The past indefinite

Exercise 26.

Change the Present Indefinite into the Past Indefinite. Comment on the spelling changes.

Model. I like music. – I liked music.
to like – liked	We drop the mute -E and add the ending -ED.
We try to do it every day. – We tried to do it every day.
to try – tried	We change the final-Y into -I before the ending -ED because it comes after the consonant.
They build ten houses a year. – They built ten houses a year.
to build – built	We form the Past Indefinite from the infinitive of the irregular verb by changing the final consonant.

1. I study Chemistry.

2. Ann sings beautifully.

3. We enjoy our staying in Kyiv.

4. She prefers tea to coffee.

5. He translates two pages a day.

6. If they panic, they’ll get into trouble.

7. Pete nods me when we meet.

8. Mary and John live in Manchester.

9. They send letters every Saturday.

10. Sometimes she quarrels with him.

Exercise 27.

(a) Make the following sentences negative and interrogative. Comment on the way of forming.

Model. He wrote the letter yesterday.	He didn’t write the letter yesterday.
	Did he write the letter yesterday?
In the negative sentence we place the negative particle NOT after the auxiliary verb TO DO (did).
In the interrogative sentence we place the auxiliary verb TO DO (did) before the subject and the Infinitive of the main verb after the subject.

1. We met in San Diego three years ago.

2. She was a bright student at college.

3. I dreamt of being an astronaut.

4. They won the competition.

5. He worked in Brazil for five years.

6. Jane lied very often.

7. I translated the contract yesterday.

8. Tim told me everything.

9. We lay in the sun the whole day.

10. The manager signed the paper.

(b) Put questions to the words in bold type.

1. I entered the University last year.

2. She sounded disappointed on the phone.

3. He heard that programme two days ago.

4. We visited our parents every month.

5. I saw her at the station yesterday.

6. Our neighbours often had blazing rows.

7. He looked well when they last saw him.

8. She sent them ten letters.

9. Margaret always looked up to her elder sister.

10. Paul and Ann stayed in the country for a week.

(c) Ask all possible questions.

Our teacher explained the grammar rule to us for ten minutes.

Exercise 28.

Translate the following sentences into Ukrainian and comment on the use of the Past Indefinite.

Model. He wrote the letter yesterday.

Він написав листа вчора.

wrote is the form of the Past Indefinite Active which denotes an action performed in the past. The adverbial yesterday shows the connection with the past.

1. So he lay down, and after going over the story word for word, he fell asleep.

2. He stayed four weeks at a remote training camp called Ashaq al Hoor, he says, where he saw adolescent boys being trained as suicide bombers.

3. Long, long ago; as long as a thought can reach, there was a large and beautiful island.

4. In 1849 Henry Charles Harrods opened a small grocery store in the heart of Knightsbridge, not far from Belgravia.

5. Two, occasionally three times a week George had an errand. Late afternoon, after talking to Barton, he would leave the club and return ninety minutes later.

6. He stopped at the airport, tucked away the car in a corner of the long-term car park and removed a hand grip from the boot.

7. They lived in Stanhope Place, and when they arrived Julia told the butler to show the young man where he could wash his hands.

8. Towards the evening they reached the forest of pine trees.

9. The Louvre was originally a fortress, built by Philippe-Auguste in 1190 to protect Paris from attacks by the Vikings.

10. He attempted to stand back and see things through the eyes of the cop he used to be.

Exercise 29.

Fill in the gaps with the Past Indefinite or the Present Perfect. Comment on their use.

1. ‘you … (to pass) your exam?’ ‘Yes, I … (to pass) it.’ ‘When you … (to pass) it?’ ‘I … (to pass) it two days ago.’

2. Bobby is still in hospital. He … (to be) ill for a month.

3. I have loved Maggie since I … (to know) her.

4. The film director John White has died in a plane crash. He … (to make) twenty films.

5. ‘you ever … (to be) to New Zealand?’ ‘I … (to be) there two times.’

6. We’ve been doing our homework since we … (to come) home from school.

7. This young writer … (write) ten novels. His latest one is the best and he’ll be awarded a Pulitzer Prize.

8. After the Easter Rising in 1916 Sinn Féin (Gaelic for ‘Ourselves Alone’) … (to develop) a military wing, the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

9. He … (to find) a piece of paper, … (to take) a pen and … (to begin) writing the letter.

10. She has recovered from her illness. She … (to be) ill for a month.

Exercise 30.

Translate the following sentences into English using the Past Indefinite or the Present Perfect. Comment on their use.

1. Відколи він став президентом, і податки, і безробіття зростають.

2. Коли ви приїхали до Сполучених Штатів і скільки часу ви тут перебуваєте?

3. Мої батьки придбали цей будинок у 1961 році, і з того часу він належить нашій родині.

4. Коли ви востаннє бачили Джима? – Я бачила його сьогодні в бібліотеці.

5. Я переїхав у Дублін після закінчення університету і працюю тут вже сім років.

6. Я сьогодні ще не голився, але збираюсь.

7. Сью повернулась вчора. Вона перебувала три місяці у Варшаві.

8. Ви коли-небудь до цього були в Бразилії? – Ні, я вперше в цій країні.

9. Я не бачив своїх сусідів відколи тут мешкаю.

10. Ви склали іспит з водіння? – Так, склав. Я його склав минулого тижня.