Past Simple (Conversation Questions)

Work in pairs/small groups, asking and answering the questions.

Yesterday: Your last birthday:

1. What time did you get up? 1. When was it?

2. Did you go to work/school? 2. How did you celebrate?
3. What other activities did you do? 3. Did you get a present? What?
4. What did you have for dinner? 4. Did you like the present/s?

Your last holiday: Last weekend:

1. Where did you go? 1. Did you meet or visit friends?

2. How did you travel? 2. Did you study? What did you study?
3. Who did you go with? 3. Did you watch a film or series?
4. Where did you stay? 4. What other activities did you do?

Your primary school: A memorable match/game you played:

1. Was your primary school big or small? 1. What did you play?
2. Did you have to wear a uniform? 2. Did you/your team win?
3. What time did your classes finish? 3. What was the final score?
4. What games did you play at break? 4. Did you score/win any points?

The last time you cooked: The last time you went to the cinema:

1. What did you cook? 1. When did you go, and who with?
2. What ingredients were in it? 2. What film did you see?
3. Who did you cook for? 3. Did you buy any food there?
4. Was it nice? 4. Was the film good? Why/Why not?

The last time you went to a restaurant: A concert/music festival you went to:

1. What type of restaurant was it? 1. Where was it?

2. What did you order? 2. Who performed at it?
3. Did you enjoy it? Why/Why not? 3. Who did you go with?
4. Who paid the bill? 4. Did you enjoy it? Why/Why not?

© 2025 TEFLlessons.com. All Rights Reserved. Page 1 of 3

 Teacher’s Notes
Lesson: Past Simple (Conversation Questions) Level: A1 Time: 20 mins +

Preparation:
- Print handouts, and cut up one set of cards for every pair/small group in classroom-based lessons.
(optional)
- This is a practice exercise, which should be used after students have studied the Past Simple.

Teaching Method:
Step 1:
- If necessary, display the following page to revise the Past Simple structure before they begin.
- You might also want to check their understanding of celebrate, present, series, uniform, primary school, win,
score (n/v), points, ingredients, order, bill, and perform before they begin.

Step 2:
Classroom-based lessons:
- Put students into pairs/small groups and give a set of cards to each group.
- Students divide the cards amongst them and take turns to ask and answer the questions.
- Encourage them to give more information, and monitor giving support and correction where
required.
Online lessons:
- Option 1: Work as a class by displaying page 1 on your device and assigning a card/cards to each
student to ask other classmates.
- Option 2: Send the student copy to your class by email or chat, or ask them to take a couple of
screenshots. Students then work in small groups in chat rooms, taking turns to pick a card and ask the
other students the questions.
- Monitor giving support and correction where required.

You might also like …

• Past Simple Tense
• Past Simple (Find someone who...)
• Past Simple Exercises
• My Last Holiday

Did you enjoy this lesson? Subscribe for more at

© 2025 TEFLlessons.com. All Rights Reserved. Page 2 of 3

 Teacher’s Notes
Lesson: Past Simple (Conversation Questions) Level: A1 Time: 20 mins +

Past Simple Tense:

POSITIVE (Regular Verbs) or (Irregular Verbs)

subject + regular verb (-ed endings) subject + irregular verb
I played tennis yesterday. I bought a cake this morning.
You received an email. You went to the shop earlier.
He prepared the dinner. He caught a bus.
She called her mother. She drove to the next city.
It rained last night. It began to rain.
We watched a movie. We brought our laptops to class.
You visited Paris. You drank all the orange juice.
They rented bicycles. They ate all the pizza.

NEGATIVE QUESTION
subject + didn’t + verb did + subject + verb ?
I didn’t play tennis yesterday. Did I play tennis yesterday?
You didn’t go to the shop earlier. Did you go to the shop earlier?
He didn’t prepare the dinner. Did he prepare the dinner?
She didn’t drive to the next city. Did she drive to the next city?
It didn’t snow last Christmas. Did it start to rain?
We didn’t watch a movie. Did we watch a movie?
You didn’t rent bicycles. Did you rent bicycles?
They didn’t drink all the orange juice. Did they drink all the orange juice?

Verb ‘BE’:

POSITIVE NEGATIVE
subject verb + .... subject verb ‘be’ + ....
I ‘be’
was hungry. I wasn’t at the meeting this morning.
You were the best student in class. You weren’t very nice to her.
He was a postman. He wasn’t a friendly man.
She was a nice person. She wasn’t lawyer.
It was a lovely day. It wasn’t very expensive.
We were friends in primary school. We weren’t together in 2010.
You were always late. You weren’t in school.
They were on the beach yesterday. They weren’t at the concert last night.

QUESTION
verb ‘be’ subject + ....
Was I there?
Were you sad when he left?
Was he sick last week?
Was she home at 3 pm?
Was it a large house?
Were we early for the show?
Were you in bed before 9 pm last night?
Were they friends before they started school?

© 2025 TEFLlessons.com. All Rights Reserved. Page 3 of 3