SIMPLE PAST

fUNCIONES DEL "SIMPLE PAST"

El "simple past" se utiliza para hablar de una acción que concluyó en un tiempo anterior al actual. La duración no es relevante. El tiempo en que se sitúa la acción puede ser el pasado reciente o un pasado lejano.

EJEMPLOS

• John Cabot sailed to America in 1498.
• My father died last year.
• He lived in Fiji in 1976.
• We crossed the Channel yesterday.

Siempre se utiliza el "simple past" para referirse a cuándo ocurrió algo, de modo que va asociado a ciertas expresiones temporales que indican:

• frecuencia: often, sometimes, always
  I sometimes walked home at lunchtime.
  I often brought my lunch to school.
• un tiempo determinado: last week, when I was a child, yesterday, six weeks ago
  We saw a good film last week.
  Yesterday, I arrived in Geneva.
  She finished her work atseven o'clock
  I went to the theatre last night
• un tiempo indeterminado: the other day, ages ago, a long time ago People lived in caves a long time ago.
• She played the piano when she was a child.

Nota: el término ago es útil para expresar distancia temporal en el pasado. Se coloca después del periodo de tiempo de que se trate: a week ago, three years ago, a minute ago.

Cuidado: el "simple past" del inglés puede parecerse a un tiempo verbal de tu propio idioma y, sin embargo, su significado puede ser distinto.

FORMACIÓN DEL "SIMPLE PAST"

FORMACIÓN DEL "SIMPLE PAST" CON VERBOS REGULARES

Afirmativa
Sujeto	+ raíz + ed
I	skipped.
Negativa
Sujeto	+ did not	+ infinitivo sin to
They	didn't	go.
Interrogativa
Did	+ sujeto	+ infinitivo sin to
Did	she	arrive?
Interrogativa negativa
Did not	+ sujeto	+ infinitivo sin to
Didn't	you	play?

TO WALK

Afirmativa	Negativa	Interrogativa
I walked	I didn't walk	Did I walk?
You walked	You didn't walk	Did you walk?
He walked	He didn't walk	Did he walk?
We walked	We didn't walk	Did we walk?
They walked	They didn't walk	Did they walk?

"SIMPLE PAST" DE LOS VERBOS TO BE, TO HAVE, TO DO

Sujeto	Verbo
	Be	Have	Do
I	was	had	did
You	were	had	did
He/She/It	was	had	did
We	were	had	did
You	were	had	did
They	were	had	did

NOTAS SOBRE LAS CONSTRUCCIONES AFIRMATIVA, NEGATIVA E INTERROGATIVA

AFIRMATIVA

La forma afirmativa del "simple past" es sencilla.

• I was in Japan last year
• She had a headache yesterday.
• We did our homework last night.

NEGATIVA E INTERROGATIVA

Para las formas negativa e interrogativa del "simple past" del verbo "do" como verbo ordinario, se emplea como auxiliar "do", e.g. We didn't do our homework last night.
La forma negativa del verbo "have" en "simple past" suele construirse utilizando el auxiliar "do", aunque en ocasiones solo se añade not o la contracción "n't".

La forma interrogativa del verbo "have" en "simple past" suele emplear el auxiliar "do".

EJEMPLOS

• They weren't in Rio last summer.
• We didn't have any money.
• We didn't have time to visit the Eiffel Tower.
• We didn't do our exercises this morning.
• Were they in Iceland last January?
• Did you have a bicycle when you were young?
• Did you do much climbing in Switzerland?

Nota: para construir las formas negativa e interrogativa de todos los verbos en "simple past", se utiliza siempre el auxiliar 'did''.

"SIMPLE PAST": VERBOS IRREGULARES

Algunos verbos hacen el "simple past" de forma irregular. Estos son los más comunes.

TO GO

• He went to a club last night.
• Did he go to the cinema last night?
• He didn't go to bed early last night.

TO GIVE

• We gave her a doll for her birthday.
• They didn't give John their new address.
• Did Barry give you my passport?

TO COME

• My parents came to visit me last July.
• We didn't come because it was raining.
• Did he come to your party last week?

 

http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.may2.pdf

CAN

The three main uses of Can are: 1) ability 2) possibility and 3) permission. However there are some other used of Canas we will see below.

1. To express ability

Can means to be (physically) able to do something OR to know how to do something.

• Birds can fly.
• Elephants can't fly.
• I can speak two languages.

2. To express a possibility (in general)

This refers to a theoretical possibility.
Note: we don't use can to talk about future possibilities. For this you would use may or might.

• It can get cold there at night so take a jacket.
• I know you can win the competition.
• Well, I think your car can be repaired, but it's not going to be cheap.

3. To offer to do something for others

Can is used when you offer to help someone or to do something for them.

• You don't need to walk home. I can take you there if you like.
• Can I carry your bags for you?

4. To ask for or give permission / To request something

Can is used to ask for / request permission or to give permission.
Note: Can't is used to refuse permission.

• You can use my umbrella, I don't need it right now.
• Can I sit in that chair please?
• Mary, you can play outside if you like.
• Can I ask you a question?
• You can't go to the park. It will still be wet from the rain last night.
• We can't leave the room until the assignment is completed.

5. Can't: Something that is forbidden or not allowed

• We cannot park the car next to this fire hydrant.
• You can drive as fast as you want on the German motorways.
• You can't smoke in the restaurant.
• You cannot drive a car without a license.

6. Can't: when you are sure that something isn't true or something is surprising

• It can't be dark outside! It's only 4.30pm!
• They can't have landed on the moon, I'm sure it's a hoax.

For more examples, including how to make questions, see our grammar notes about Can - Cannot. You might also want to see our Can - Can't - Cannot Game

COULD

Could is similar to Can and often replaces Can in the past tense (though not always)

1. To express ability in the past

• I could ride a horse when I was younger but now I can't.
• She could juggle eight balls when she was only 10 years old.
• He could read when he was three years old.

2. Polite word used to ask for permission or to request something (in the present)

• Could I please use your bathroom?
• Could we move on to the next topic now please?
• Could you pass me the salt please?
• I'm busy right now. Could you call back later?

3. General permission in the past

• In high school, we couldn't leave the classroom without a pass.
• He couldn't go to the concert because his mother wouldn't let him.

Modal Verbs of Ability and Permission Exercise at Auto-English

Check through the different uses.

TYPE	USE	MODAL VERBS	EXAMPLE
1	expressing ability	CAN	María can drive.
2	asking for permission	MAY, CAN, COULD	Could I borrow your pen?
3	giving permission	MAY, CAN	You can use my phone.
4	refusing permission, prohibition	CAN'T, MAY NOT	You may not talk in the exam
5	requests	CAN, COULD	Can you pass me the salt?

Look at the following phrases and write in which type you think it is. Then use one of the modal verbs in brackets to fill the gaps.

	TYPE
1	_______	You (may/could)________________ leave now if you wish.
2	_______	(Could/May)________________ you open the window a bit, please?
3	_______	(May/Can)________________ you play the piano?
4	_______	Listen, please. You (may not/could not)________________  speak during this exam.
5	_______	You (can't/might not)________________ smoke on the bus.
6	_______	(Can't/May)________________  I make a call on your mobile?
7	_______	Do you know if Mark (can/may)________________ sing?
8	_______	(Can't/May)________________ I sit here, please?
9	_______	Caroline, your friends (can/could)________________ stay the night if they want to. They're perfectly welcome.
10	_______	I'm sorry but you (can't/may)________________ use the computer until after I've finished.
11	_______	(May/Could)________________ you lend me 40 Euros til Monday?
12	_______	Listen, please. Students (may/could)________________ study in the library from five to nine in the evening.