Everyday Stories: Talking About the Past

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Everyday Stories: Talking About the Past

What do you already know about speaking in the past?

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson you will be able to talk about things you did yesterday or last week, and ask simple questions in the past.

Let’s Introduce Ourselves!

Hello, my name is [Teacher Name]. Tell me: What did you do this morning? (Just say a word or two if it’s hard!)

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When Do We Use the Past?

We use the past to talk about things that happened before now. For example: yesterday, last week, this morning.

Simple Past: Regular Verbs

For many verbs, just add -ed: walk → walked, play → played. Listen and repeat: "I played football yesterday."

Simple Past: Irregular Verbs

Some verbs change completely: go → went, eat → ate. Listen and repeat: "I went to the park."

Let’s Practise Verbs

Regular Verbs

Say the past tense: work, watch, listen

Irregular Verbs

Say the past tense: have, see, make

Talking About Yesterday

What did you do yesterday? Take turns: "Yesterday, I cooked dinner." How about you?

Real-life Practice: Shopping

Listen and repeat: "I bought apples." Now you say something you bought last week!

Making Questions in the Past

We use "Did": Did you watch TV last night? Did you have breakfast today? Practise asking and answering.

Activity: Ask a Friend

Did you go for a walk? Did you eat out?

You answer

You ask

Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.

Let’s Tell Short Stories

Your Turn: Story Time!

With your teacher, tell a short story: "Last weekend, I visited my friend. We watched a film."

Reflect: How Did You Use the Past?

Think: What new things did you say today? When will you use the past tense outside this lesson?

Great Work! Keep Talking!

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.