Positive

Form
I/you/we/they/he/she/it
worked

I/you/we/they/he/she/it
left

Regular Verbs: base form
+ ed

Negative Form
Question Form
I/you/we/they/he/she/it Did he/you/they/etc.
didnt (did not) work
work?
I/you/we/they/he/she/it Did he/you/they/etc.
didnt (did not) leave
leave?
Regular and irregular
verbs: subject + didnt
(did not) + base form

Regular and irregular

verbs: did + subject +
base form

(~ed: helped, lived, wanted)

1) Read the rules and examples.
2) Draw a timeline that represents the rule.
3) Write a positive, negative, and question example for each rule.

1. For state and action verbs which happened and were completed in the past.
Timeline:
_______________________|________________________
Past

Present

Future

! He threw the ball very fast.

! _________________________________________________.
! _________________________________________________.
! _________________________________________________.

2. A series of state(s) or action(s) in the past.
Timeline:
_______________________|________________________
Past

Present

Future

! He arrived to the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and
went to the restaurant at 10:00.
! _______________________________________________________________________________.
! _______________________________________________________________________________?

3. A duration of time.
Timeline:
_______________________|________________________
Past

Present

Future

! I lived in Korea for 8 years.

! I studied English all day.
! ___________________________________________________________________.
! ___________________________________________________________________.
! ___________________________________________________________________.

4. Past facts or generalizations about people or things.
Timeline:
_______________________|________________________
Past

Present

Future

! She was shy when she was a kid, but now she is very outgoing.
! My cell phone plan was very expensive.
! ___________________________________________________________________.
! ___________________________________________________________________.
! ___________________________________________________________________.

Positive Form
I/he/she/it was working

Negative Form
I/he/she/it wasnt (was
not) working
You/we/they were
You/we/they werent
working
(were not) working
Form: subject + was/were Form: subject + was not
+ present participle
(wasnt)/ were not
(~ing)
(werent) + present
participle (~ing)

1) Read the rules and examples.

Question Form
Was I/he/she/it
working?
Were you/we/they
working?
Form: was/were + subject
+ present participle
(~ing)

2) Draw a timeline that represents the rule.

3) Write a positive, negative, and question example for each rule.

1. An action in the past that was interrupted before being completed.
Timeline:
_______________________|________________________
Past

Present

Future

! I was eating breakfast when she called.

! __________________________________________________________.
! __________________________________________________________.
! __________________________________________________________?

2. To show parallel actions that happened at the same time
Timeline:
_______________________|________________________
Past

Present

Future

! The ant was working while the grasshopper was playing games.
! What were you doing while I was talking?
! ___________________________________________________________.
! ___________________________________________________________.

! ___________________________________________________________?

3. Used when the past action has not been completed or you have more to say.
Timeline:
_______________________|________________________
Past

Present

Future

! I read a book about JFK. " Completed

! I was reading about JFK. " Probably not completed. I have
more to say.
! ___________________________________________________________.
! ___________________________________________________________.
! ___________________________________________________________?

4. An action you were doing at a specific time reference.
Timeline:
_______________________|________________________
Past

Present

Future

! Yesterday at 5:00, I was making a video.

! A: What were you doing at 8:30 this morning?
B: I was eating breakfast.
! ___________________________________________________________.
! ___________________________________________________________.
! ___________________________________________________________?