dictionary can‟t show the principal or form of the irregular verbs, the principal of regular verbs can be used with adding
–ed at the end of the verbs. In the negative past tense statement, the verbs can be added by “didn’t
or did not
” before the simple form of the main verbs. The examples of negative form of the simple past tense below, explain the rules clearer.
My roommate didn’t like that restaurant. I didn’t live in a dorm last year.
The examples above show the rules of the negative past tense statement. There are
didn’t before the simple form of the main verb, like and live. The past tense verb is not used in writing negative past tense statement
because to indicate the statement is past tense, it is marked by didn’t.
Beside the irregular verbs, there is also irregular be . “The only
English verb with more than five forms is be, the most irregular of our irregular verbs. It is also the only verb with a separate form for the infinitive,
or base be; it is the only one with three forms for present tense am, is, are and two for past tense
was, were….”
26
The verb be in the past tense only has two forms; they are was and were. Was for the singular, and were for the
plural. There are many changes in spelling rules of the simple past tense that
should be known by everyone. Spelling rules for the simple past tense verbs regular verb:
1. If a simple form of a verb ends in –y after a consonant, change the
–y to i and add –ed Examples: trytried carrycarried drydried
2. If the simple form of a one syllable verbs ends in a consonant + a
vowel + a consonant, double the consonant and add –ed.
Example: planplanned Exception: do not double final w, x or y. example: rowrowed
26
Kolln,, op. cit., p. 69.
3. If the simple form of a two syllable verb ends in consonant + a
vowel + a consonant, double the final consonant only if the last syllable is stressed.
Example: permitpermitted
4. If the simple form of a verb ends in –e and only –d
5. Example: tietied
6. Add –ed to the simple form of all other regular verbs.
Example: wantwanted
27
Beside the rules of the verbs regular and irregular verbs, there are other rules that should be known, one of them is spelling rules for the simple
past tense of regular verb. The table shows that every verb in the regular verb has different spelling, and it depends on the ending sound of the verb whether
the verbs ending by consonant or vowel. They have different rules. Beside the spelling rules, there are also rules in pronunciation of the
– ed verb ending.
The –ed ending is pronounced three ways, according to the end of the
verb: 1.
id after d and t endings
Examples: existed, needed, wanted, traded
2. t after the voiceless endings s, k, p, t, sh, ch, and x
Examples: cooked, helped, washed, whatced
3. d after the voiced endings, b, g, l, m, n, r, v, z, and all vowels
Examples: robbed, listened, lived, sewed
28
Same as the rules of spelling in the regular verb, the pronunciation of the regular verb depends on the ending sound of the verbs. Different ending
sound of regular verb can cause different sound. Expression of past time is also needed to specify the time in the past
when an action was completed. “We often use an expression such as last week, at the weekend, in 1972, 3 years ago, or when we were on holiday to
make it clear that the period of time is finished.”
29
That statement prove that in telling the past events, the time is very important to make the statements
clear, and to show that the events has finished.
27
Kirn, op. cit., p. 107.
28
Ibid., p.108.
29
Parrot, op. cit., p.219.
B. The YesNo Questions and Short Answers
Yesno simple past tense question is started by using didnot in the beginning of the question. Didnot is followed by the verb, but the verb that is
used in the question is the simple form; it is not followed by regular or irregular verb . “Simple past tense yesno questions didn’t before the subject. Note that
the main verb in the question is in the simple form. There is no final –ed ending in
the question form.”
30
In the yesno question form, the principle of regular and irregular verbs can be ignored because in yesno question form only uses the
simple present form with didn’t before the main verb. Here are the examples:
Affirmative question:
1. Did your mother cook yesterday?
The possible answers are: Yes, she did or No, she didn’t.
2. Did you move to a new apartment?
The possible answers are: Yes, I did or No, I didn’t.
Negative question:
1. Didn’t she rent video last night?
The possible answers are: Yes, she did or No, she didn’t.
2. Didn’t he call you before you left your home?
The possible answers are: Yes, he did or No, he didn’t.
From the examples above, every question is begun by did for affirmative question; did your mother cook yesterday? and
didn’t for negative question: didn’t she rent video last night?. Did and didn’t are followed by the simple verb
form; cook, move, rent, and call.
C. The Informative Questions
Same with the previous explanation, in informative questions also use the simple form in the main verbs, so there is no final
–ed ending in the informative questions. “Many simple past tense information questions use did before the
30
Ibid., p.110.
subject; why can also have didn’t before the subject. Note that when who or what
is the subject of the sentence, the main verb is in the simple past tense and did is not used before the subject.”
31
like shows in the table 2.2 below;
Table 2.2 Informative Question
32
Examples Possible answers
Notes Who did you call?
What did
you do
yesterday? Where did you relatives
stay?
When did you relatives visit?
How did she find her apartment?
Why did you cook last night?
Why didn‟t you order in pizza?
I called my sister I cleaned my house
They stayed
in the
upstairs bedroom
The y visited last month
She looked in the paper
I wanted a home-cooked meal.
I wanted to In information questions
with did and didn’t, the
main verb is in the simple form. There is no
–ed ending.
What happened
last night?
Who argued a lot? We rent a video
My sister and I argued a lot.
When who and what is the subject, the main verb
is in the simple past tense and did is not used before
the subject.
31
Kirn, op. cit., p. 111.
32
Ibid.
The table above explains about the examples of informative questions. Every question is begun by WH-questions, did or
didn’t and followed by the simple verb form, except for who and what. Because when who and what is the
subject, did or didn’t is not used before it, and use the simple past tense as the
main verb. If Elaine Kirn divides the simple past tense into three components;
statement with past tense verb, yesno questions and short answers and information questions, Marianne Celce-Murcia and Diane Larsen-Freeman divide
the simple past tense into six form, they are: 1 a definite single completed eventaction in the past, 2 habitual or repeated actionevent in the past, 3 an
event with duration that applied in the past with the implication that it no longer applies in the present, 4 with states in the past, 5 imaginative conditional in the
subordinate clause referring to present time, 6 social distancing
33
The first form is a definite single completed eventaction in the past. It means that the event or action had been finished in the past, or the event is no
longer in the present. The second form is habitual or repeated actionevent in the past. This statement means that the action or event has a repetition in the past, it
can be indicated by the using the expression, like every every day, every week,
every weekend, etc.. For example: It rained almost every day last weekend. The
next form is an event with duration that is applied in the past with the implication that it no longer applies in the present. It uses for the event that has a duration,
but still happened in the past. It is usually marked by the word for; for 3 weeks, for a month, etc. the fourth is with state in the past. The event in this form stated
in the past. And then, the next form is imaginative conditional in the subordinated clause. ”in clauses introduced by if, the simple past expresses an
unreal condition.”
34
It is know by conditional sentence, but the action or the event still happened in the past. Finally, is social distinction. “Particularly with
33
Marianne Celce-Murcia and Diane Larsen-Freeman, The Grammar Book An ESLEFL Teacher’s Course 2
nd
Editon, USA: Heinle Heinle Publisher, 1999, p. 114
34
Ron Cowan, The Teacher’s Grammar of English”, Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2008, p. 359
requests and questions, the simple past tense is often used instead of the simple present to express a more deferential”
35
In giving an offer or a request by using the past form, it is more polite than using the present form because by using the
present form, it g ives the impolite statement or offer. For example: “Did you
want to come in?” is more polite that “Do you want to come in?”
3. Writing
a. The Definition of Writing
Writing is a skill that not easy to be done. The learner has to think about the ideas and t
he details to connect them correctly. John Langan said that “writing is a process of discovery that involves a series of steps, and those steps are very
often a zigzag journey.”
36
On the other hand, writing is a long process. There are many steps in the writing process that should be mastered by the writer. Because
writing is a skill, someone should practice it for a better writing. The four basic principles that must learn to write effectively, they are: 1
start with a clearly started point, 2 provide logical, detailed support for your point, 3 organize and edit connect your supporting material, and 4 revise and
edit so that your sentences are effective and error-free.
37
From the four basic principles above show that writing is a chronological process. The first principle is we have to know what we are going to write, and
then search the detail to support our idea, organize it, and the last is edit our
writing to make it perfect.
b. The Writing Process
According to John Langan in his book, Basic Principles of Effective Writing, there are four steps in writing processes; prewriting, writing first draft,
35
Ibid.
36
John Langan, English Skills, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001, p.12.
37
Ibid., p.4
