For most verbs, add -ed for the past. It is the same for everyone.
Add -ed (for everyone)
I worked yesterday.
She played tennis.
They watched a film.
Not "She plays tennis yesterday." — say "She played tennis yesterday.". The -ed is what moves the action into the past.
Try it: Yesterday they ___ a film at the playhouse. (watched / watch / watchs) Answer: watched — "Yesterday" tells you it is past, so add -ed: watched. The base verb "watch" stays in the present.
Ends in -e: add -d
Look at the pattern: like → liked · live → lived · close → closed. If it ends in e, just add -d.
like → liked
live → lived
close → closed
Try it: Amina ___ in Senfarrow Brook last year. (lived / liveed / live) Answer: lived — "Live" already ends in e, so you add only -d: lived (not "liveed" with two e's).
y → ied
Look at the pattern: study → studied · try → tried · carry → carried. The y becomes ied. But if a, e, i, o, or u comes right before the y, keep the y and just add -ed: play → played.
study → studied
try → tried
but: play → played (an a before the y)
Try it: Farid ___ hard for the test. (studied / studyed / studyd) Answer: studied — Close, the y changes: study → studied (not "studyed").
Double the last letter
Look at the pattern: stop → stopped · plan → planned · shop → shopped. These are short words you say in one beat, and the last letter comes right after a single a, e, i, o, or u. Write that last letter twice, then add -ed.
stop → stopped
plan → planned
shop → shopped
Try it: The bus ___ near Ghafwick Station. (stopped / stoped / stopd) Answer: stopped — Close. In "stop" the last letter comes right after a single o, so the p is written twice: stop → stopped (not "stoped").
When NOT to double
Most words do not double. Stop doubles because the p comes right after a single o. But work ends in r and k, wait has a and i before the t, and visit is longer than one beat. These three just add -ed: work → worked · wait → waited · visit → visited.
work → worked (r and k at the end)
wait → waited (a and i before the t)
visit → visited (a longer word)
Try it: Last summer Diego ___ at Mosh Market. (worked / workked / work) Answer: worked — "Last summer" is the past, so "work" on its own is not enough: add -ed. And the k in "work" comes right after r, not after a single a, e, i, o or u, so it is not written twice: worked, not "workked".
Try it: Last night Amina ___ to Lars on the phone. (talked / talk / talks) Answer: talked — "Last night" is the past, so add -ed: talked. "Talk" and "talks" are present forms.