Simple Past Tense Exercises (With Answers & Printable Worksheet PDF)

Exercise 1: Past Simple Verb Forms

Put the verbs into the simple past:

1. Last year I (go) to England on holiday.
2. It (be) fantastic.
3. I (visit) lots of interesting places. I (be) with two friends of mine .
4. In the mornings we (walk) in the streets of London.
5. In the evenings we (go) to pubs.
6. The weather (be) strangely fine.
7. It (not / rain) a lot.
8. But we (see) some beautiful rainbows.
9. Where (spend / you) your last holiday?

Exercise 2: Irregular Verbs

Write the past forms of the irregular verbs.

Exercise 3: Sentence Transformation 1

Rewrite the sentences below as instructed, using the correct form of the simple past tense.

1. Sentence 1:

• Negative: He did not write a book.
• Affirmative:
• Interrogative:

2. Sentence 2:

• Negative: He did not sing.
• Affirmative:
• Interrogative:

3. Sentence 3:

• Negative: She was not pretty.
• Affirmative:
• Interrogative:

Exercise 4: Sentence Transformation 2

Put the sentences into the simple past.

1. We move to a new house. →
2. They bring a sandwich. →
3. He does the homework. →
4. They sell cars. →
5. Does he visit his friends? →

Exercise 5: Writing Sentences in the Past Simple

Write sentences in the simple past.

1. Janet / miss / the bus →
2. she / tidy / her room →
3. Nancy / watch / television→
4. she / read / a book →

Exercise 6: Past Simple of "to be"

Choose "Was" or "Were":

1. The teacher was were nice.
2. The students was were very clever.
3. But one student was were in trouble.
4. We was were sorry for him.
5. He was were nice though.

Warning

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• Punctuation and capitalization
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