We played yesterday.
Grammar · A1
Past simple
Talk about things you did yesterday or last week.
We played yesterday.
01 · The idea
Look. Compare these examples.
Talk about things you did yesterday or last week.
Today I go. Yesterday I went.
I didn't go out yesterday.
02 · More examples
Look at what changes.
Yesterday is finished. For many actions, add ed: play → played.
We played yesterday.
She studied last night.
The bus stopped here yesterday.
Some words change: go → went, eat → ate, see → saw. Use the same past word with I, she or they.
Today I go. Yesterday I went.
I ate pizza. I saw a friend.
She bought a ticket. We took a bus.
After did or didn't, say go, not went.
I didn't go out yesterday.
Did you go out? Yes, I did.
Did she work? No, she didn't.
Look a little closer
Look at the last letters
Compare the whole words. Live already ends in e: add d. Study changes to studied. Stop changes to stopped.
live → lived; visit → visited
study → studied; play → played
stop → stopped
One story. Three ways.
Went tells the story. With didn't or did, use go.
She went home yesterday.
She didn't go home yesterday.
Did she go home yesterday? Yes, she did. / No, she didn't.
More useful pairs
Learn a few pairs at a time. Use each one in a short story about yesterday.
have → had; do → did; make → made
get → got; come → came; leave → left
write → wrote; tell → told; send → sent
drink → drank; lose → lost; know → knew
Was or did?
A place or feeling: was / were. An action: went, worked, or did ... go / work.
She was at home. Was she at home?
She worked at home. Did she work at home?
They were tired. They didn't work yesterday.
03 · Build a sentence
Make a choice. See what changes.
Change one choice at a time. Watch the sentence blocks.
I went home yesterday.
What do you want to say?
Who?
What yesterday?
04 · Try it together
Choose the correct answer.
Quick check 1
We ___ football yesterday. (play)
The action happened yesterday or at another finished time.
Quick check 2
She ___ a new phone last week. (buy)
This action has a special today/yesterday pair.
Quick check 3
___ you watch the match yesterday?
Look for did or didn't. Compare went and did…go.
05 · Real-life English
Use it in a conversation.
A: What did you do on Saturday? B: I went to the park and played football. A: Did you enjoy it? B: Yes, I did.
Tell a partner two things you did last weekend. Ask one follow-up question.
A: Did you call Ana yesterday? B: No, I didn't call her. I sent a message. A: OK. Thank you.
Ask about an everyday task yesterday: a call, a message or a trip to the shop.
06 · Common mistakes
Which sentence is correct?
07 · Keep this
The lesson in three small steps.
Today I play. Yesterday I played.
Today I play. Yesterday I played.
Some words change
go → went; eat → ate; see → saw
Didn't go. Did you go?
She didn't go. Did she go? Yes, she did. / No, she didn't.
08 · Practice
Ready to try?
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