650+ English Phrases for Everyday Speaking: Phrases for Beginner and Intermediate English Learners

Additional Resources:
Song about ‘What are you doing?
 to help practice present continuous.

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Talking about the Past
It is very common to talk about things that already happened. If something already happened or is
finished it is in the past. Below you will find some sentence starters and example sentences to help
you talk about things you have done in the past.
Most Common Verbs Used to Talk about the Past
I went…
I ate…
I was…
I read…
I played…
I saw…
I talked to…
I worked…
Example Sentences:
I went to work.
I ate spaghetti for lunch.
I read two books over the weekend.
I saw a movie.
I talked to my friend.
List of Common ‘Times’ in the Past
Yesterday…
Two days ago…
Seven years ago…
An hour ago…
A little bit ago…
Last week…
Last month…
Last year…
When I was a kid…
When I was growing up…

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