Irregular Past Verbs: Went, Said, Told (A2 Grammar)
You know these past forms: went, came, saw, had, did, made, ate, drank, took, got, bought, met.
went, came, saw and more
We went to the gym and had lunch after.
Try it: Sofia: Were you hungry after the challenge? Ethan: Very. I ___ two sandwiches. Choose what Ethan says. (drank / ate / buyed) Answer: ate — You eat sandwiches, and the past of eat is ate.
said, told, gave, found
say → said, tell → told, give → gave, find → found.
She said hello.
He told me his name.
They gave us a map.
I found a dollar on the street.
Try it: Sofia: Is that coat new? Ethan: No, it's old. I ___ it in a box under my bed. Choose what Ethan says. (lost / gived / found) Answer: found — The coat was in a box, and now Ethan has it again, so he found it.
Try it: Sofia: Where's your gym card? Ethan: I don't know. I ___ it last week. Choose what Ethan says. (lost / forget / found) Answer: lost — Ethan does not know where his card is, so he lost it.
I said, he said
Most past forms are the same for every person: I said, he said, they said. They never take -s. Only be changes: I was, you were.
I told her. She told me.
Not "He saids yes." — say "He said yes.". A past form never takes -s, even after he or she.
Try it: Sofia: Where's the coach? Ethan: She ___ home after class. She was tired. Choose what Ethan says. (went / cames / met) Answer: went — The coach was tired and is not here, so she went home. A past form takes no -s after she.
Which past form?
First choose the verb by its meaning, then use its past form: lose → lost, find → found.
I lost my keys, and then I found them in my bag.
Try it: Ethan: Where's your towel? Sofia: Oh no. I ___ it at home. Choose what Sofia says. (gived / forgot / found) Answer: forgot — Her towel is at home and not with her, so she forgot it.