The Simple Past in English seems easy enough to make: just put –ed at the end of regular verbs (see here for more rules). The trick is in the pronunciation!
Please see below for the basic pronunciation rules for regular verbs in the simple past.
There are three different sounds -ed can make: /d/, /t/ and /id/.
/d/
-Words ending in:
-ze, -se, -r, -re, -ve, -n, -m, -y, -l, -le, or -a vowel sound.
Examples:
Hose -> Hosed
Offer -> Offered
Mature -> Matured
Move -> Moved
Threaten -> Threatened
Ram -> Rammed
Enjoy -> Enjoyed
Ball -> Balled
Meddle -> Meddled
Agree -> Agreed
/t/
-Words ending in:
-gh, -f, -s, -sh, -ch, -ck, -k, -ke, -p
Examples:
Laugh -> Laughed
Puff -> Puffed
Assess -> Assessed
Wash -> Washed
Match -> Matched
Lick -> Licked
Spark -> Sparked
Like -> Liked
Sip -> Sipped
/id/
-Words ending in:
-d, -de, -t, -te
Examples:
Add -> Added
Side -> Sided
Blast -> Blasted
Accumulate -> Accumulated
Questions? Ask in the Contact Form or book a class with me to practice!
