My First Word in Sydney — Past Simple
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My First Word in Sydney
When I landed in Sydney in 2005, I had ‘horrible English’ — that’s the exact phrase I use. Three hours on a kerb outside arrivals. My first real sentence to another person was: ‘Where is the train?’ I said it wrong, but they understood. That moment — the train, the wrong article, the right result — taught me more about past simple than any textbook.
The past simple describes finished actions. We use it with a finished time (yesterday, in 2005, last week). Form: subject + verb-ed (regular) or irregular form.
I arrived in Sydney in 2005. She asked for directions. He went to the station.
1. I landed at the airport at 6am.
2. He worked at a restaurant for two years.
3. She didn’t understand the question at first.
Quick Quiz — 2 minutes
1. Complete: She ___ (arrive) in Paris last Monday. arrived
2. Complete: They ___ (not/go) to school yesterday. didn’t go
3. Is this past simple? ‘I have lived here for years.’ No — this is present perfect. Past simple needs a finished time.
Independent project; not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.
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