GRAMMAR A2 Past Simple Regular verbs Irregular verbs Italian learner editionEdizione per studenti italiani

A2 Past Simple A2 Past Simple

Learn to talk about finished past actions and events. Use regular and irregular verbs, form negatives and questions with did/didn’t, and use was/were correctly. Impara a parlare di azioni ed eventi conclusi nel passato. Usa verbi regolari e irregolari, forma negative e domande con did/didn’t e usa correttamente was/were.

I workedShe wentdidn’t see Did you…?was / wereyesterday / last week

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1. See it in context1. Guarda il Past Simple nel contesto

“Last Saturday, I visited my grandparents. We had lunch together and then we went for a walk. My cousin didn’t come because she was ill. Did you do anything special?” “Last Saturday, I visited my grandparents. We had lunch together and then we went for a walk. My cousin didn’t come because she was ill. Did you do anything special?”
What students must noticeCosa devono notare gli studenti

visited: verbo regolare con -ed.

had / went: forme irregolari da imparare.

didn’t come: dopo didn’t usiamo la forma base.

Did you do…?: nelle domande, did precede il soggetto.

2. Take on board: the A2 control panel2. Da portare via: il pannello di controllo A2

Use the Past Simple for completed actions. The form is the same for all subjects, except for was/were. Usa il Past Simple per azioni concluse. La forma è uguale per tutti i soggetti, tranne was/were.

1. Regular affirmative
verb + ed

I worked. She visited.

2. Irregular affirmative
special past form

go → went; see → saw

3. Negative
didn’t + base verb

We didn’t go.

4. Questions
Did + subject + base verb?

Did she call?

5. Past of be
was / were

I was tired. They were late.

6. Time markers
yesterday / last / ago / in 2025

We met two days ago.

3. The Past Simple map3. La mappa del Past Simple

Core idea:Idea centrale:

The action is finished and belongs to a completed past time.L’azione è conclusa e appartiene a un momento passato terminato.

AffirmativeForma affermativa

subject + past form

I worked yesterday.

She went home early.

Italian trap: Non usare did nella frase affermativa: I did went → I went.

NegativeForma negativa

subject + didn’t + base verb

I didn’t work yesterday.

She didn’t go home early.

Italian trap: Dopo didn’t usa go, non went.

QuestionsDomande

Did + subject + base verb?

Did you work yesterday?

Where did she go?

Italian trap: Dopo did usa see, non saw.

Short answersRisposte brevi

Yes/No + subject + did/didn’t

Did they arrive? — Yes, they did.

Did he call? — No, he didn’t.

Italian trap: Nelle risposte brevi ripeti did, non il verbo principale.

4. Regular verbs: spelling rules4. Verbi regolari: regole ortografiche

RuleRegolaExamplesEsempiRememberRicorda
Most verbs: +edwork → worked
play → played		La regola più comune.
Final e: +dlive → lived
arrive → arrived		Non aggiungere una seconda e.
Consonant + y: y → iedstudy → studied
try → tried		Ma: play → played.
Short CVC verb: double consonant + edstop → stopped
plan → planned		Non raddoppiare w, x o y.

5. How to pronounce -ed5. Come pronunciare -ed

/t/

After voiceless sounds such as p, k, f, s, sh, ch.

worked, watched, finished, laughed

/d/

After vowels and most voiced sounds.

played, cleaned, lived, called

/ɪd/

After verbs ending in a /t/ or /d/ sound.

wanted, needed, started, decided

ImportantImportante

The pronunciation changes, but the spelling still ends in -ed.La pronuncia cambia, ma la grafia termina comunque in -ed.

6. Essential irregular verbs6. Verbi irregolari essenziali

Base formPast SimpleExample
gowentWe went to the beach.
havehadI had breakfast at eight.
dodidShe did her homework.
seesawThey saw a good film.
comecameMarco came late.
getgotI got home at ten.
taketookWe took the train.
buyboughtShe bought a new coat.
makemadeHe made dinner.
saysaidThey said goodbye.

7. Past Simple of be: was and were7. Past Simple di be: was e were

AffirmativeAffermativa

I / he / she / it was

You / we / they were

I was tired. They were at home.

NegativeNegativa

was not → wasn’t

were not → weren’t

She wasn’t at work. We weren’t late.

QuestionsDomande

Was/Were + subject…?

Was he tired? Where were they?

Do not use didNon usare did

Did you be tired?

Were you tired?

8. Past time expressions8. Espressioni di tempo al passato

yesterday
yesterday morning
yesterday afternoon
yesterday evening
last
last night
last week
last month
last year
ago / finished dates
two days ago
in 2024
on Monday
at the weekend
Word order:Ordine delle parole:

I saw Anna yesterday. / Yesterday, I saw Anna.

9. Italian brain vs English brain9. Cervello italiano vs cervello inglese

Italian students often use the past form after did or translate the verb be incorrectly.Gli studenti italiani spesso usano la forma passata dopo did o traducono male il verbo be.

ItalianoCommon mistakeErrore comuneNatural EnglishInglese naturale
Sono andato a Roma.I am gone to Rome.I went to Rome.
Non ho visto Marco.I didn’t saw Marco.I didn’t see Marco.
Hai mangiato?Did you ate?Did you eat?
Eravamo stanchi.We was tired.We were tired.
Dov’eri?Where did you be?Where were you?
Ho studiato ieri.I have studied yesterday.I studied yesterday.

10. Common mistakes10. Errori comuni

❌ She didn’t went to school.

After didn’t, use the base verb.Dopo didn’t, usa la forma base.

✅ She didn’t go to school.
❌ Did you saw the film?

After did, use see.Dopo did, usa see.

✅ Did you see the film?
❌ They was at home.

Use were with they.Usa were con they.

✅ They were at home.
❌ I studyed English.

Consonant + y changes to -ied.Consonante + y cambia in -ied.

✅ I studied English.

11. Concept Check Questions11. Domande di controllo del concetto

Check meaning and structure before controlled practice.Controlla significato e struttura prima della pratica guidata.

1. When do we normally use the Past Simple?1. Quando usiamo normalmente il Past Simple?
2. Which form follows did or didn’t?2. Quale forma segue did o didn’t?
3. How do most regular verbs form the Past Simple?3. Come formano il Past Simple la maggior parte dei verbi regolari?
4. Which sentence uses the past of be correctly?4. Quale frase usa correttamente il passato di be?

12. Quick Check12. Quick Check

1. We _____ a film last night.1. We _____ a film last night.
2. Anna _____ to London in May.2. Anna _____ to London in May.
3. I _____ breakfast this morning.3. I _____ breakfast this morning.
4. _____ you call Marco yesterday?4. _____ you call Marco yesterday?
5. The shops _____ closed on Sunday.5. The shops _____ closed on Sunday.

13. Challenge Check13. Challenge Check

Focus on spelling, irregular verbs and sentence structure.Concentrati su ortografia, verbi irregolari e struttura della frase.

1. She _____ English for two hours yesterday.1. Ha studiato inglese per due ore ieri.
2. The car _____ near the station.2. L’auto si è fermata vicino alla stazione.
3. Choose the correct question.3. Scegli la domanda corretta.
4. We _____ some new chairs last week.4. Abbiamo comprato delle sedie nuove la settimana scorsa.
5. Which sentence shows a clear sequence of past events?5. Quale frase mostra una chiara sequenza di eventi passati?

14. Write it in English14. Scrivi in inglese

Translate into natural A2 English.Traduci in un inglese A2 naturale.

1. Ieri ho lavorato fino alle sei.
2. Mia sorella è andata al cinema sabato.
3. Non abbiamo visto Luca ieri.
4. Hai comprato il pane?
5. Dov’eri ieri sera?

15. Sentence correction and transformation15. Correzione e trasformazione delle frasi

Correct or transform each complete sentence.Correggi o trasforma ogni frase completa.

1. Correct the sentence.

She go to work yesterday.

2. Correct the sentence.

They didn’t watched the match.

3. Make it negative.

Marco visited Rome.

4. Make a question.

You saw Anna.

5. Correct the sentence.

They was tired.

16. Mini dialogue practice16. Mini dialogo pratico

A: “What did you do at the weekend?”A: “Che cosa hai fatto nel fine settimana?”

17. Guided writing task17. Writing guidato

Write 50–80 words about what you did last weekend. Include regular and irregular verbs, one negative sentence and a clear sequence. Scrivi 50–80 parole su ciò che hai fatto lo scorso fine settimana. Includi verbi regolari e irregolari, una frase negativa e una sequenza chiara.

regular past verb
irregular past verb
negative form
past-time expression
sequence marker
connector
Capital letter + punctuation + 50 words
Model answer:

Last Saturday, I got up late and had breakfast at home. Then I met two friends in the city centre. We visited a small museum and ate lunch in a café. I didn’t buy anything because the shops were very expensive. After that, we walked by the river. Finally, I went home and watched a film with my family.

18. Use it in real life18. Usalo nella vita reale

Use the Past Simple to tell stories, describe trips, explain what happened and answer questions about past experiences.Usa il Past Simple per raccontare storie, descrivere viaggi, spiegare cosa è successo e rispondere a domande su esperienze passate.

Tell a short storyRacconta una breve storia

Example:
I missed the bus, so I called a taxi. The taxi arrived ten minutes later.

Talk about a tripParla di un viaggio

Example:
We stayed in Florence for three days, visited several museums and ate very well.
Want a lasting method to really learn English?Vuoi un metodo duraturo per imparare davvero l’inglese?

Book a consultation and we will help you identify the best path for your level, objectives and timetable.Prenota un colloquio: ti aiuteremo a individuare il percorso più adatto al tuo livello, ai tuoi obiettivi e ai tuoi tempi.

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Final score and reportPunteggio finale e report

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