Your task
Fill in the gap in each sentence with the correct word or phrase.
0 / 15 answered
Your score
0 / 150%
Keep practising! Focus on the explanations below.
Quick rule
Talk about a finished event with the past simple. Add -ed to a regular verb, learn the form of an irregular one, and use did with the plain verb in questions and negatives.
last weekendtwo weeks agoyesterdaythis morning
See full explanation ↓About this exercise
This A2 gap-fill set has 15 sentences about finished events: a visit last weekend, a trip to the cinema on Friday evening, a car bought two weeks ago. The verb is in brackets, and you type the past simple form. Some verbs are regular and take -ed, -d or a spelling change, as in visited, arrived, studied and planned. Others are irregular, such as went, bought, saw and ate. The set also asks you to make negatives with didn't and questions with Did. Before you type, find the time marker and decide whether the verb is regular. Then check the sentence type. A Did question needs the plain verb.
The rule in 30 seconds
Talk about a finished event with the past simple. Add -ed to a regular verb, learn the form of an irregular one, and use did with the plain verb in questions and negatives.
subject + verb + ed or irregular form / did or didn't + subject + plain verblast weekenda finished period
two weeks agoa point back from now
yesterdaythe day before today
this morninga finished part of today
Learn from the errors
Common mistakes this set targets
- Double e in a regular verb. He arriveed late for the meeting this morning. → He arrived late for the meeting this morning.Arrive already ends in e, so add only -d.
- Doubling missed in a short verb. The company planed a big event. → The company planned a big event.A short verb with one vowel and one final consonant doubles that consonant.
- Regular ending on an irregular verb. My father buyed a new car two weeks ago. → My father bought a new car two weeks ago.Buy is irregular, so it has its own past form.
- Past form after didn't. She didn't liked the soup because it was too salty. → She didn't like the soup because it was too salty.After didn't, use the base form like, not liked.
- Past form after Did. Did you saw that beautiful bird in the garden? → Did you see that beautiful bird in the garden?In a question, did marks the past, and the verb after it stays plain.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a verb is regular or irregular?
A regular verb adds -ed or -d to the base form. An irregular verb has a different form that you must learn, such as go and went. A dictionary lists these forms.
When do I double the last letter before -ed?
Double it when the verb is short and ends in one vowel plus one consonant, as in plan and planned. Do not double it in a word like visit, where the stress is on the first syllable.
Why does the question "Did you see" use see and not saw?
In a question, did marks the past tense. See keeps its base form, and saw would show the past twice.
Which time words go with the past simple?
Words that name a finished time, such as yesterday, last night, two weeks ago and this morning, point to the past simple.