because a consonant comes before the y.

  9. 9This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.

    Which sentence is wrong?

    1. They worked at the hospital.
    2. He worked at the hospital.
    3. I worked at the hospital.
    4. He workeds at the hospital.
    Show answer

    Answer: D He workeds at the hospital.

    The past never takes -s.

  10. 10This sentence is wrong. Choose the fix.

    Which sentence is wrong?

    1. We watched a film.
    2. We watchd a film.
    3. She watched a film.
    4. We watched two films.
    Show answer

    Answer: B We watchd a film.

    The ending is -ed, not -d, after a consonant sound.

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