A1 · Beginner · Practice

Past Simple Tense: A1 Exercises

60 exercises · 20 multiple choice · 20 fill in the blank · 20 word ordering

#A1
#Exercises
#With answers
#Free

The past simple describes finished actions at a finished time: I watched a film last night, she moved to Berlin in 2021. Regular verbs add -ed and irregular ones simply have to be learned, but the form that causes real trouble is not the statement — it is the negative and the question, where English hands the past tense over to an auxiliary and takes it off the main verb.

That is the rule this set drills hardest. Did already carries the past, so the verb that follows it goes back to its base form: did you go, not did you went; I didn't see, not I didn't saw. These sixty exercises cover the -ed spelling rules, the commonest irregular verbs, the questions and negatives with did and didn't, and the time expressions — yesterday, last week, two years ago — that make the past simple the right choice.

60 exercises in this set

3 question types

~25 minutes to finish

80% to pass

What these exercises drill

Every question in this set tests one of the rules below. If any of them is unfamiliar, read the Past Simple Tense lesson first — practice before the rule is understood mostly teaches you your own guesses.

Use the past simple for finished actions at a finished time — yesterday, last week, in 2019.
Regular verbs add -ed; irregular verbs change form and must be learned.
Negatives use didn't + base verb — the verb loses its past ending.
Questions use did + subject + base verb.

Practise Past Simple Tense now

Answer at your own pace — nothing is timed and nothing is submitted. Each answer is marked the moment you give it, the explanation appears whether you were right or wrong, and the progress bar tracks all 60. Your score is saved in this browser, and to your account if you are signed in.

Multiple choice questions

Choose the correct answer.

I ___ a good film last night.watch · watched · did watch · watching
She ___ to Berlin three years ago.moved · moving · did move · move
We ___ to the museum yesterday.goed · went · gone · going
___ you enjoy the concert?Do · Did · Were · Was
Which sentence is correct?Did you went to the party? · Did you go to the party? · Did you gone to the party? · You did went to the party?
He ___ his keys at the office.leaved · left · leaves · leaving
I ___ see her at the party.didn't · don't · wasn't · not
They ___ in this house for ten years.lived · livd · liveed · living
What is the past simple of "study"?studyed · studed · studied · studying
What is the past simple of "stop"?stoped · stopped · stopt · stoping
Which sentence is correct?She didn't came home. · She didn't come home. · She not came home. · She wasn't come home.
___ they arrive on time?Do · Did · Were · Was
What is the past simple of "buy"?buyed · boughted · bought · buied
We ___ dinner at about eight.eated · ate · eaten · eating
___ she like the present?Do · Was · Did · Were
I ___ the answer, so I asked the teacher.knowed · didn't knew · didn't know · not knew
What is the past simple of "plan"?planed · planned · plannd · planing
Which time expression fits the past simple?right now · at the moment · two weeks ago · usually every day
"Did you finish the report?" — "Yes, I ___."finished · did · was · do
He ___ me about the meeting.telled · told · tolled · did told

Fill-in-the-blank questions

Type the missing word.

We __________ a wonderful meal in that restaurant. (have)
She __________ to Rome for the weekend. (fly)
I __________ my homework before dinner. (finish)
They __________ the house in 2019. (buy)
He __________ the bus because he overslept. (miss)
__________ you enjoy the film last night?
I __________ hear the doorbell — I was in the shower.
The concert __________ at nine o'clock. (start)
She __________ me a long letter last month. (write)
We __________ in a small hotel by the sea. (stay)
__________ your parents like the restaurant?
He __________ his job in the spring. (leave)
I __________ the film at all, to be honest.
They __________ playing football at six. (stop)
She __________ economics at university. (study)
We __________ the last train home. (catch)
__________ he tell you about the change of plan?
The children __________ in the garden all afternoon. (play)
I __________ my wallet on the train yesterday. (lose)
They __________ arrive until nearly midnight.

Sentence structure: word ordering

Put the words in the correct order.

Describe your evening entertainment yesterday.I / watched / a / film / last / night.
Say when a woman relocated.She / moved / to / Berlin / three / years / ago.
Ask about somebody's evening at a musical event.Did / you / enjoy / the / concert?
Describe your group's outing, using an irregular verb.We / went / to / the / museum / yesterday.
Report a man's absence in the negative.He / didn't / come / to / the / meeting.
Describe a couple's property purchase.They / bought / a / flat / in / the / city / centre.
Ask whether a woman returned a phone call.Did / she / call / you / back?
Report losing something during a journey.I / lost / my / wallet / on / the / train.
Describe your accommodation on a trip.We / stayed / in / a / small / hotel.
Describe a man's long university course.He / studied / medicine / for / six / years.
Ask about somebody's family's opinion of a meal.Did / your / parents / like / the / restaurant?
Describe correspondence you received.She / wrote / me / a / long / letter.
Explain why you overslept.I / didn't / hear / the / alarm / this / morning.
Complain about the beginning of a screening.The / film / started / twenty / minutes / late.
Ask about the punctuality of some guests.Did / they / arrive / on / time?
Describe a narrow escape at the station.We / caught / the / last / train / home.
Report where a man forgot something.He / left / his / keys / at / the / office.
Complain that information was withheld.They / didn't / tell / us / about / the / change.
Describe a past weekly habit.I / played / tennis / every / Saturday / last / summer.
Ask a colleague about a completed task.Did / you / finish / the / report / yesterday?

Show the answer key for all 60 exercises

Every answer with the reason behind it. Read the explanation for the ones you got right as well — that is where you find out whether you were right for the right reason.

Multiple choice questions — answers

1. I ___ a good film last night. → watched: A regular verb adds -ed in the past simple, and last night is a finished time.
2. She ___ to Berlin three years ago. → moved: Move adds -d because it already ends in -e.
3. We ___ to the museum yesterday. → went: Go is irregular and its past simple is went.
4. ___ you enjoy the concert? → Did: Did carries the past tense in a question, and enjoy stays in its base form.
5. Which sentence is correct? → Did you go to the party?: Did already marks the past, so the main verb reverts to its base form.
6. He ___ his keys at the office. → left: Leave is irregular and becomes left in the past simple.
7. I ___ see her at the party. → didn't: Didn't carries the past tense, so see stays in its base form.
8. They ___ in this house for ten years. → lived: A verb ending in -e simply adds -d.
9. What is the past simple of "study"? → studied: A consonant plus -y becomes -ied: study, studied.
10. What is the past simple of "stop"? → stopped: A final consonant after a single stressed vowel doubles before -ed.
11. Which sentence is correct? → She didn't come home.: After didn't the main verb goes back to its base form.
12. ___ they arrive on time? → Did: Did makes a past simple question for every subject.
13. What is the past simple of "buy"? → bought: Buy is irregular and becomes bought.
14. We ___ dinner at about eight. → ate: Eat is irregular and its past simple is ate.
15. ___ she like the present? → Did: Did carries the past tense, and like stays bare after it.
16. I ___ the answer, so I asked the teacher. → didn't know: Didn't takes the past tense, so know stays in its base form.
17. What is the past simple of "plan"? → planned: A single stressed vowel before a final consonant means the consonant doubles.
18. Which time expression fits the past simple? → two weeks ago: Two weeks ago is a finished time, which is exactly what the past simple describes.
19. "Did you finish the report?" — "Yes, I ___." → did: The short answer repeats the auxiliary rather than the main verb.
20. He ___ me about the meeting. → told: Tell is irregular and becomes told in the past simple.

Fill-in-the-blank questions — answers

1. We ___ a wonderful meal in that restaurant. (have) → had: Have is irregular and becomes had in the past simple.
2. She ___ to Rome for the weekend. (fly) → flew: Fly is irregular and its past simple is flew.
3. I ___ my homework before dinner. (finish) → finished: A regular verb adds -ed in the past simple.
4. They ___ the house in 2019. (buy) → bought: Buy is irregular and becomes bought.
5. He ___ the bus because he overslept. (miss) → missed: Miss adds -ed with no spelling change.
6. ___ you enjoy the film last night? → Did: Did carries the past tense in a question, whatever the subject.
7. I ___ hear the doorbell — I was in the shower. → didn't: Didn't takes the past tense, so hear stays in its base form.
8. The concert ___ at nine o'clock. (start) → started: Start adds -ed with no change to the stem.
9. She ___ me a long letter last month. (write) → wrote: Write is irregular and its past simple is wrote.
10. We ___ in a small hotel by the sea. (stay) → stayed: A vowel plus -y simply adds -ed: stayed, played, enjoyed.
11. ___ your parents like the restaurant? → Did: Did is the auxiliary for every subject in a past simple question.
12. He ___ his job in the spring. (leave) → left: Leave is irregular and becomes left.
13. I ___ the film at all, to be honest. → didn't: Didn't carries the past, so the main verb after it stays bare.
14. They ___ playing football at six. (stop) → stopped: A final consonant after a single stressed vowel doubles before -ed.
15. She ___ economics at university. (study) → studied: A consonant plus -y becomes -ied in the past simple.
16. We ___ the last train home. (catch) → caught: Catch is irregular and becomes caught.
17. ___ he tell you about the change of plan? → Did: The auxiliary carries the past tense, so tell stays in its base form.
18. The children ___ in the garden all afternoon. (play) → played: A vowel plus -y simply adds -ed.
19. I ___ my wallet on the train yesterday. (lose) → lost: Lose is irregular and its past simple is lost.
20. They ___ arrive until nearly midnight. → didn't: Didn't takes the past tense, leaving arrive in its base form.

Sentence structure: word ordering — answers

1. Describe your evening entertainment yesterday. → I watched a film last night.: Describe your evening entertainment yesterday.
2. Say when a woman relocated. → She moved to Berlin three years ago.: Say when a woman relocated.
3. Ask about somebody's evening at a musical event. → Did you enjoy the concert?: Ask about somebody's evening at a musical event.
4. Describe your group's outing, using an irregular verb. → We went to the museum yesterday.: Describe your group's outing, using an irregular verb.
5. Report a man's absence in the negative. → He didn't come to the meeting.: Report a man's absence in the negative.
6. Describe a couple's property purchase. → They bought a flat in the city centre.: Describe a couple's property purchase.
7. Ask whether a woman returned a phone call. → Did she call you back?: Ask whether a woman returned a phone call.
8. Report losing something during a journey. → I lost my wallet on the train.: Report losing something during a journey.
9. Describe your accommodation on a trip. → We stayed in a small hotel.: Describe your accommodation on a trip.
10. Describe a man's long university course. → He studied medicine for six years.: Describe a man's long university course.
11. Ask about somebody's family's opinion of a meal. → Did your parents like the restaurant?: Ask about somebody's family's opinion of a meal.
12. Describe correspondence you received. → She wrote me a long letter.: Describe correspondence you received.
13. Explain why you overslept. → I didn't hear the alarm this morning.: Explain why you overslept.
14. Complain about the beginning of a screening. → The film started twenty minutes late.: Complain about the beginning of a screening.
15. Ask about the punctuality of some guests. → Did they arrive on time?: Ask about the punctuality of some guests.
16. Describe a narrow escape at the station. → We caught the last train home.: Describe a narrow escape at the station.
17. Report where a man forgot something. → He left his keys at the office.: Report where a man forgot something.
18. Complain that information was withheld. → They didn't tell us about the change.: Complain that information was withheld.
19. Describe a past weekly habit. → I played tennis every Saturday last summer.: Describe a past weekly habit.
20. Ask a colleague about a completed task. → Did you finish the report yesterday?: Ask a colleague about a completed task.

The errors these questions are built to catch

I didn't went to work.

I didn't go to work.

Did already marks the past; the main verb returns to its base form.
She buyed a new phone.

She bought a new phone.

Buy is irregular — its past form is bought, never buyed.
Did you liked the film?

Did you like the film?

After did, the main verb never keeps -ed.

After this set

The past simple tells you what happened. Was and were cover what things were like, and there was and there were cover what existed — together they are everything A1 needs to talk about yesterday.