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Past simple
The past simple is used to describe a finished action in the past. We often use it in stories.
Grammatically speaking, we form the past simple of regular verbs by adding an "ed" to the infinitive of the verb (without "to"). i.e.
Past simple = infinitive + ed
(e.g. to open = opened)
-ed spelling rules:
* Verbs ending with "consonant + y" are formed in the past by "ied". E.g. to cry = cried
* Verbs ending with "vowel + y" keep in the past the "ed". E.g. to play = played
* Verbs ending with "e" are formed in the past by "d". E.g. to love = lovedStudents however, usually find difficulties with irregular verbs.
Therefore, we suggest a good method to facilitate learning them. In other words, irregular verbs can be gathered in three main groups:
1- Verbs keeping the same form in the past (having the same form of past participle)
E.g. to bet = bet (P.P bet)
to cost = cost (P.P cost)
to put = put (P.P put)
2- Verbs ending with "t", "d" or "ght" (having the same form of past participle)
E.g. to lose = lost (P.P lost)
to buy = bought (P.P bought)
to sell = sold (P.P sold)
3- Verbs which partially or completely change their forms (having a different form of past participle)
E.g. to ride = rode (P.P ridden)
to hide = hid (P.P hidden)
to go = went (P.P gone)
Exercise: this is a passage from my short story "A Man in Between".
Put the verbs between brackets in the past simple.

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