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Past Simple Exercises in English
21.10.2025
3 minutes to read
If you want to finally stop confusing "go" and "went," "see" and "saw," and understand how simple it is to talk about past events, you've come to the right place.
The past simple tense is one of the most useful tenses in English: it lets you describe everything that has already happened—from yesterday to events from your childhood.
Here you'll find five practical exercises that will help you learn how to construct sentences correctly in the past simple, use the correct verb forms, and distinguish between affirmations, negations, and questions.
The past simple tense is one of the most useful tenses in English: it lets you describe everything that has already happened—from yesterday to events from your childhood.
Here you'll find five practical exercises that will help you learn how to construct sentences correctly in the past simple, use the correct verb forms, and distinguish between affirmations, negations, and questions.
Table of contents
🎯 Objective:
Learn to form the past tense of regular and irregular verbs and use it in affirmative sentences.
💡 Example:
I worked yesterday.
She went to the park.
📘 Explanation:
Regular verbs form the Past Simple by adding -ed: work → worked, play → played.
Irregular verbs need to be memorized: go → went, see → saw, eat → ate.
Formula: subject + V2 (second form of the verb).
✏️ Tasks:
✅ You will find the answers to all the exercises at the end of the page.
Learn to form the past tense of regular and irregular verbs and use it in affirmative sentences.
💡 Example:
I worked yesterday.
She went to the park.
📘 Explanation:
Regular verbs form the Past Simple by adding -ed: work → worked, play → played.
Irregular verbs need to be memorized: go → went, see → saw, eat → ate.
Formula: subject + V2 (second form of the verb).
✏️ Tasks:
- I ___ (work) yesterday.
- She ___ (go) to the cinema.
- We ___ (play) football last weekend.
- He ___ (eat) pizza for dinner.
- They ___ (watch) TV in the evening.
- My friend ___ (call) me last night.
- I ___ (see) an interesting film.
- She ___ (study) English last year.
- We ___ (have) a great time.
- He ___ (buy) a new car.
- They ___ (visit) their grandparents.
- I ___ (meet) my teacher yesterday.
- She ___ (cook) dinner for the family.
- We ___ (sleep) well last night.
- He ___ (clean) his room.
✅ You will find the answers to all the exercises at the end of the page.
Exercise 1: Put the verb into the Past Simple
Exercise 2: Choose the correct option (Past Simple Test)
🎯 Objective:
Learn to identify the correct verb form in the past tense and use the past simple in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences.
💡 Example:
Did you watch the movie?
Yes, I did.
📘 Explanation:
Questions and negatives are constructed using did:
Did + subject + V1 / didn’t + V1.
Affirmative: subject + V2.
Learn to identify the correct verb form in the past tense and use the past simple in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences.
💡 Example:
Did you watch the movie?
Yes, I did.
📘 Explanation:
Questions and negatives are constructed using did:
Did + subject + V1 / didn’t + V1.
Affirmative: subject + V2.
Answer the questions by choosing one correct option.
Exercise 2
She ___ to school yesterday.
Right!
Incorrect
Incorrect
We ___ TV last night.
Right!
Incorrect
Incorrect
He ___ breakfast at 8 a.m.
Incorrect
Incorrect
Right!
I ___ my keys yesterday.
Right!
Incorrect
Incorrect
They ___ at the party last week.
Incorrect
Right!
Incorrect
She ___ to Paris last summer.
Incorrect
Incorrect
Right!
We ___ football after school.
Incorrect
Incorrect
Right!
I ___ the news on TV.
Incorrect
Incorrect
Right!
They ___ to bed early.
Right
Right
Incorrect
He ___ a new phone yesterday.
Incorrect
Right
Incorrect
We ___ happy to see you.
Incorrect
Incorrect
Right!
She ___ me a message last night.
Right!
Incorrect
Incorrect
I ___ late for school.
Incorrect
Incorrect
Right!
They ___ pizza for lunch.
Incorrect
Right!
Incorrect
He ___ his car last weekend.
Right!
Incorrect
Incorrect
Excellent!
You use the Past Simple fluently and can talk about the past without mistakes.
Very good!
Review the irregular verbs and try to compose a few short stories about your day.
You understand the logic, but you're confusing the details.
Go through the exercises again—the Past Simple is easy to memorize, especially if you practice every day.
Exercise 3: Put the verb in the correct form (negations and questions)
🎯 Objective:
To reinforce the ability to construct negative and interrogative sentences in the Past Simple using the auxiliary verb did.
💡 Example:
I didn't go to school.
Did you see her?
📘 Explanation:
Negation: didn't + V1.
Question: Did + subject + V1?
The auxiliary verb did indicates the past tense, so the main verb remains in the first form.
✏️ Tasks:
✅ You will find the answers to all the exercises at the end of the page.
To reinforce the ability to construct negative and interrogative sentences in the Past Simple using the auxiliary verb did.
💡 Example:
I didn't go to school.
Did you see her?
📘 Explanation:
Negation: didn't + V1.
Question: Did + subject + V1?
The auxiliary verb did indicates the past tense, so the main verb remains in the first form.
✏️ Tasks:
- I ___ (not / watch) TV yesterday.
- ___ you (see) that movie?
- He ___ (not / go) to work.
- ___ they (visit) their friends?
- We ___ (not / have) breakfast.
- ___ she (call) you yesterday?
- He ___ (not / buy) a car.
- ___ you (enjoy) the party?
- I ___ (not / like) that song.
- ___ they (finish) their homework?
- She ___ (not / play) tennis.
- ___ you (walk) home last night?
- He ___ (not / eat) anything.
- ___ we (meet) at the cafe?
- They ___ (not / read) the book.
✅ You will find the answers to all the exercises at the end of the page.
Exercise 4: Insert verbs into the Past Simple in context
🎯 Objective:
Understand how the Past Simple is used in stories and narratives.
💡 Example:
Yesterday I met my friend and we went to the cinema.
📘 Explanation:
The Past Simple is a storytelling tense. It helps build a chronology of events. Frequently used words: yesterday, last week, ago, in 2010.
✏️ Tasks:
✅ You will find the answers to all the exercises at the end of the page.
Understand how the Past Simple is used in stories and narratives.
💡 Example:
Yesterday I met my friend and we went to the cinema.
📘 Explanation:
The Past Simple is a storytelling tense. It helps build a chronology of events. Frequently used words: yesterday, last week, ago, in 2010.
✏️ Tasks:
- I ___ (wake) up at 7 a.m.
- Then I ___ (have) breakfast.
- I ___ (go) to school by bus.
- We ___ (study) English.
- At 1 p.m. I ___ (eat) lunch.
- After school, I ___ (meet) my friend.
- We ___ (play) basketball.
- I ___ (go) home at 6 p.m.
- My mom ___ (cook) dinner.
- I ___ (watch) TV in the evening.
- Then I ___ (read) a book.
- I ___ (go) to bed at 10.
- It ___ (be) a good day.
- I ___ (feel) tired but happy.
- I ___ (sleep) very well.
✅ You will find the answers to all the exercises at the end of the page.
Exercise 5: Choose the correct answer
🎯 Objective:
To test your confidence with the Past Simple—in affirmations, negatives, and questions.
💡 Example:
She didn't go to work yesterday.
Did you watch the film?
📘 Explanation:
The main thing to remember is that in questions and negatives, always use "did" + "V1," and in affirmations, always use "V2."
To test your confidence with the Past Simple—in affirmations, negatives, and questions.
💡 Example:
She didn't go to work yesterday.
Did you watch the film?
📘 Explanation:
The main thing to remember is that in questions and negatives, always use "did" + "V1," and in affirmations, always use "V2."
Answer the questions by choosing one correct option.
Exercise 5
She ___ to school yesterday.
Right!
Incorrect
I ___ breakfast this morning.
Right!
Incorrect
We ___ our homework yesterday.
Right!
Incorrect
They ___ TV in the evening.
Right!
Incorrect
He ___ to Paris last year.
Right!
Incorrect
She didn’t ___ lunch.
Right!
Emma said she has done it.
___ you see that movie?
Right!
Incorrect
They ___ football yesterday.
Incorrect
Right!
I didn’t ___ her yesterday.
Right
Right
We ___ at home all day.
Incorrect
Right
___ he call you last night?
Right!
Incorrect
They ___ late for the meeting.
Right!
Incorrect
I ___ a present for my friend.
Right!
Incorrect
She ___ coffee this morning.
Right!
Incorrect
We ___ at the restaurant.
Right!
Incorrect
Excellent!
You use the Past Simple fluently and can talk about the past without mistakes.
Very good!
Review the irregular verbs and try to compose a few short stories about your day.
You understand the logic, but you're confusing the details.
Go through the exercises again—the Past Simple is easy to memorize, especially if you practice every day.
Answers
- worked
- went
- played
- ate
- watched
- called
- saw
- studied
- had
- bought
- visited
- met
- cooked
- slept
- cleaned
- a
- a
- c
- a
- b
- c
- c
- c
- a
- b
- c
- a
- c
- c
- a
- didn’t watch
- Did you see
- didn’t go
- Did they visit
- didn’t have
- Did she call
- didn’t buy
- Did you enjoy
- didn’t like
- Did they finish
- didn’t play
- Did you walk
- didn’t eat
- Did we meet
- didn’t read
- woke
- had
- went
- studied
- ate
- met
- played
- went
- cooked
- watched
- read
- went
- was
- felt
- slept
- a
- a
- a
- a
- a
- a
- a
- b
- b
- b
- a
- a
- a
- a
- a
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