Past Simple in real stories
The tense a story is told in. It carries almost every sentence in these tales, and it is the first one worth being able to spot on sight.
- Form
- verb + -ed, or an irregular form
- Use
- A finished action in the past.
26 sentences, 26 different stories
One example per story, so this is the tense across the shelf and not one tale retold.
When the time came both started off together, but the Hare was soon so far ahead that he thought he might as well have a rest: so down he lay and fell fast asleep.
THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE →A hungry Fox saw some fine bunches of Grapes hanging from a vine that was trained along a high trellis, and did his best to reach them by jumping as high as he could into the air.
THE FOX AND THE GRAPES →At last a Wolf really did come, and the Boy cried, "Wolf! wolf!" as loud as he could: but the people were so used to hearing him call that they took no notice of his cries for help.
THE SHEPHERD'S BOY AND THE WOLF →Presently up came a Grasshopper and begged them to spare her a few grains, "For," she said, "I'm simply starving." The Ants stopped work for a moment, though this was against their principles.
THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS →But the Mouse's chance came, after all.
THE LION AND THE MOUSE →Then came the turn of the Sun.
THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN →The Town Mouse came, and they sat down to a dinner of barleycorns and roots, the latter of which had a distinctly earthy flavour.
THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE →Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles and Goosey-poosey?” said Turkey-lurkey. “Why, certainly, Turkey-lurkey,” said Henny-penny, Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, and Goosey-poosey.
HENNY-PENNY →The little boy ran after him as fast as he could clip it, crying out to his father and mother, who heard the uproar, and threw down their hoes and gave chase too.
JOHNNY-CAKE →And while they were walking, a little old Woman came to the house.
THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS →Once upon a time when pigs spoke rhyme And monkeys chewed tobacco, And hens took snuff to make them tough, And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O!
THE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS →Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, and went through the wood to the baker's.
PETER RABBIT →He came round the back of the fir-tree, and nearly tumbled upon the top of his Cousin Peter.
BENJAMIN BUNNY →He was quite pleased when he looked out and saw large drops of rain, splashing in the pond-- "I will get some worms and go fishing and catch a dish of minnows for my dinner," said Mr.
MR. JEREMY FISHER →The wolf thought to himself: ‘What a tender young creature! what a nice plump mouthful--she will be better to eat than the old woman.
LITTLE RED-CAP [LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD] →They had not gone far before they saw a cat sitting in the middle of the road and making a most rueful face. ‘Pray, my good lady,’ said the ass, ‘what’s the matter with you?
THE TRAVELLING MUSICIANS →Now she had a golden ball in her hand, which was her favourite plaything; and she was always tossing it up into the air, and catching it again as it fell.
THE FROG-PRINCE →He had little to bite and to break, and once when great dearth fell on the land, he could no longer procure even daily bread.
HANSEL AND GRETEL →They began to walk again, but they always came deeper into the forest, and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness.
Hansel and Gretel (part 2) →And all they had to live on was the milk the cow gave every morning which they carried to the market and sold.
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK →And the snow fell and spread a beautiful white covering over the grave; but by the time the spring came, and the sun had melted it away again, her father had married another wife.
ASHPUTTEL →Then he took her for his bride, and set her beside him on his horse, and rode away with her homewards.
Cinderella (part 2) →To be sure, he thought he had nothing to risk in his own person; but yet, he would prefer sending somebody else, to bring him intelligence about the weavers, and their work, before he troubled himself in the affair.
THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES →He took her at her word, and sat himself down to the wheel, and whistled and sang: ‘Round about, round about, Lo and behold!
RUMPELSTILTSKIN →The frame of the window was made of fine black ebony, and as she sat looking out upon the snow, she pricked her finger, and three drops of blood fell upon it.
SNOWDROP →In the evening the seven dwarfs came home; and I need not say how grieved they were to see their faithful Snowdrop stretched out upon the ground, as if she was quite dead.
Snow White (part 2) →
Read them where they live
Every sentence above comes from a story on this site, free to read, with the audio and a tap on any word for its meaning. The grammar is easier to keep once you have met it in something you wanted to read anyway.