Patina · Grammar

Simple Past Tense

mopped  ·  cleaned  ·  dusted

Say what happened: the verb takes -ed, and the -ed has three sounds. Mopped sounds like t. Cleaned sounds like d. Dusted sounds like ed, two beats. The e is silent in the first two. Every verb on this sheet is a household chore.

★ the three sounds, one word for everyone, spell it, did  ·  ★★ which sound?, ask with or  ·  ★★★ last night, answer it, fix it, the citizenship test

Download the PDF PDF · 6 pages

For the teacher · In class

stage the three cards and clap every sentence with the room. "Mopped. One beat. Dusted. Two." Then the tree: "He cleaned. Where is the -s?" For Which sound?, say the verb, the room answers t, d or ed in the chat. For the or questions, whoever answers "yes" answers again. On paper, read the writing-test sentence aloud twice.

Unit 18 teacher's key (PDF)

★ The three sounds of -ed

Three cards. The -ed has three sounds. Tap a sentence and count the beats.

Sounds like t

silent e

one beat

Sounds like d

silent e

one beat

Sounds like ed

you hear the e

two beats

You hear the e only after t or d.

Clap it. Mopped is one beat. Dusted is two.

★ One word for everyone

One verb, five people. Watch nothing change.

Everyone takes the same -ed. Even he, she and it. The -s is gone.

★ Spell it

Most verbs just add -ed. Three kinds change a little.

Ends in e: add d.

Consonant + y: y becomes ied.

One vowel, one consonant: double it.

★ Did · didn't

A question and a no. Did does the past; the verb stays plain.

Did + person + verb?  ·  person + didn't + verb.

After did and didn't, the verb has no -ed. Did is the past already.

Watch out in your language

★★ Which sound?

Nine more chores. Tap to hear each one, then choose its sound.

Say it first. Then choose. On paper, circle one.

★★ Ask with or

Two choices in one question. The same answer, both times.

Did + person + verb A or verb B ?

An or question wants a choice. Never answer yes or no.

Your voice goes up on the first choice and down on the second.

★★★ Last night

Every day becomes last night. Type the verb, or the whole sentence.

  1. 1Every day I mop the floor.Last night I the floor.
  2. 2Every day she washes the dishes.Last night she the dishes.
  3. 3Every day he vacuums the carpet.Yesterday he the carpet.
  4. 4Every day we dust the shelves.Yesterday we the shelves.
  5. 5Every day they clean the bathroom.Last night they the bathroom.
  6. 6Every day I empty the trash.Last night I the trash.
  7. 7Every day she folds the laundry.Yesterday she the laundry.
  8. 8Every day we wipe the table.Last night we the table.

★★★ Answer the or question

The choice is in the brackets. Answer with a whole sentence in the past.

  1. 1Did Ana mop or vacuum the floor? (mop)
  2. 2Did Luis wash or dry the dishes? (wash)
  3. 3Did she dust or wipe the shelves? (dust)
  4. 4Did they fold or iron the laundry? (fold)

★★★ Fix the sentence

Each sentence is broken in one place. Keep every word and change only what is broken.

  1. 1I was cleaned the kitchen.No was. Just -ed.
  2. 2Did you mopped the floor?After did, no -ed.
  3. 3He moped the floor.One vowel, one consonant: double the p.
  4. 4She emptyed the trash.Consonant + y: ied.
  5. 5We didn't vacuumed.After didn't, no -ed.
  6. 6Did he wash or dry the dishes? Yes.Or wants a choice, not yes.

★★★ On the citizenship test

Three real answers from the test, one per sound. Then hear a writing-test sentence and type it.

On the citizenship test

The citizenship test tells its story in the past. Listen for the -ed.

  1. 115. What major event happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States?
  2. 94. Abraham Lincoln is famous for many things. Name one.
  3. 85. Benjamin Franklin is famous for many things. Name one.

On the writing test, the officer says a sentence and you write it.

American Indians lived here first.

For the teacher · Answer key

Which sound: cooked t  ·  emptied d  ·  painted ed  ·  fixed t  ·  watered d  ·  sorted ed  ·  picked up t  ·  dried d  ·  unloaded ed.    Last night: mopped  ·  washed  ·  vacuumed  ·  dusted  ·  cleaned  ·  emptied  ·  folded  ·  wiped.    Answer the or question: She mopped the floor.  ·  He washed the dishes.  ·  She dusted the shelves.  ·  They folded the laundry.    Fix the sentence: I cleaned the kitchen.  ·  Did you mop the floor?  ·  He mopped the floor.  ·  She emptied the trash.  ·  We didn't vacuum.  ·  He washed the dishes (or: He dried the dishes).    The writing test: American Indians lived here first.