A complete lesson about the simple past tense in British English.

THE PAST TENSE OF THE REGULAR VERBS

Simply add -ED to the verb:
work worked
jump jumped

SPELLING

Verbs ending in -E:
dance danced
pause paused

Verbs ending in consonant+Y:
study studied
cry cried
but if they end in vowel+Y:
stay stayed

Sometimes, the final consonant is doubled:
plan planned
prefer preferred
clap clapped
This happens when the last syllable of the verb ends in one single stressed vowel + one single consonant.

PRONUNCIATION

The suffix for the past -ED is pronounced /d/ or /t/:
stop stopped (pronounced /stopt/)
try tried (pronounced /traid/)
But if the verb ends in -D or -T then we pronounce the vowel: /id/
start started (pronounced /startid/)
end ended (pronounced /endid/)

(the difference between /t/ & /d/ is not important, what you need to understand is when you must pronounce /id/)

IRREGULAR VERBS

Some verbs are irregular, you will see that in another lesson.

FORMS

affirmative I lived in Rome
negative I didn't live in Rome / he didn't work for Philips
interrogative Did you live in Rome? / Did he know you?
Notice that when we use DID or DIDN'T, they carry the mark of the past, not the main verb.

ADVERBS
now then, at that time
today yesterday, that day, etc.
here there

I am here today I was there yesterday
They are reading now They were reading then
She doesn't work today She didn't work yesterday / that day / on Saturday, etc.