Past Tense

In English, the past tense is used to talk about an action that has already happened or was completed in the past. Verbs in the past tense often end in -ed, but there are also irregular verbs that have different past tense forms.

Forming Regular Past Tense Verbs

For regular verbs, the past tense is formed by adding -ed to the base form of the verb. For example:

• Walk (base form) becomes walked (past tense)
• Talk (base form) becomes talked (past tense)
• Jump (base form) becomes jumped (past tense)

Irregular Past Tense Verbs

Irregular verbs have past tense forms that do not follow the regular -ed pattern. Some common irregular past tense verbs include:

• Go (base form) becomes went (past tense)
• Eat (base form) becomes ate (past tense)
• See (base form) becomes saw (past tense)

Using the Past Tense

We use the past tense to talk about actions that have already happened. For example:

• I walked to the store yesterday.
• We played soccer last weekend.
• She studied for her test all night.

Study Guide

To practice using the past tense, try the following exercises:

1. Write 5 sentences about what you did yesterday using past tense verbs.
2. Fill in the blanks with the correct past tense form of the verb in parentheses:
   She _____ (go) to the park yesterday.
   We _____ (eat) pizza for dinner last night.
3. Read a short story and identify all the past tense verbs used.

Remember to study the irregular past tense verbs as well to be able to use them correctly in sentences.

With practice, you'll become more comfortable using the past tense to talk about past events and actions.

[Past Tense] Related Worksheets and Study Guides:

• GrammarEnglish Language Arts • Second Grade
• Past Tense (-ed)English Language Arts • Second Grade
• Regular and Irregular VerbsEnglish Language Arts • Eighth Grade
• HomophonesEnglish Language Arts • Second Grade