Hey there, awesome teachers!
Let’s dive into the world of verbs today, specifically past tense verbs in English!
Regular past tense verbs 3 sounds of ed
You just add an “-ed” at the end, and you’re good to go. For example: “The cat jumped on the mat.”
Seems simple, but it can be a bit tricky!
When it comes to English regular past tense verbs, it’s not that straightforward. First off, the tricky part is the 3 different sounds that ‘ed’ makes at the end of a word: /t/, /id/, and /d/. Native speakers naturally catch on to these different ending sounds, but for English language learners, these sounds need to be taught and practiced.
Past tense Verbs – Irregular
Irregular past tense verbs are a bit different.
They don’t follow the regular rules. Irregular verbs don’t just add “-ed” at the end; they go through a complete makeover. For instance, the present tense sentence “I tell you a story.” becomes, in the past tense, “I told you a story.”
But don’t let those past tense verbs slip away!
The only way to get the hang of irregular past tense verbs is to hear them, say them, write them, and read them so many times that they become second nature.
There are no strict rules for conjugating the tenses of irregular verbs.
Hold on! We’re not done yet!
Some words don’t change at all between the present and past, like ‘cut’ and ‘put.’
Also, there are words that don’t change in writing but sound different based on the tense. For example, “I read a book” in the present tense and “I read a book” in the past tense. When writing, nothing changes, but when saying it, it IS different.
Games are fantastic and effective tools for elementary teachers working with students including English language learners.
Games make practicing the past tense fun and lively. Past tense verb games are excellent ways for young students to master regular and irregular past tense verbs.
Happy Teaching,
