Past simple of regular verbs | PDF - Free Printable

Explanation:
We need to write the simple past tense of each regular verb, following the spelling rules given in the table.

Let’s go group by group:

Group 1: After most regular verbs → add -ed
These verbs just get “-ed” added directly.
- learn → learned
- walk → walked
- play → played
- watch → watched
- need → needed
- kiss → kissed
- stay → stayed
- help → helped
- brush → brushed
- repeat → repeated
- call → called

✔ All straightforward — no spelling changes.

Group 2: After -e → add -d
If the verb already ends in *-e*, we only add *-d*.
- like → liked
- move → moved
- hope → hoped
- believe → believed
- smile → smiled
- live → lived
- dance → danced
- exercise → exercised
- bake → baked

✔ Just drop the extra *e* and add *d* — but actually, since it already ends in *e*, we just add *d* (so *like* + *d* = *liked*).

Group 3: After consonant + -y → change -y to -i and add -ed
If a verb ends in a consonant + *y*, change *y* to *i* before adding *-ed*.
- study → studied *(y → i)*
- cry → cried
- try → tried
- marry → married
- fry → fried
- carry → carried
- copy → copied

✔ Note: If it were vowel + y (like *play*, *stay*), we wouldn’t change it — but these all have consonants before *y*.

Group 4: After single vowel & consonant → double the consonant & add -ed
This rule applies when the verb has one syllable, ends in consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC), and the stress is on the last syllable (which for one-syllable words is always true). So:
- stop → stopped *(p doubled)*
- zip → zipped *(p doubled)*
- plan → planned *(n doubled)*
- chat → chatted *(t doubled)*
- jog → jogged *(g doubled)*

✔ Important: We double the final consonant *only* if the verb ends in CVC pattern and is one syllable (all these are).
Note: *zip* is CVC (z-i-p) → double p → zipped ✔
*chat*: c-h-a-t → CVC? Yes: consonant (ch counts as one sound/consonant cluster, but in spelling, it's two letters — however, standard rule treats *chat* as ending in *t* after short vowel *a*, so double *t* → chatted. Same for jog, stop, plan.

Now let’s list all answers clearly:

Left column (add -ed):
learn → learned
walk → walked
play → played
watch → watched
need → needed
kiss → kissed
stay → stayed
help → helped
brush → brushed
repeat → repeated
call → called

Right top (after -e, add -d):
like → liked
move → moved
hope → hoped
believe → believed
smile → smiled
live → lived
dance → danced
exercise → exercised
bake → baked

Bottom right (consonant + y → change y to i + ed):
study → studied
cry → cried
try → tried
marry → married
fry → fried
carry → carried
copy → copied

Bottom left (single vowel & consonant → double consonant + ed):
stop → stopped
zip → zipped
plan → planned
chat → chatted
jog → jogged

All done! Let’s verify a few tricky ones:
- *believe* → believed (yes, ends in -e, so +d → believed)
- *study* → studied (y after consonant s → i + ed)
- *zip* → zipped (CVC: z-i-p → double p)
- *chat* → chatted (CVC: ch-a-t → double t) — correct.

Final Answer:
learned, walked, played, watched, needed, kissed, stayed, helped, brushed, repeated, called, liked, moved, hoped, believed, smiled, lived, danced, exercised, baked, studied, cried, tried, married, fried, carried, copied, stopped, zipped, planned, chatted, jogged