Read the task’s time setting before choosing how to tell the story. When the task asks about yesterday or last week, the simple past often describes the main events. A task about routines, or one specifying another tense, needs a different approach.
Establish the story’s timeline
Notice yesterday, last Sunday or any other time information supplied by the task. Ask your child to explain when the event happens. That gives them a starting point for choosing the main verbs.
One time word does not mean that every verb in the text must be changed to the same tense. Dialogue, general facts and events at another time may use different forms. First practise a consistent timeline for the main events, then check other sentences against their meaning.
Check three common places
After writing a short paragraph, identify the verbs and check them. Use a reliable dictionary or grammar resource for an unfamiliar irregular form rather than guessing its spelling from the sound.
- Positive sentences: regular verbs usually take -ed, while forms such as go → went and buy → bought need separate attention.
- Negative past sentences: did not takes the base form, as in did not buy.
- The verb be: check the subject, as in I/he/she was, we/they were and you were.
Worked example: writing about yesterday
This separately written example follows a task set yesterday. Mia buys fruit at a market and later finds an orange at the bottom of the bag. Compare the positive sentences with the negative sentence.
Correct the verbs and explain why
These sentences all describe yesterday. Rewrite each one and explain the change. Your child can then return to their own story and look for the same type of issue.
Try it yourself
Correct the verbs for the past-time meaning.
- Yesterday, Sam go to the library.
- He did not borrowed a book.
- His friends was there too.
Show an explained answer
- Yesterday, Sam went to the library. The time is yesterday, and went is the simple-past form of go.
- He did not borrow a book. Use the base form borrow after did not.
- His friends were there too. Friends is plural, so were fits this sentence.
