We use the Past Simple to talk about something that happened and finished in the past.

The action is over. It is not happening now.

🕐 COMPLETED ACTIONS

Something happened and is finished.

“I called my client yesterday.”
“She finished the report this morning.”

The call and the report are finished actions.

📅 A SPECIFIC TIME IN THE PAST

We often use the Past Simple with a finished time:

yesterday • last night • last week • last year • two days ago • in 2024

“We had a meeting yesterday.”
“I started this job three years ago.”

🔁 A SERIES OF FINISHED ACTIONS

We can also describe several things that happened one after another:

“I woke up, made coffee, checked my emails, and left for work.”

All these actions happened and finished.

🧠 PAST HABITS

Something you regularly did before:

“I walked to work every day when I lived downtown.”

“She called her mother every Sunday.”

💡 THE EASY QUESTION TO ASK YOURSELF:

Did this happen before now AND is the action finished?

👉 If YES → you probably need the Past Simple.

⭐ COMPARE

Present Simple:
“I work from home.”
→ This is my current routine.

Past Simple:
“I worked from home yesterday.”
→ Yesterday is finished.

💡 Grammar Tip:
Words like yesterday, last, ago, when I was…, in 2020 are strong clues that you may need the Past Simple.

There are two types of verbs in the Past Simple:

1️⃣ REGULAR VERBS → ADD -ED

For regular verbs, we usually add -ed:

work → worked
call → called
finish → finished
clean → cleaned

“I worked yesterday.”
“She called me this morning.”

---

2️⃣ IRREGULAR VERBS → THE VERB CHANGES

Some verbs don’t use -ed. They have their own past form:

go → went
have → had
do → did
see → saw
come → came
get → got
make → made
take → took

“I went to work.”
“She had a meeting.”
“We made dinner.”

💡 These forms need to be learned gradually. You don’t need to memorize every irregular verb at once.

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❌ NEGATIVE — DIDN’T + BASE VERB

This is VERY important:

I didn’t work yesterday.
She didn’t call me.
We didn’t go out.

Not:

❌ I didn’t worked.
❌ She didn’t called.
❌ We didn’t went.

Why?

Because DID already carries the past tense.

So the main verb returns to its base form.

🧠 THINK OF IT THIS WAY:

She worked.

But when DID arrives:

She didn’t work.

The past moves from WORKED → DID.

---

❓ QUESTIONS — DID + BASE VERB

Did you work yesterday?
Did she call you?
Did they go to the restaurant?

Again:

❌ Did you worked?
✅ Did you work?

❌ Did she went?
✅ Did she go?

---

⭐ THE SIMPLE FORMULA

Statement: She worked yesterday.
Negative: She didn’t work yesterday.
Question: Did she work yesterday?

With an irregular verb:

Statement: She went home.
Negative: She didn’t go home.
Question: Did she go home?

💡 Grammar Tip:
When DID / DIDN’T appears, the main verb goes back to its original form.

Native speakers use the Past Simple all the time to talk about what they did, where they went, what happened, or how their day went.

☕ Talking about your morning:
“What did you do this morning?”
→ “I grabbed a coffee and checked my emails.”

💼 Talking about work:
“How was work yesterday?”
→ “It was busy. I had three meetings and finished a big project.”

🍽️ Talking about last night:
“Did you cook last night?”
→ “No, I didn’t. We ordered pizza.”

🚗 Talking about the weekend:
“Where did you go on Saturday?”
→ “We went to Montreal and visited some friends.”

📱 Talking about something that happened:
“Did Sarah call you?”
→ “Yeah, she called me this morning.”

💡 NOTICE THE PATTERN:

“What did you do?”
→ “I went…”

“Did you call her?”
→ “Yes, I did.” / “No, I didn’t.”

“Where did she go?”
→ “She went home.”

⭐ Native Tip:
In everyday conversation, native speakers constantly ask:

“What did you do?”
“How was your weekend?”
“Did you…?”
“What happened?”

The Past Simple is one of the most important tenses for telling everyday stories and having real conversations.

Complete the sentences using the Past Simple.

1. Yesterday, I _______ (work) from home.

2. She _______ (call) her client this morning.

3. We _______ (go) to the restaurant last night.

4. He _______ (have) a meeting yesterday.

❌ MAKE IT NEGATIVE

Transform these sentences:

1. She worked yesterday.
→ __________________________

2. They went to the office.
→ __________________________

❓ TURN IT INTO A QUESTION

1. You called your client.
→ __________________________?

2. She went to work.
→ __________________________?

🗣️ SPEAKING CHALLENGE

Answer using complete sentences:

“What did you do yesterday after work?”

Example:

→ “I went home, made dinner, watched TV, and relaxed.”

⭐ GRAMMAR CHALLENGE

Complete:

She _______ (go) to the store yesterday.

She didn’t _______ (go) to the store yesterday.

Did she _______ (go) to the store yesterday?

💡 Remember:

She went.
She didn’t go.
Did she go?

When DID appears, the verb returns to its base form.

We use both WILL and GOING TO to talk about the future, but we don’t always use them for the same reason.

The important question is:

🧠 DID I ALREADY HAVE A PLAN?

📅 GOING TO → A PLAN OR INTENTION

Use GOING TO when you already decided or planned something before you started speaking.

“I’m going to visit my parents this weekend.”

→ The plan already exists.

“We’re going to travel to Florida next month.”

→ The trip is already planned.

---

⚡ WILL → A DECISION MADE RIGHT NOW

Use WILL when you make the decision at the moment you speak.

📞 The phone rings.

“I’ll get it!”

→ You decide to answer the phone right now.

Another example:

“I’m thirsty.”

→ “I’ll get you some water.”

You just decided to help.

---

🤝 WILL → PROMISES & OFFERS

We also commonly use WILL for promises and offers.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

---

🔮 WILL → PREDICTIONS & OPINIONS

Use WILL when you think or believe something will happen.

“I think you’ll love this restaurant.”

“I’m sure she’ll do great.”

---

👀 GOING TO → SOMETHING YOU CAN SEE COMING

We can also use GOING TO when there is evidence that something is about to happen.

Look at those dark clouds:

“It’s going to rain.”

→ You can see evidence now.

---

⭐ THE EASY WAY TO REMEMBER

Already planned?
→ GOING TO

Deciding right now?
→ WILL

Promise or offer?
→ WILL

Prediction based on what you see now?
→ GOING TO

💡 Grammar Tip:
In real English, WILL and GOING TO sometimes overlap. Don't panic if both seem possible. Focus first on understanding the speaker's intention.

🔮 WILL + BASE VERB

The structure is simple:

Subject + WILL + verb

I will call you.
She will help you.
They will arrive tomorrow.

The verb never changes after WILL.

❌ She will calls you.
✅ She will call you.

---

🗣️ IN REAL ENGLISH → CONTRACTIONS

Native speakers very often shorten WILL:

I will → I’ll
You will → You’ll
He will → He’ll
She will → She’ll
We will → We’ll
They will → They’ll

Instead of:

“I will call you later.”

You’ll usually hear:

“I’ll call you later.”

---

❌ NEGATIVE → WON’T

WILL NOT → WON’T

“I won’t be late.”
“She won’t come tonight.”
“They won’t need the car.”

Again, use the base verb:

❌ She won’t comes.
✅ She won’t come.

---

📅 GOING TO

The structure is:

Subject + AM / IS / ARE + GOING TO + verb

I am going to work.
She is going to travel.
They are going to move.

Notice that BE changes with the subject:

I → am
He / She / It → is
You / We / They → are

---

🗣️ WHAT ABOUT “GONNA”?

In casual spoken English, native speakers very often pronounce:

GOING TO → GONNA

“I’m going to call her.”
→ “I’m gonna call her.”

“What are you going to do?”
→ “What are you gonna do?”

💡 Important:
GONNA is for casual spoken English.

For professional or formal writing, use:

✅ going to

not:

❌ gonna

---

⭐ COMPARE THE STRUCTURES

I’ll call Sarah.
→ WILL + CALL

I’m going to call Sarah.
→ AM + GOING TO + CALL

The verb CALL stays in its base form in both structures.

💡 Grammar Tip:
Never say:

❌ I’m going to calling her.
❌ I’ll calling her.

Say:

✅ I’m going to call her.
✅ I’ll call her.

The best way to understand WILL vs GOING TO is to look at why the speaker chooses one or the other.

📅 A PLAN THAT ALREADY EXISTS

“What are you doing this weekend?”
→ “I’m going to visit my sister.”

💡 Why GOING TO?
The visit was already planned before the conversation.

---

⚡ A DECISION MADE RIGHT NOW

📞 The phone rings.

“Someone’s calling.”
→ “I’ll get it!”

💡 Why WILL?
The person decides at that exact moment to answer.

---

🤝 OFFERING TO HELP

“These bags are really heavy.”
→ “I’ll help you!”

💡 Why WILL?
You hear the problem and immediately offer to help.

---

✈️ A FUTURE PLAN

“Any plans for your vacation?”
→ “Yeah, we’re going to spend a week in Florida.”

💡 Why GOING TO?
The vacation plan already exists.

---

🔮 A PREDICTION

“Do you think Sarah will like her new job?”
→ “Yeah, I think she’ll love it.”

💡 Why WILL?
This is your opinion about the future, not an existing plan.

---

👀 SOMETHING YOU CAN SEE COMING

“Look at those clouds!”
→ “Yeah, it’s going to rain.”

💡 Why GOING TO?
There is evidence right now that makes you believe it will happen.

---

⭐ NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE

Your friend says:

“We don’t have any milk.”

You decide right now:

→ “I’ll get some.”

But if buying milk was already your plan:

→ “I’m going to get some after work.”

Same future action.
Different reason = different structure.

💡 Native Tip:
In conversation, listen for contractions:

I’ll • you’ll • she’ll • we’ll • won’t

And you’ll often hear “gonna” instead of “going to” in casual speech.

Choose WILL or GOING TO. Think about WHY before you answer.

1. You already planned your vacation.

“Next month, I __________ visit my sister in Toronto.”

2. The phone starts ringing.

“Don’t worry, I __________ answer it!”

3. Your friend is carrying heavy bags.

“Those look heavy. I __________ help you.”

4. Look at the dark clouds!

“It __________ rain.”

🧠 PLAN OR DECISION RIGHT NOW?

Choose the most natural answer:

“We don’t have any coffee.”

You decide at that moment to buy some:

→ “I’ll get some.”

You already planned to buy some after work:

→ “I’m going to get some after work.”

❌ FIX THE MISTAKE

1. She will calls me tomorrow.
→ __________________________

2. I’m going to visiting my parents.
→ __________________________

3. He won’t comes tonight.
→ __________________________

🗣️ SPEAKING CHALLENGE

Answer both questions naturally:

“What are you going to do this weekend?”

→ Talk about something you already plan to do.

Then imagine your friend says:

“I need some help with this.”

→ Make an immediate offer using WILL.

Example:
→ “I’ll help you!”

⭐ FINAL CHALLENGE

Which one would you choose — WILL or GOING TO?

Already planned? → __________
Decision right now? → __________
Promise? → __________
Evidence you can see? → __________

💡 Remember:

GOING TO = the plan already exists.
WILL = the decision happens now, or you’re making a promise/offer/prediction.

We use SINCE and FOR to talk about how long something has been happening.

The biggest difference is:

📍 SINCE = STARTING POINT

Use SINCE when you say WHEN something started.

Think:

SINCE = FROM WHAT POINT?

“I’ve lived here since 2020.”
→ It started in 2020.

“She’s worked here since Monday.”
→ She started on Monday.

Common examples:

since 2020
since Monday
since January
since this morning
since I was a child

---

⏳ FOR = DURATION

Use FOR when you say HOW LONG something has continued.

Think:

FOR = HOW LONG?

“I’ve lived here for six years.”
→ Duration = six years

“She’s worked here for three months.”
→ Duration = three months

Common examples:

for two hours
for three days
for six months
for ten years
for a long time

---

🇨🇦 WATCH OUT FOR “DEPUIS”

In French, we use « depuis » for both ideas.

But English makes a distinction:

J’habite ici depuis 2020.
→ I’ve lived here SINCE 2020.

J’habite ici depuis six ans.
→ I’ve lived here FOR six years.

Same French word.
Two different English words.

🧠 THE EASY QUESTION

Ask yourself:

WHEN did it start?
→ SINCE

HOW LONG?
→ FOR

⭐ Grammar Tip:
If you see a starting point, think SINCE.

If you see an amount of time, think FOR.

You’ll often see SINCE and FOR with the Present Perfect:

SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE

I have lived here for five years.
She has worked here since 2022.

Why?

Because the situation started in the past and is still true now.

---

👤 HAVE OR HAS?

Use HAVE with:

I / You / We / They

→ I have worked here for two years.
→ They have lived here since 2020.

Use HAS with:

He / She / It

→ She has worked here for two years.
→ He has lived here since 2020.

---

📍 SINCE + STARTING POINT

since + when it started

→ since Monday
→ since 8:00
→ since January
→ since 2020
→ since I started this job

“I’ve known her since 2015.”

---

⏳ FOR + AMOUNT OF TIME

for + duration

→ for two hours
→ for three weeks
→ for six months
→ for ten years
→ for a long time

“I’ve known her for ten years.”

---

⭐ SAME STORY — TWO WAYS

Imagine you started working somewhere in 2021 and you still work there today.

You can say:

“I’ve worked here since 2021.”

OR:

“I’ve worked here for five years.”

The situation is the same.

What changes is the information you give:

SINCE → When did it start?
FOR → How long has it lasted?

---

⚠️ COMMON MISTAKES

❌ I live here since 2020.
✅ I’ve lived here since 2020.

❌ I’ve lived here since five years.
✅ I’ve lived here for five years.

❌ She have worked here for two years.
✅ She has worked here for two years.

💡 Grammar Tip:
Don’t choose between SINCE and FOR by translating the French word « depuis ».

Ask yourself:

POINT IN TIME? → SINCE
PERIOD OF TIME? → FOR

Native speakers use SINCE and FOR all the time when talking about work, relationships, places, hobbies, and everyday life.

💼 Talking about work

“How long have you worked here?”
→ “I’ve worked here for three years.”

“When did you start?”
→ “I’ve been here since 2023.”

🏠 Talking about where you live

“How long have you lived here?”
→ “I’ve lived here for ten years.”

→ “I’ve lived here since 2016.”

❤️ Talking about relationships

“How long have you known Sarah?”
→ “I’ve known her since high school.”

→ “I’ve known her for more than twenty years.”

📚 Talking about learning English

“How long have you studied English?”
→ “I’ve studied English for two years.”

“When did you start?”
→ “I’ve studied English since 2024.”

⭐ NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE

Both sentences can describe the same situation:

“I’ve worked here since 2021.”
→ tells us WHEN it started

“I’ve worked here for five years.”
→ tells us HOW LONG

💡 Native Tip:
A very common question is:

“How long have you…?”

“How long have you lived here?”
“How long have you worked there?”
“How long have you known each other?”

When you hear HOW LONG, your answer will very often contain FOR:

→ “For three years.”

But if you answer with the starting point:

→ “Since 2023.”

Choose SINCE or FOR.

1. I’ve worked here _______ three years.

2. She’s lived in Toronto _______ 2022.

3. We’ve known each other _______ a long time.

4. He’s been at this company _______ January.

5. I’ve studied English _______ six months.

6. They’ve been married _______ 2015.

🧠 WHEN OR HOW LONG?

Complete:

SINCE = __________________________?

FOR = __________________________?

Answers:

SINCE = When did it start?
FOR = How long?

❌ FIX THE MISTAKE

1. I’ve lived here since five years.
→ __________________________

2. She has worked here for 2021.
→ __________________________

3. We’ve known each other since ten years.
→ __________________________

🗣️ SPEAKING CHALLENGE

Answer both questions about yourself:

“How long have you lived in your city?”

→ “I’ve lived here for…”

“When did you start learning English?”

→ “I’ve studied English since…”

⭐ FINAL CHALLENGE

Same situation — two different ways:

I started working here in 2022. I still work here today.

Create one sentence with SINCE:

→ __________________________

Now create one with FOR:

→ __________________________

💡 Remember:

📍 Starting point = SINCE
⏳ Duration = FOR

Both MAKE and DO can often translate to “faire” in French, but English uses them differently.

🛠️ DO = ACTION, TASK OR ACTIVITY

Think of DO when you are performing or completing something.

“I need to do the dishes.”
“She does her homework after dinner.”
“I have a lot of work to do.”

Common examples:

do the dishes
do homework
do housework
do your job
do your best
do exercise

---

✨ MAKE = CREATE OR PRODUCE SOMETHING

Think of MAKE when something is created, produced, prepared, or becomes the result of an action.

“I’m making dinner.”
→ You are creating/preparing the meal.

“She made a mistake.”
→ A mistake was the result.

Common examples:

make dinner
make coffee
make money
make a decision
make a mistake
make plans

---

🧠 THE EASY WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT

Ask yourself:

Am I performing a task or activity?
→ DO

Am I creating, producing, or causing a result?
→ MAKE

🇨🇦 WATCH OUT FOR “FAIRE”

French:

faire les devoirs → DO homework

But:

faire une erreur → MAKE a mistake

And:

faire une décision isn't natural English.
→ MAKE a decision

💡 Important:
The general rule helps, but English also has fixed expressions called collocations.

Native speakers naturally say:

✅ make a mistake
❌ do a mistake

✅ do your best
❌ make your best

So sometimes, you need to learn MAKE or DO together with the expression.

⭐ Grammar Tip:
Don’t translate “faire” automatically. Think about the English expression as a complete unit:

MAKE + a decision
DO + homework
MAKE + a mistake
DO + your best

Both MAKE and DO are verbs, so they change depending on the tense and the subject.

🛠️ DO

Present:

I / You / We / They → DO
He / She / It → DOES

“I do the dishes every night.”
“She does her homework after dinner.”

Past: → DID

“I did the laundry yesterday.”

Future: → WILL DO

“I’ll do it tomorrow.”

---

✨ MAKE

Present:

I / You / We / They → MAKE
He / She / It → MAKES

“I make dinner every night.”
“She makes coffee every morning.”

Past: → MADE

“I made a mistake yesterday.”

Future: → WILL MAKE

“I’ll make dinner tonight.”

---

🧠 COMPARE THEM

DO → task/action

“I need to do the laundry.”

MAKE → create/result

“I need to make dinner.”

---

⚠️ COMMON MISTAKES

❌ I did a mistake.
✅ I made a mistake.

❌ She makes her homework.
✅ She does her homework.

❌ I need to do a decision.
✅ I need to make a decision.

❌ Just make your best.
✅ Just do your best.

---

⭐ USEFUL WORD FAMILIES

Learn them together:

MAKE

• make a mistake
• make a decision
• make plans
• make money
• make an appointment
• make a phone call

DO

• do homework
• do the dishes
• do your job
• do your best
• do some work
• do someone a favor

💡 Grammar Tip:

Instead of memorizing only MAKE = créer and DO = faire une tâche, learn the whole expression.

Don’t memorize:

decision = décision

Memorize:

MAKE A DECISION

That will help the correct verb come naturally when you speak.

Native speakers use MAKE and DO constantly, often without thinking about the rule. They learn these words naturally as expressions.

☕ Morning routine

“What are you doing?”
→ “I’m making coffee.”

💡 MAKE because you’re preparing something.

---

🧹 At home

“What are you doing this morning?”
→ “I’m doing some housework.”

💡 DO because it’s a task/activity.

---

💼 At work

“Have you decided what you’re going to do?”
→ “Not yet. I need to make a decision.”

💡 We always say MAKE a decision.

---

😬 Talking about a mistake

“What happened?”
→ “I made a mistake on the report.”

Not:

❌ “I did a mistake.”

---

📅 Making plans

“What are you doing this weekend?”
→ “We haven’t made any plans yet.”

---

💪 Encouraging someone

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

→ “Just do your best!”

💡 We say DO your best, not make your best.

---

⭐ NOTICE THE EXPRESSIONS

Native speakers learn these as combinations:

MAKE a decision
MAKE a mistake
MAKE plans
MAKE an appointment

but:

DO your best
DO the dishes
DO some work
DO someone a favor

💡 Native Tip:

When learning vocabulary, don't only learn the noun.

Instead of learning:

mistake = erreur

Learn:

MAKE A MISTAKE = faire une erreur

This will help you think in English instead of translating from French.

Choose MAKE or DO.

1. I need to _______ a decision.

2. She always _______ her homework after dinner.

3. I _______ a mistake yesterday.

4. Can you _______ me a favor?

5. We need to _______ an appointment.

6. He always _______ his best.

🔄 COMPLETE THE EXPRESSION

_______ a phone call

_______ the dishes

_______ money

_______ some work

_______ plans

_______ your job

❌ FIX THE MISTAKE

1. I did a big mistake.
→ __________________________

2. She needs to do a decision.
→ __________________________

3. I have to make the dishes.
→ __________________________

🗣️ SPEAKING CHALLENGE

Answer naturally:

“What do you usually have to DO during a busy day?”

Then:

“What is one important decision you recently had to MAKE?”

Try to answer using complete sentences.

⭐ FINAL CHALLENGE

Complete without looking back:

Task or activity → _______

Create, produce or result → _______

Then give two expressions with MAKE and two expressions with DO.

💡 Remember:

DO → perform an action or task

MAKE → create, produce, or cause a result

But most importantly: learn the whole expression, not just the individual word.