Page 28 - Grammar for Great Writing B

Grammar Forms

2.1 Simple Past

Subject Verb Example

I / you / he / she / it / we / they verb + -ed (regular verb) The period ended in 180 CE.
irregular verb form The period began in 31 BCE.

Notes
1. In the simple past, regular verbs end in -ed. Add -ed (work – worked), -d (arrive – arrived), or change the y to i and
add -ed (study – studied).
2. Irregular verbs in the past vary and do not end in -ed. Some common irregular verbs include go – went;
have – had; and do – did.
3. See Appendix 4, Irregular Verbs, on page 220.

2.2 Past Form of Be

Subject Verb Example

I / he / she / it was (irregular) Lincoln was president during the American
Civil War.

you / we / they were (irregular) The causes of the Civil War were complex.

2.3 Past Progressive

Subject Verb Example

I / he / she / it was + verb + -ing NASA was monitoring the space shuttle
when it suddenly lost communication.

you / we / they were + verb + -ing The astronauts lost contact with NASA
while they were traveling around the dark
side of the moon.

18 Unit 2 Writing about the Past

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Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
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