Past Tense Verbs Worksheet | Irregular Verbs Practice | ESL Grammar Worksheets

Past tense verbs worksheet for grade 7 ESL students

This past tense verbs worksheet gives grade 7 English learners four sections of focused practice with regular and irregular verbs in the past simple.

It suits an intermediate ESL classroom, a small group, or a student working at home who needs more repetition with irregular forms like went, heard, thought, wrote, rose, won, took, and met.

Each section builds on the last, so students move from recognizing the correct verb form to producing full sentences on their own.

What students practice in each section

Section 1 is multiple choice. Students read a sentence such as “Yesterday, Sarah _____ to the library to study for her exams” and pick the correct past tense form from four options, choosing went over go, goes, or gone.

Other items in this section cover verbs like hear, think, prepare, and leave, mixing regular endings with irregular changes so students cannot rely on one pattern alone.

Section 2 is a set of past simple negatives and questions. Students fill in a blank using the cue in parentheses, for example writing “did not see” for “I _____ (not/see) you at the party last Friday night” or forming a question from a cue like (you/finish) or (he/call).

Twenty items in this part give repeated practice with did and did not, which many intermediate ESL students find tricky at first.

Section 3 asks students to rewrite present simple sentences in the past. “I drink a glass of milk every morning” becomes a past tense sentence, and students do the same for lines about singing in a choir, building a sandcastle, and catching a bus at 8:00 AM.

Section 4 is a short reading passage about the Miller family and a weekend trip to a cabin in the mountains, followed by grade 7 reading comprehension questions written in the past simple.

Nine comprehension questions ask what the family did and saw, and five more items ask students to identify the past tense form of see, play, go, feel, and leave as they appear in the text.

What is in the download

This past tense verbs worksheet download includes a worksheet with 14 pages, an answer key with 17 pages, and a one page lesson plan.

The worksheet carries all four sections with a name and date line at the top of the first page.

The answer key marks the correct choice on every multiple choice item and adds a short explanation, such as noting that the past simple of the irregular verb go is went, then gives the completed negative, question, and transformation sentences with a brief note for each rule.

The lesson plan lists four objectives, the materials needed, a suggested 60 to 90 minute class period, and a four step procedure for reviewing verb endings before handing out the pages.

Files are provided as PDF.

Using it in class or at home

A teacher can hand out this past tense verbs worksheet after reviewing regular -ed endings and common irregular forms, then use the answer key to check work as a class or in small groups.

The reading section works well as an early finisher activity once students have gone through the earlier sections, and the full set fits a sub plan or a homeschool grammar lesson without extra prep.

Because the lesson plan already lists objectives and timing, a substitute teacher can run the class from the folder without extra notes.

Look over the preview pages before buying so you can see the exact wording of each item and judge whether the difficulty matches your students.

For more grammar practice, browse the grammar category, or check the wider worksheets and ELA collections for related resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this past tense verbs worksheet cover?

This past tense verbs worksheet has four sections: multiple choice questions on regular and irregular verbs, fill in the blank negatives and questions using did and did not, sentence transformation from present to past, and a reading passage with comprehension questions.

How many pages are in the download?

The student worksheet has 14 pages, the answer key has 17 pages with explanations for each item, and the lesson plan is 1 page, for 32 pages total.

What grade level is this worksheet for?

It is written for grade 7 intermediate ESL students, though any student who needs extra practice with past simple verbs, negatives, questions, and reading comprehension can use it.

Can I print this in black and white?

Yes. The pages use plain text with lined answer spaces and simple headings, so nothing is lost when you print in black and white, and it will still photocopy clearly for a full class set.

Does the answer key explain the answers?

Yes. Each multiple choice item has a short explanation naming the verb pattern, and the negative, question, and reading sections show the completed sentence with a brief note on the rule used.