My last weekend (Mi fin de semana pasado)

Talking about the past is one of the first big steps in English. To say what you already did, you change the verb: this is the «past simple». In this reading, Maya tells what she did last weekend, and you will notice how the verbs change. Let's read, then try it with your own weekend.

What did you do?

Read Maya's weekend:

On Saturday I **woke** up late. (me levanté tarde) I **played** volleyball with my friends. (jugué voleibol) In the afternoon we **watched** a movie. (vimos una película) On Sunday I **visited** my grandmother. (visité a mi abuela) I **studied** for my English test. (estudié para mi examen)

Notice the endings: «played», «watched», «visited», «studied». Many verbs just add **-ed** in the past. But some are different: wake → **woke**, see → **saw**, go → **went**. Those are «irregular verbs», and you learn them little by little.

Saying when

To place your story in time, use time words: «yesterday», «last night», «last weekend», «two days ago». «Ago» looks back from now: «I saw a concert two weeks ago.» The question is: «**What did you do** last weekend?» and the answer: «I …» with the past verb.

Not everything was fun

To say you didn't do something, use «didn't» and the normal verb: «I **didn't go** to the party.» «I **didn't study** much.» With «didn't», the verb loses its past mark: «didn't went» is wrong; it's «didn't go».

Tell YOUR weekend

Now write or say four sentences about your last weekend: one fun, one normal, one that you didn't do. «On Saturday I played… In the afternoon I watched… I didn't …» This is exactly what an A2 English speaker can do: talk about what already happened, simply and correctly.