Past Simple: Affirmative & Negative
In this lesson, students learn to talk about finished past events using the past simple in affirmative and negative forms. The main outcome is a clear, short spoken story (30–60 seconds) with a beginning, middle, and end.
SWBAT (Objectives)
- Use past simple affirmative sentences to describe completed events (I walked, I went, I ate).
- Use past simple negative sentences with didn’t + base verb (I didn’t go, she didn’t eat).
- Use basic story sequencing words (first, then, after that, finally) to tell a short story.
- Ask simple follow-up questions about a story (Where? When? Who with? Why?).
Grammar Focus
Subject + past verb + (object/time)
• I visited my cousin yesterday.
• We went to the mall last weekend.
Subject + did not (didn’t) + base verb
• I didn’t see him yesterday.
• She didn’t go to class.
- yesterday / last night / last week / two days ago
- first / then / after that / finally
- in the morning / at 7pm / on Saturday
go → went · come → came · get → got · have → had · do → did · make → made · see → saw · take → took · buy → bought · eat → ate · give → gave · say → said · feel → felt
Model Story (Short & Clear)
Yesterday, I went to the grocery store after work. First, I bought some fruit and bread. Then, I looked for milk, but the store didn’t have any. I didn’t want to go to another store, so I changed my plan. After that, I paid and I went home. Finally, I made dinner and watched a movie.
Students underline: went, bought, looked, didn’t have, didn’t want, changed, paid, went, made, watched
Students circle: didn’t have and didn’t want
Controlled Practice (Accuracy)
Change to past simple:
• walk → walked · watch → watched · study → studied · stop → stopped
Then write 4 true sentences about yesterday.
Complete with the past form:
• I ____ (go) home early.
• We ____ (eat) lunch at 1:00.
• She ____ (buy) a new jacket.
Make negative sentences using didn’t:
• I went to the gym. → I didn’t go to the gym.
• They watched TV. → They ______ TV.
• He ate breakfast. → He ______ breakfast.
Communicative Speaking Task (Fluency)
- Choose a topic: a busy day, a small problem, or a fun moment.
- Use the 6 sentence starters below.
- Tell your story to a partner (30–60 seconds).
- Your partner asks 2 follow-up questions.
- Switch roles and repeat with a new story.
- Yesterday / Last weekend, I…
- First, I…
- Then, I…
- But I didn’t…
- After that, I…
- Finally, I…
- Past verb form (2 quick corrections max)
- One negative sentence using didn’t
- Clear ending with “Finally…”
Exit Ticket (5 minutes)
- Write 3 past simple sentences about yesterday.
- Write 2 negative sentences using didn’t + base verb.
- Underline one irregular verb you used correctly.
Homework
- Write: a 6–8 sentence story about your day. Include 2 negatives and 3 time words.
- Speak: record your story (45–90 seconds). Try to use “first / then / after that / finally”.
- Study: learn 10 irregular past verbs from the list. (base + past)