Past Simple Irregular Verbs ESL Grammar Test Worksheet - Free Printable

Let's solve each section of this Past Simple – Irregular Verbs worksheet step by step. I'll go through all the exercises and provide correct answers with explanations.

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A) Write the past forms of the regular verbs below.

Regular verbs form their past tense by adding -ed to the base form.

1. drink → drank
2. swim → swam
3. buy → bought
4. sell → sold
5. read → read (pronounced "red", but spelling stays same)
6. write → wrote
7. have → had
8. take → took
9. leave → left
10. ride → rode
11. drive → drove
12. eat → ate
13. sleep → slept
14. fly → flew
15. begin → began
16. speak → spoke
17. cut → cut (same in past)
18. be → was/were
19. sing → sang
20. break → broke
21. hit → hit (same in past)
22. come → came
23. go → went
24. see → saw

> ✔ Note: Many of these are irregular verbs, not regular. The instruction says "regular verbs," but actually, most listed here are irregular. This is likely a mistake in labeling. We're still using the correct past forms.

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B) Rewrite these sentences making them positive.

We need to remove the negative word (didn't) and adjust the verb accordingly.

1. Betty didn’t leave home at 7 a.m. this morning.
→ Betty left home at 7 a.m. this morning.

2. The children didn’t fly their kites two days ago.
→ The children flew their kites two days ago.

3. My father didn’t come home before dinner.
→ My father came home before dinner.

4. Mr. Miller didn’t teach Italian five years ago.
→ Mr. Miller taught Italian five years ago.

5. Joshua didn’t drink milk at breakfast yesterday.
→ Joshua drank milk at breakfast yesterday.

6. His sister didn’t drive to work last Wednesday.
→ His sister drove to work last Wednesday.

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C) Rewrite these sentences making them negative.

Add didn’t or didn’t + verb (for past simple), or use didn’t + auxiliary verb if needed.

1. Frank and Anna rode their bicycles in the park.
→ Frank and Anna didn’t ride their bicycles in the park.

2. The singer sang my favourite song last weekend.
→ The singer didn’t sing my favourite song last weekend.

3. I spoke French when I was in Paris last autumn.
→ I didn’t speak French when I was in Paris last autumn.

4. My cousin, Alan did his homework after school.
→ My cousin, Alan didn’t do his homework after school.

5. Mrs. Wilson fed those street cats this morning.
→ Mrs. Wilson didn’t feed those street cats this morning.

6. Her parents ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant.
→ Her parents didn’t eat dinner at a Chinese restaurant.

7. The fishermen caught a lot of fish last Sunday.
→ The fishermen didn’t catch a lot of fish last Sunday.

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D) Answer the questions about yourself.

These are personal questions — answers will vary depending on the student. Here are example answers:

1. What did you eat at breakfast this morning?
→ I ate cereal and fruit.

2. Where did you last go for holiday?
→ I went to Spain last summer.

3. Which film did you last see at the cinema?
→ I saw *Incredibles 2*.

4. Did you buy any clothes for yourself last week?
→ Yes, I bought a new shirt.

5. Who did you last speak with on the telephone?
→ I spoke with my mom.

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E) Read the answers and write questions to the underlined words.

We need to create questions that would produce the given answers. Use question words: *what, when, who, where, why, how much*, etc.

1. I painted this nice picture last Sunday.
→ When did you paint this nice picture? *(underlined: last Sunday)*

2. Bobby spent $50 at the toy shop yesterday.
→ How much did Bobby spend at the toy shop yesterday? *(underlined: $50)*

3. Mr. Lee wrote a novel in July last summer.
→ What did Mr. Lee write in July last summer? *(underlined: a novel)*

4. My uncle built that big barn for the cows.
→ Who built that big barn for the cows? *(underlined: my uncle)*

5. Yes, she brought her project to the teacher.
→ Did she bring her project to the teacher? *(underlined: yes)*

6. Joyce and Jordan ran by the lake every day.
→ Where did Joyce and Jordan run every day? *(underlined: by the lake)*

7. I fed the dogs at 8 a.m. yesterday morning.
→ When did you feed the dogs? *(underlined: at 8 a.m. yesterday morning)*

8. No, Aaron didn’t sell his house three years ago.
→ Did Aaron sell his house three years ago? *(underlined: no)*

9. My parents met their colleagues at lunch.
→ Who did your parents meet at lunch? *(underlined: their colleagues)*

10. Mrs. Martin ate fried chicken at lunch today.
→ What did Mrs. Martin eat at lunch today? *(underlined: fried chicken)*

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✔ Summary:

This worksheet helps students practice:
- Past simple forms of irregular verbs
- Converting sentences between positive and negative
- Forming questions from answers
- Personal past experiences

Even though part A says "regular verbs," many are irregular — so it's a good opportunity to reinforce common irregular past forms.

Let me know if you'd like a printable version or a quiz based on this!