Business English A2 · Lesson 9B

Grammar Bank

The rules behind this lesson — form, use, model sentences and the mistakes to avoid.

← Back to the lesson

Grammar focus of this lesson

past simple + time markers for project timelines

2 structures

Past simple (regular and irregular)
For finished actions at a finished time in the past.
I've got this
Rules & form
- ›Regular: + ed → worked, started, arrived (study → studied, stop → stopped).
- ›Irregular: go → went, have → had, make → made, say → said.
- ›Negative and questions: didn't / did + base verb.
- ›Time words: yesterday, last week, in 2019, two days ago.
Examples
- “We launched the product last March.”
- “She didn't send the invoice.”
- “Did you speak to the supplier?”
Watch out · After didn't / did, use the base verb: didn't went ✗ → didn't go ✓.
Your own example
Past time markers (ago · last · in)
Short expressions that fix an action in past time.
I've got this
Rules & form
- ›ago comes after the period: two years ago, ten minutes ago.
- ›last + week / month / year / Monday — no preposition.
- ›in + year or month: in 2020, in April.
- ›yesterday / the day before yesterday need no preposition.
Examples
- “I joined the team three months ago.”
- “We closed the deal last Friday.”
- “The company opened in 2015.”
Watch out · before ago ✗ → We met two weeks ago ✓.
Your own example