be, do, have and irregular verbs in the Simple Past

How to use special verbs in the Simple Past

Many frequently used verbs are irregular. You find these words in the appendix of a dictionary or in your English book. You must learn these words by heart.

Have a look at the following lists which can be downloaded and printed. (*.pdf files)

Most common irregular verbs
Irregular verbs – complete list
How to learn irregular verbs effectively

1. be as a main verb

Pronouns Affirmative sentences Negative sentences Questions
I, he, she, it I was in Rome. I was not in Rome. Was I in Rome?
we, you, they They were in Rome. They were not in Rome. Were they in Rome?

2. do as a main verb

Pronouns Affirmative sentences Negative sentences Questions
I, he, she, it, we, you, they I did exercises. I did not do exercises. Did I do exercises?

3. have as a main verb

Pronouns Affirmative sentences Negative sentences Questions
I, he, she, it, we, you, they I had a book. I did not have books. Did I have books?

We often use short/contracted forms with these verbs.