Unit 1: The Past Simple : cours 1 Bac SM

1Course Objectives

This section outlines the key learning goals students are expected to achieve by the end of this unit on the Past Simple tense.

By the End of This Unit, Students Will Be Able To

Reading & Recognition

Recognize and identify the Past Simple tense in reading comprehension passages and authentic texts, distinguishing it from other tenses.

Affirmative Sentences

Form correct affirmative sentences in the Past Simple using both regular verbs (adding -ed) and irregular verbs (using their unique past forms).

Negative Sentences

Construct accurate negative sentences using did not / didn't followed by the base form of the verb.

Interrogative Sentences

Create yes/no questions with Did + subject + base form and information questions using Wh- words (What, When, Where, Who, Why, How).

Spelling Rules

Apply the correct spelling rules when adding -ed to regular verbs (e.g., doubling the final consonant, dropping the silent -e, changing -y to -ied).

Verb 'To Be'

Use was and were correctly for the verb to be in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences in the Past Simple.

Time Markers

Identify and use common Past Simple time markers such as yesterday, last week, ago, and specific years to anchor events in the past.

Pronunciation of '-ed'

Pronounce -ed endings accurately across the three phonetic forms: /t/, /d/, and /ɪd/.

Written Production

Write short narratives and descriptions of past events using the Past Simple, as required by the format of the Regional Examination .

$Objective$	$Skill Area$	$Exam Relevance$
$Recognize Past Simple in texts$	$Reading Comprehension$	$High$
$Form affirmative sentences (regular & irregular)$	$Grammar Production$	$High$
$Build negatives with didn't + base form$	$Grammar Production$	$High$
$Create yes/no & Wh- questions$	$Grammar Production$	$High$
$Apply -ed spelling rules$	$Writing Accuracy$	$Medium$
$Use was / were correctly$	$Grammar Production$	$High$
$Use time markers appropriately$	$Vocabulary & Coherence$	$Medium$
$Pronounce -ed endings (/t/, /d/, /ɪd/)$	$Oral Production$	$Medium$
$Write short past narratives$	$Written Expression$	$High$

Summary of course objectives mapped to skill areas and Regional Examination relevance for 1st year Baccalaureate students.

Before studying the Past Simple, students must be confident in a few foundational grammar concepts that directly support this new tense.

Simple Present Tense

The tense used to describe habits, routines, and general truths. Students must be able to form affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences in the Simple Present, as its structure provides a direct parallel to the Past Simple. For example, the negative 'I don't play' becomes 'I didn't play' in the past, and 'Does she sing?' becomes 'Did she sing?'

Subject Pronouns

The pronouns I, you, he, she, it, we, and they that replace nouns as the subject of a sentence. These are essential for correct subject-verb agreement, particularly when choosing between 'was' (I, he, she, it) and 'were' (you, we, they) in the Past Simple.

Auxiliary Verbs do / does

Helper verbs used in Simple Present negatives and questions. Understanding how 'do/does' function as auxiliaries makes it easy to transfer this knowledge to 'did', the single auxiliary form used for all subjects in the Past Simple.

Base Form of the Verb

The infinitive of a verb without 'to' (e.g., play, write, go). Students must be able to identify the base form instantly, as it always follows 'did' or 'didn't' in Past Simple negatives and questions (e.g., 'She didn't go', 'Did they play?').

SVO Sentence Structure

The basic English word order: Subject + Verb + Object (e.g., 'She reads a book.'). Mastery of this structure is required to build grammatically correct Past Simple sentences in all forms.

Simple Present \to Past Simple: Key Parallels

Affirmative

Simple Present: 'She plays football every day.' \to Past Simple: 'She played football yesterday.'

Negative

Simple Present: 'I don't play.' \to Past Simple: 'I didn't play.' (The base form 'play' stays unchanged.)

Interrogative

Simple Present: ' Does he work?' \to Past Simple: ' Did he work?' (The base form 'work' stays unchanged.)

Subject Pronouns and was / were

was

Used with I, he, she, it \to 'I was tired. / She was happy.'

were

Used with you, we, they \to 'You were late. / They were at school.'

$Prerequisite$	$What to Know$	$Why It Matters for Past Simple$
$Simple Present Tense$	$Form affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences$	$Provides the structural model that Past Simple follows$
$Subject Pronouns$	$I, you, he, she, it, we, they$	$Needed for was/were agreement and general subject-verb rules$
$Auxiliaries do / does$	$Their role in negatives and questions$	$Transfers directly to 'did' as the Past Simple auxiliary$
$Base Form of the Verb$	$The verb without 'to' (e.g., play, go, write)$	$Always used after did / didn't in negatives and questions$
$SVO Structure$	$Subject + Verb + Object word order$	$The backbone of every correct Past Simple sentence$

Summary of prerequisites and their direct connection to the Past Simple tense.

Quick Self Check

Can you change 'He doesn't eat meat.' into a past sentence? \to 'He didn't eat meat.' ✓

Can you change ' Does she work here?' into a past question? \to ' Did she work here?' ✓

Do you know which pronoun takes was and which takes were ? \to I/he/she/it + was; you/we/they + were ✓

Sur cette page

Dans la classe