How to Talk About Yesterday in English: Past Simple Stories, Questions and Reactions

The episode starts with a small moment that many learners know: “Has anyone ever asked you about yesterday in English?” Then Emily finishes it for you: “And you wanted to answer, but your mind was empty?” (00:00) You said “Oh, nothing much,” and the talk ended (00:08).

Paul and Emily want that talk to go on. For about 28 minutes they build a short story about yesterday, piece by piece: a photo on a phone, a missed train stop, a banana bread without sugar, a few questions with did, and a nod you can hear. At the end you tell your own yesterday in six sentences.

This episode is for A2 and B1 learners who know the basics but whose stories still feel stuck (00:26). Paul’s story and Emily’s story are the two models. Every new language point comes out of one of them, so you can hear it in a real situation before you say it.

Watch the episode: Watch the episode on YouTube

Time: about 28 minutes to listen, and about 20 minutes for the practice below.

Before you listen: think of one small thing from yesterday. A meal, a bus, a message, a walk. You will need it at the end.

How to use this page: listen once without stopping. Then listen again and repeat the short sentences when Paul and Emily say them. When you hear “One… two… three…”, it is your turn to answer before the hosts do. The full transcript is at the bottom for any line that goes too fast.

What You’ll Learn

• Yesterday as a finished moment: the past simple, “like a photo on your phone”
• Telling a story in order with first / then / after that / in the end
• Was and were, and which one goes with which word
• Questions with did, and the verb that “goes home”: Did you go?
• Short answers: Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
• Negative sentences: I didn’t add sugar.
• Irregular verbs from the two stories: went, took, saw, had, made, ate, drank, read, bought, brought, thought, caught
• Three sounds of the -ed ending: /t/, /d/ and /id/
• When as a paper clip that joins two actions
• Reactions that keep a friend talking, and time words: last night, two days ago
• Practice for you: a six-mistake quiz, a role play and a 30-second voice message

Key Idea

Did comes first, and the verb goes home.

This is the line for the day, and Emily says it at 09:35. Think of a past verb as a person on a trip. Went is go on a trip, and ate is eat on a trip (09:11). When did comes into the sentence, “the trip is over” (09:16). The verb goes back to its simple form: Did you go? Did you eat? The same line comes back in the quiz (21:30) and in the last seconds of the episode (26:25), as the thing to check in your own voice message.

Yesterday Is a Photo on Your Phone (01:19)

Paul explains why the past simple is the right tool: “Every photo on your phone has a date and a time” (01:25), and “The moment already happened. You cannot take that photo again.” (01:29) Emily adds: “You can look at it, but you can’t change it.” (01:34) A finished moment, a past verb.

Then the hosts put a normal day next to a finished moment. “Every day, I walk to the station. Yesterday, I ran to the station.” (01:48) “I usually cook at home. Yesterday, I ordered pizza.” (01:54) Listen to what happens to the verbs: walk becomes ran, cook becomes ordered (02:14). Some verbs change a lot, and some only add a small ending (02:21). That is the plan for the next minutes.

Paul’s Story: The Same Book on the Train (02:41)

Paul tells his morning in the order it happened. It was seven forty, he got on his usual train with a book about an old lighthouse, and the man next to him had the same book. “And he was on the same chapter. Chapter twelve. I laughed out loud.” (03:15) They talked about the ending for twenty minutes (03:33).

Then the turn: “But when I looked up, the train was at the next station.” (03:56) He missed his stop, walked back for fifteen minutes in light rain and arrived at the office at five past nine. Emily asks the question that every good listener asks: “Did you get his name, at least?” And Paul answers with a short answer: “Yes, I did. His name is Marcus.” (04:24) Then he cuts the whole morning down to five short sentences you can repeat, from “Yesterday morning, I took the train at seven forty.” to “I walked back in the rain, but I felt happy.” (04:59)

Emily’s Banana Bread: Linking Words, Was and Were (05:20)

Emily’s story has a different job. Listen for the small linking words (06:01): “First, I took three bananas from the kitchen.” (06:06) “Then, I mixed the bananas with eggs, flour, and butter.” (06:15) “After that, I put everything in the oven for one hour.” (06:20) “In the end, I wrapped the bread and took it downstairs.” (06:41) Emily compares them to signs on a road. They show the listener where you are in the story (07:34).

The story has a funny problem. Mrs. Patel, the neighbor who watered Emily’s plants, tastes the bread and says “Oh, it’s very… healthy!” (06:57) Emily forgot the sugar: “I didn’t add any sugar at all.” (07:07)

The same story teaches was and were (08:14). Paul: “We use was with I, he, she, and it.” Emily: “And we use were with you, we, and they.” (08:21) Paul’s examples: “I was late. It was rainy. We were happy. The streets were wet.” (08:31)

Did Comes First, and the Verb Goes Home (08:41)

“Questions about yesterday usually start with one small word, did.” (08:48) And here is the part many learners forget: “Many learners say, ‘Did you went?’ or ‘Did you ate?’” (09:01) The trip picture fixes it. Went goes home and becomes go. Ate goes home and becomes eat (09:25).

The hosts use the two stories as practice. “Did you add sugar?” “No, I didn’t.” (09:45) “Did you get off at the right stop?” “No, I didn’t. I got off at the next one.” (09:53) “Did he have the same book? Yes, he did.” (10:01) Short answers are perfect here (10:05).

The same trip happens in the negative: “Didn’t is just did plus not. So the verb goes home again.” (10:27) The two sentences to say with the hosts are “I didn’t add sugar.” and “I didn’t see my station.” (10:42) Not I didn’t added sugar and not I didn’t saw my station (10:32, 10:37).

Irregular Verbs from Our Stories (10:56)

Emily keeps this part small on purpose: “You don’t need a long list today.” (11:02) All the verbs come from the two stories, so each one has a picture. Go becomes went (I went downstairs with the bread), take becomes took, see becomes saw, have becomes had, make becomes made, eat becomes ate and drink becomes drank (11:10 to 11:41).

Two verbs get an extra note. Read becomes read: “Same spelling, but a different sound.” (11:51) And a small family sounds the same at the end: “Buy becomes bought. Bring becomes brought. Think becomes thought.” (12:10) Caught is a cousin (12:40). The tip at the end is worth keeping: take five verbs a week and use them in true sentences about your day (12:55), because your brain connects the word with a real picture from your life (13:05).

Three Sounds of -ed (13:12)

Regular verbs just add -ed (13:10), but the sound is not always the same. Paul used to say “work-ed”, with two parts (13:32). Emily: “Native speakers say ‘workt’, one part.” (13:38) The episode gives you three sets of clothes (13:44):

• /t/: worked, watched, cooked, walked (13:53)
• /d/: cleaned, called, played, listened (14:06)
• /id/: visited, waited, needed, started (14:19)

The rule is simple: do you hear t or d at the end of the verb? “Wait ends in t. Need ends in d. So you add the ‘id’ sound.” (14:33) All other verbs get no new part, only a little t or d (14:46).

Join Two Actions with When (15:29)

Short sentences are fine at first, but sometimes you want two things in one moment (15:25). For that, Emily says “I think of when like a paper clip. It holds two papers together.” (15:33) Two short sentences, “I looked up. The train was at the next station.” become “When I looked up, the train was at the next station.” (15:39, 15:45) Paul’s comment: “One moment, two actions, one sentence.” (15:50) You can also put when in the middle: “The kitchen smelled great when Emily opened the oven.” (16:27)

Reactions: A Nod You Can Hear (16:58)

“Listening is half of a conversation.” (16:49) On the phone your friend cannot see you smile or nod, so a reaction is “like a nod they can hear” (17:09). The episode gives you three kinds: for good news “That’s wonderful!” or “That sounds nice.”; for bad news “Oh no!” or “That’s unfortunate.”; for surprising news “Really?” or “No way!” (17:19 to 17:31)

Then they practice, and each reaction comes with one more question: “Yesterday, I saw a famous singer at the supermarket.” “No way! Did you say hello?” (17:55) That is the real lesson: “React first, then ask one small question. The talk keeps going.” (18:42)

Time Words and Feelings (19:01)

Yesterday can be split into parts: yesterday morning, yesterday afternoon, yesterday evening (19:08). But Emily says “for the night, we don’t say yesterday night”, and Paul gives the fix: “We say last night.” (19:13) For the day before, you can say “the day before yesterday” or “two days ago”. Ago goes after the time (19:37), and the number comes first: “We don’t say ‘ago two days’.” (19:44)

Then feelings make the story personal. Use I felt or I was, and then a reason with because or so (20:15 to 20:25): “I missed my stop, so I felt a bit silly.” (20:30) “I felt proud because the bread looked beautiful.” (20:33)

Quiz: Fix the Mistake (21:07)

Paul reads a sentence with a mistake and you have three seconds to fix it (21:13). The six mistakes are: “Did you went to the party?”, “I didn’t saw the email.”, “Yesterday night, I watched a movie.”, “I was go to work by bus.”, “I work-ed late yesterday.”, and “The streets was very busy.” (21:23 to 22:37) Every answer comes with a short reason. Count your answers: four or more is great work (22:51). If not, “Play this part again tomorrow morning.” (22:57)

Role-Play: Monday in the Office Kitchen (23:02)

First you only listen. The scene is Monday morning in the office kitchen: “Morning, Paul! How was your weekend?” “It was lovely, thanks. I caught up with an old friend.” (23:12) Emily asks what he meant, and Paul explains: “we met and talked about our lives” (23:21). Then: “Where did you go?” “We went to a little café near the river.” (23:26)

Then it is your turn. You play Emily and answer five questions from Paul: “How was your weekend?”, “Where did you go?”, “Did you see anyone special?”, “What did you eat?” and “How did you feel at the end of the day?” (23:53 to 24:21) Short answers are fine (23:48). Notice that Paul reacted and asked one more question each time (24:43). And if you do not know a word, you can say “Sorry, what did you mean?” (24:48)

Your 30-Second Voice Message (24:54)

The small task of the day takes only thirty seconds. Open the voice recorder on your phone and record a short voice message about yesterday (24:59). Use three time words, add one feeling with because or so, and add one sentence with I didn’t (25:09 to 25:21). Then listen to it once and check every verb after did and didn’t (25:25). Check your -ed endings too (25:30). Emily’s example has four sentences, from “Yesterday morning, I slept until nine.” to “Last night, I watched a show and went to bed early.” (25:41 to 25:56)

Her last advice is a good rule for every page like this: “Your message doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be yours.” (26:06)

Recap and Your Challenge (26:33)

The recap has three points, plus tools. First, stories with first, then, after that and in the end. Second, questions with did, where the verb goes home. Third, reactions like a good friend, “with a nod you can hear” (26:38 to 26:49). The extra tools are was and were, when and the -ed sounds (26:55). The comment challenge: “Tell us one small thing that went wrong yesterday.” (27:06) And tell how you felt about it, in just two sentences (27:10). In the next episode, Paul and Emily talk about tomorrow and making plans (27:25).

Useful Language from the Episode

Phrase	Meaning	Example from the episode
the past simple (01:18)	finished moments in the past	”I like to think of the past simple like a photo on your phone.”
did + subject + plain verb (09:35)	a question about yesterday	”Did comes first, and the verb goes home.”
Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t. (10:05)	short answers	”Short answers are perfect here.”
didn’t + plain verb (10:27)	a negative sentence about yesterday	”I didn’t add sugar.”
was / were (08:14)	past forms of be	”It was a quiet afternoon. The bananas were very brown.”
first, then, after that, in the end (06:06)	signs on a road for a story	”First, I took three bananas from the kitchen.”
when (15:33)	a paper clip for two actions	”When I looked up, the train was at the next station.”
last night (19:13)	the night before today	”We say last night. Last night, I fell asleep on the sofa.”
two days ago (19:31)	the day before yesterday	”Ago goes after the time. Two days ago. A week ago. Three hours ago.”
That’s wonderful! / Oh no! / No way! (17:19)	a nod you can hear	”A reaction is like a nod they can hear.”
I felt … because / so … (20:20)	a feeling and a reason	”I missed my stop, so I felt a bit silly.”
Sorry, what did you mean? (24:48)	ask about a word	”To ask about a word, you can always say, ‘Sorry, what did you mean?’”

Mistake and Repair

Often said	Better	Why
Did you went to the party?	Did you go to the party?	After did, the verb goes home (09:01, 21:30).
I didn’t saw the email.	I didn’t see the email.	Didn’t sends the verb home, too (21:45).
Yesterday night, I watched a movie.	Last night, I watched a movie.	We say last night (21:59).
I was go to work by bus.	I went to work by bus.	Do not add was before a past verb (22:12).
I work-ed late yesterday.	I worked late yesterday.	One part, with a short t sound (22:29).
The streets was very busy.	The streets were very busy.	Many streets: were (22:44).
I saw her ago two days. (written for this page)	I saw her two days ago.	Ago goes after the time (19:44).
Did you saw him? (written for this page)	Did you see him?	Same rule: the verb goes home (09:35).

Practice with the Episode

1. Listen for details

Listen again and answer. The answers follow.

1. What time was Paul’s train yesterday morning?
2. What was the man’s book like, and which chapter was he on?
3. How did Paul get back to the right station after he missed his stop?
4. What did Mrs. Patel say when she tasted the banana bread?
5. Which ending sound do worked and walked have?
6. What does Emily say when Paul tells her about the famous singer at the supermarket?

Answers

1. Seven forty (02:41).
2. It was the same book as Paul’s, and the man was on chapter twelve (03:15).
3. He got off at the next station and walked back for fifteen minutes in light rain (04:10, 04:14).
4. “Oh, it’s very… healthy!” (06:57)
5. A short /t/ sound (13:53).
6. “No way! Did you say hello?” (18:00)

2. Fix the mistake

Fix each sentence out loud, then check. All six sentences were written for this page; the rules come from the episode.

1. Did she bought the bread?
2. We didn’t went to the cinema.
3. Yesterday night, we ate pizza.
4. I visit my aunt yesterday afternoon.
5. The shoes was wet.
6. He didn’t called me.

Answers

1. Did she buy the bread? After did, the verb goes home.
2. We didn’t go to the cinema. Didn’t sends the verb home.
3. Last night, we ate pizza. We say last night.
4. I visited my aunt yesterday afternoon. The sentence is about yesterday, so the verb needs -ed, with an /id/ sound (14:19).
5. The shoes were wet. Many shoes: were, as with the streets (22:44).
6. He didn’t call me. Didn’t sends the verb home.

3. Which sound: /t/, /d/ or /id/?

Say each verb and choose the sound. Use the rule from the episode: do you hear t or d at the end of the verb? (14:33)

1. washed
2. opened
3. wanted
4. helped
5. needed
6. cleaned

Answers

1. /t/ (like worked, watched).
2. /d/ (like called, played).
3. /id/ (like waited, started).
4. /t/.
5. /id/ (like needed in the episode).
6. /d/ (cleaned is in the episode’s second set).

4. Your voice message

Record thirty seconds about yesterday. Three time words (yesterday morning, last night, two days ago), one feeling with because or so, and one sentence with I didn’t. Listen once. Did the verb go home after did and didn’t?

Keep Practicing

Do you want to ask and answer about yesterday without the went and saw mistakes? Read Did You Go or Did You Went? Ask and Answer Questions About Yesterday in English. It follows one Monday-morning conversation line by line and gives you question words, short answers and exercises with answers.

Chapters

• 00:00 How to Talk About Yesterday in English
• 01:19 Past Simple Is Like a Photo
• 02:41 Paul’s Story: The Same Book on the Train
• 05:20 Emily’s Banana Bread: Linking Words, Was and Were
• 08:41 Did Comes First, and the Verb Goes Home
• 10:56 Irregular Verbs from Our Stories
• 13:12 Three Sounds of -ed
• 15:29 Join Two Actions with When
• 16:58 Reactions: A Nod You Can Hear
• 19:01 Time Words and Feelings
• 21:07 Quiz: Fix the Mistake
• 23:02 Role-Play: Monday in the Office Kitchen
• 24:54 Your 30-Second Voice Message
• 26:33 Recap and Your Challenge

Full Transcript

Paul: Has anyone ever asked you about yesterday in English?

Emily: And you wanted to answer, but your mind was empty?

Paul: So you just said, “Oh, nothing much.” And the talk ended.

Emily: That happens to so many learners. You are not alone.

Paul: Welcome to English Practice Daily. I’m Paul.

Emily: And I’m Emily. This podcast episode is for A2 and B1 learners.

Paul: If you know the basics but your stories still feel stuck, this is for you.

Paul: Today you will learn to tell a short story about yesterday.

Emily: You will also ask good questions and react like a friend.

Paul: And at the end, you will tell your own yesterday in six sentences.

Emily: If you want, you can repeat after us at any time.

Paul: Speaking out loud, even quietly, helps your mouth remember the words.

Emily: So, Paul, quick question before we start. How was yesterday?

Paul: Busy, a little strange, and actually pretty funny.

Emily: Good. Keep that story for later, because I want to hear it.

Paul: Deal. First, let’s think about the word yesterday itself.

Emily: When we say yesterday, the action is finished. It is done.

Paul: I like to think of the past simple like a photo on your phone.

Emily: A photo. Okay, tell me more about that.

Paul: Every photo on your phone has a date and a time.

Paul: The moment already happened. You cannot take that photo again.

Emily: That’s true. You can look at it, but you can’t change it.

Paul: The past simple works the same way. It shows a finished moment.

Emily: So let’s put some normal days next to some finished moments.

Paul: Every day, I walk to the station. Yesterday, I ran to the station.

Emily: I usually cook at home. Yesterday, I ordered pizza.

Paul: I usually sleep at eleven. Last night, I fell asleep on the sofa at nine.

Emily: At nine, on the sofa. That is very early, Paul.

Paul: I know. I was really tired. More about that in a minute.

Emily: Listen to the verbs. Walk becomes ran here, cook becomes ordered.

Paul: Some verbs change a lot, and some only add a small ending.

Emily: Let’s say two of them together. Yesterday, I ordered pizza.

Paul: Yesterday, I ran to the station. Good. Say them one more time.

Emily: Okay, Paul. Now I really want your story. Tell me why you ran.

Paul: I remember it very clearly. It was yesterday morning, at seven forty.

Paul: I got on my usual train with my book in my hand.

Emily: The book about the old lighthouse. You told me about it last week.

Paul: Yes, that one. It’s a mystery story about a family who live by the sea.

Paul: I sat down by the window, put my coffee on my knee, and opened it.

Paul: Then I noticed the man next to me. He had the same book.

Emily: The same book, on the same train. That’s a nice surprise.

Paul: And he was on the same chapter. Chapter twelve. I laughed out loud.

Emily: So, of course, you started talking with him.

Paul: Of course I did. I said, “Excuse me, are you enjoying it?”

Paul: He said, “I can’t stop reading. I read it at breakfast and at lunch.”

Paul: We talked about the ending for twenty minutes.

Paul: He had one idea about the ending, and I had a totally different idea.

Emily: That sounds like a really good conversation, actually.

Paul: It was the most interesting conversation I’ve had on a train, honestly.

Paul: Usually everybody just looks at their phone and says nothing.

Emily: That sounds like a lovely, comfortable train ride.

Paul: It was. But when I looked up, the train was at the next station.

Emily: Oh no. You missed your stop because of a book.

Paul: I missed my stop because of a book. I got off at the next station.

Paul: The next station was much further than I expected.

Paul: Then I walked back for fifteen minutes in light rain.

Emily: Without an umbrella, I guess.

Paul: Without an umbrella. I arrived at the office at five past nine.

Emily: Did you get his name, at least?

Paul: Yes, I did. His name is Marcus. We plan to meet for coffee.

Emily: So you lost fifteen minutes, but you found a new friend.

Paul: Exactly. I was wet and a bit late, but I was happy.

Emily: And that’s why you were so tired last night.

Paul: That’s right. A long walk in the rain makes you sleepy.

Emily: Let’s make your story short and clear for our listeners.

Paul: Okay. Here are five sentences. Repeat after me if you like.

Paul: Yesterday morning, I took the train at seven forty.

Paul: I met a man with the same book.

Paul: We talked about the ending for twenty minutes.

Paul: I missed my stop.

Paul: I walked back in the rain, but I felt happy.

Emily: Lovely. Five short sentences, and we have the whole morning.

Emily: Now it’s my turn. Yesterday was Monday, and I had a day off.

Paul: A day off on a Monday. That is the best kind of day off.

Emily: It was a quiet afternoon. The street was empty, and the sun was out.

Emily: My neighbor downstairs, Mrs. Patel, often helps me with my plants.

Emily: Last month, I went on holiday, and she watered them every morning.

Emily: So I wanted to say thank you. I decided to bake banana bread.

Emily: I found a recipe online. It looked simple, only six ingredients.

Paul: Banana bread. Good choice. Everyone loves banana bread.

Emily: Listen to how I tell the story. Listen for the small linking words.

Emily: First, I took three bananas from the kitchen.

Emily: They were very brown and very soft. Perfect for baking.

Emily: Then, I mixed the bananas with eggs, flour, and butter.

Emily: After that, I put everything in the oven for one hour.

Emily: The whole flat smelled wonderful. I was very proud of myself.

Emily: When it was ready, I took it out and let it cool on the window.

Emily: It looked beautiful, golden brown on top, and very interesting. I even took a photo.

Emily: In the end, I wrapped the bread and took it downstairs.

Paul: That sounds perfect. But I can hear a problem coming.

Emily: Mrs. Patel tasted a piece in front of me. She smiled, very slowly.

Emily: And then she said, “Oh, it’s very… healthy!”

Paul: Healthy. Oh no. I think I know what happened.

Emily: Yes. I forgot the sugar. I didn’t add any sugar at all.

Paul: That’s so funny. But she was kind about it.

Emily: She was. Later, I looked at the recipe again on my phone.

Emily: Sugar was right there, in line two. I just didn’t see it.

Emily: And today I’m going to make a second one, with sugar.

Paul: Let’s look at those four little words again, Emily.

Emily: First, then, after that, and in the end. They are like signs on a road.

Emily: They show the listener where you are in the story.

Paul: First starts the story. Then and after that move it forward.

Emily: And in the end tells people the story is almost finished.

Paul: Repeat after us. First, I took three bananas.

Emily: Then, I mixed everything together.

Paul: After that, I baked it for one hour.

Emily: In the end, I forgot the sugar.

Paul: Great. There were two more small words in Emily’s story.

Emily: Was and were. It was a quiet afternoon. The bananas were very brown.

Paul: We use was with I, he, she, and it.

Emily: And we use were with you, we, and they.

Paul: I was late. It was rainy. We were happy. The streets were wet.

Emily: Say them with us. I was late. The bananas were brown.

Paul: Now let’s learn how to ask about yesterday.

Emily: Because a good story needs a good listener.

Paul: Questions about yesterday usually start with one small word, did.

Emily: Did you take the train? Did you see your friend? Did you cook?

Paul: And here is the part many learners forget.

Emily: Yes. Many learners say, “Did you went?” or “Did you ate?”

Paul: Think of the past verb as a person on a trip.

Paul: Went is go on a trip. Ate is eat on a trip.

Emily: And when did comes into the sentence, the trip is over.

Paul: The verb goes home. It goes back to its simple form.

Emily: So went goes home and becomes go. Did you go?

Paul: Ate goes home and becomes eat. Did you eat?

Emily: Here is our line for today. Did comes first, and the verb goes home.

Paul: Say it with us. Did comes first, and the verb goes home.

Emily: Let’s try it with my story. Did you add sugar?

Paul: No, I didn’t. That’s the short answer, and it’s very natural.

Emily: And Paul’s story. Did you get off at the right stop?

Paul: No, I didn’t. I got off at the next one.

Emily: Did he have the same book? Yes, he did.

Paul: Short answers are perfect here. Yes, I did. No, I didn’t.

Emily: Let’s try some everyday ones. Did you sleep well? Did you call your mom?

Paul: Did you watch the game? Did you finish your homework?

Emily: In every question, the verb is in its simple, home form.

Emily: The same trip happens in negative sentences, too.

Paul: Didn’t is just did plus not. So the verb goes home again.

Emily: I didn’t add sugar. Not, “I didn’t added sugar.”

Paul: I didn’t see my station. Not, “I didn’t saw my station.”

Emily: Say these two with us. I didn’t add sugar.

Paul: I didn’t see my station. Very good.

Emily: Right now, just listen and repeat. Later, you will answer questions too.

Paul: Now, the verbs that change a lot. We call them irregular verbs.

Emily: Don’t worry. You don’t need a long list today.

Paul: We’ll take them from our two stories, so they are easy to remember.

Emily: Go becomes went. I went downstairs with the bread.

Paul: Take becomes took. I took the train at seven forty.

Emily: See becomes saw. I saw Mrs. Patel’s face, and I knew.

Paul: Have becomes had. He had the same book as me.

Emily: Make becomes made. I made banana bread for my neighbor.

Paul: Eat becomes ate. Mrs. Patel ate a small piece.

Emily: Drink becomes drank. Then she drank a big glass of water.

Paul: Was that because of the bread?

Emily: Maybe. I didn’t ask.

Paul: Read becomes read. Same spelling, but a different sound.

Paul: I read my book on the train. You hear the sound “red”.

Emily: That one surprises a lot of learners. Read, read.

Paul: And here is a small family of verbs that sound the same at the end.

Emily: Buy becomes bought. Bring becomes brought. Think becomes thought.

Paul: Bought, brought, thought. Three words, one ending sound.

Emily: I bought some flour. I brought the bread downstairs.

Paul: I thought the bread was perfect. That’s what you thought, right?

Emily: Ha. Yes, I thought it was perfect.

Paul: Let’s say the whole family together. Bought, brought, thought.

Emily: And there is a cousin in this family, too. Catch becomes caught.

Paul: Caught. Same sound. I caught the last train home.

Emily: One small tip. Don’t try to learn fifty verbs this week.

Paul: Take five verbs a week, and use them in true sentences about your day.

Emily: True sentences stay in your head much longer than lists do.

Paul: Because your brain connects the word with a real picture from your life.

Paul: Now the easy verbs. Regular verbs just add e, d at the end.

Emily: Work becomes worked. Clean becomes cleaned. Visit becomes visited.

Paul: Easy to write. But the sound is not always the same.

Emily: This is something many learners miss. Paul, you did it too, right?

Paul: I did. For a long time, I said “work-ed”, with two parts.

Emily: And it sounds a bit robotic. Native speakers say “workt”, one part.

Paul: I think of the e, d ending like a person with three sets of clothes.

Emily: It wears different clothes for different verbs.

Paul: Set one is a short “t” sound. Worked, watched, cooked, walked.

Emily: Say them with us. Worked. Watched. Cooked. Walked.

Paul: Set two is a soft “d” sound. Cleaned, called, played, listened.

Emily: Repeat. Cleaned. Called. Played. Listened.

Paul: Set three is the only one with a new part. It sounds like “id”.

Emily: Visited, waited, needed, started.

Paul: Repeat. Visited. Waited. Needed. Started.

Emily: Here’s the simple rule. Do you hear t or d at the end of the verb?

Paul: Wait ends in t. Need ends in d. So you add the “id” sound.

Emily: For all other verbs, there is no new part. Just a little t or d.

Paul: Let’s hear it in sentences. I walked back in the rain.

Emily: I waited for the bread for one hour.

Paul: I called Marcus in the evening.

Emily: Already. You only met him yesterday morning.

Paul: We wanted to choose a café for Saturday. I picked a quiet one.

Emily: I visited Mrs. Patel again in the evening, with a cup of tea.

Emily: Good. Now we can tell short facts. Let’s join them together.

Paul: Our stories have many short sentences. That’s fine for beginners.

Emily: But sometimes you want two things in one moment.

Paul: For that, we use a small word with a big job, when.

Emily: I think of when like a paper clip. It holds two papers together.

Paul: Here are two short sentences. I looked up. The train was at the next station.

Emily: Now add the paper clip. When I looked up, the train was at the next station.

Paul: One moment, two actions, one sentence. It sounds more like real talk.

Emily: My turn. Mrs. Patel tasted the bread. She smiled very slowly.

Paul: With the paper clip, please.

Emily: When Mrs. Patel tasted the bread, she smiled very slowly.

Paul: Perfect. The pattern is: when, then a past verb, then another past verb.

Emily: Let’s try one more pair. I opened the oven. The kitchen smelled great.

Paul: When I opened the oven, the kitchen smelled great.

Emily: You can also put when in the middle of the sentence.

Paul: The kitchen smelled great when Emily opened the oven.

Emily: Repeat after us. When I looked up, the train was at the next station.

Paul: When she tasted the bread, she smiled.

Emily: These longer sentences make your stories easier to follow.

Paul: And they sound more natural and more comfortable for the listener.

Paul: Okay. Now we can tell a story. But listening is half of a conversation.

Emily: Yes. When a friend tells you about their day, you should react.

Paul: Imagine you are on the phone. Your friend can’t see your face.

Emily: Right. They can’t see you smile or nod your head.

Paul: So a reaction is like a nod they can hear.

Emily: It tells them, “I’m here, I’m listening, and I care about your story.”

Paul: For good news, you can say, “That’s wonderful!” or “That sounds nice.”

Emily: For bad news, you can say, “Oh no!” or “That’s unfortunate.”

Paul: For surprising news, you can say, “Really?” or “No way!”

Emily: Let’s practice. Paul, tell me some news, and I’ll react.

Paul: Okay. Yesterday, my sister got a new job.

Emily: That’s wonderful! What kind of job is it?

Paul: Yesterday, I left my umbrella on the bus.

Emily: Oh no! Was it your good umbrella?

Paul: Yesterday, I saw a famous singer at the supermarket.

Emily: No way! Did you say hello?

Paul: Yesterday, my phone fell in the sink.

Emily: That’s unfortunate. Does it still work?

Paul: Yesterday, I finished a very long report.

Emily: That sounds nice. You must feel happy now.

Paul: Yesterday, our neighbor’s dog ate my sandwich in the garden.

Emily: Really? The whole sandwich? That’s terrible, but it’s also very funny.

Paul: Yesterday, my best friend called me from Australia.

Emily: That’s wonderful! How is she doing over there?

Paul: Notice this. Emily didn’t just react. She asked one more question.

Emily: Yes. React first, then ask one small question. The talk keeps going.

Paul: Repeat the reactions with us. That’s wonderful! Oh no! No way!

Emily: That sounds nice. That’s unfortunate. Really?

Paul: Now let’s talk about time words, so your story has a clear order.

Emily: We can split yesterday into parts.

Paul: Yesterday morning. Yesterday afternoon. Yesterday evening.

Emily: But for the night, we don’t say yesterday night.

Paul: We say last night. Last night, I fell asleep on the sofa.

Emily: Last night, I watched a cooking show. It didn’t help me with sugar.

Paul: And for the day before yesterday, you have two choices.

Emily: You can say the day before yesterday. Or you can say two days ago.

Paul: Ago goes after the time. Two days ago. A week ago. Three hours ago.

Emily: Be careful. We don’t say “ago two days”. The number comes first.

Emily: Let’s give one quick, new example for each time word.

Paul: Yesterday morning, I fixed my bike before breakfast.

Emily: Yesterday afternoon, I read in the park for an hour.

Paul: Yesterday evening, I called my brother in Canada.

Emily: Last night, I listened to an old album from my teenage years.

Paul: Two days ago, I got a letter from the bank. Very exciting.

Emily: Now, let’s add feelings. Feelings make a story more personal.

Paul: Use I felt, or I was, and then a reason.

Emily: The reason can come with because, or with so.

Paul: I missed my stop, so I felt a bit silly.

Emily: I felt proud because the bread looked beautiful.

Paul: I was nervous because the meeting was very important.

Emily: I felt relaxed because I had a quiet afternoon.

Paul: I was surprised because the train was completely empty.

Emily: I felt disappointed because the restaurant was closed.

Paul: Repeat after us. I felt proud because the bread looked beautiful.

Emily: I missed my stop, so I felt a bit silly.

Paul: Great. Now it’s your turn to speak. It’s quiz time.

Emily: Paul will read a sentence with a mistake.

Paul: You have three seconds to fix it. Say the correct sentence out loud.

Emily: Then we’ll give you the answer. Ready? Here’s number one.

Paul: Did you went to the party?

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: Did you go to the party? Remember, did comes first, and the verb goes home.

Emily: Number two.

Paul: I didn’t saw the email.

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: I didn’t see the email. Didn’t sends the verb home, too.

Emily: Number three.

Paul: Yesterday night, I watched a movie.

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: Last night, I watched a movie. We don’t say yesterday night.

Emily: Number four.

Paul: I was go to work by bus.

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: I went to work by bus. We don’t need was here. Just went.

Emily: Number five. Listen carefully to the sound this time.

Paul: I work-ed late yesterday.

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: I worked late yesterday. One part, with a short t sound. Worked.

Emily: And the last one.

Paul: The streets was very busy.

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: The streets were very busy. Streets are many, so we use were.

Emily: Now count your answers. If you got four or more, that’s great work.

Paul: If not, no problem. Play this part again tomorrow morning.

Emily: Now let’s try a short role play. Monday morning, in the office kitchen.

Paul: First, Emily and I will play it once. Just listen.

Emily: Morning, Paul! How was your weekend?

Paul: It was lovely, thanks. I caught up with an old friend.

Emily: Caught up? Sorry, what did you mean?

Paul: Oh, we met and talked about our lives. We hadn’t met for months.

Emily: That’s wonderful. Where did you go?

Paul: We went to a little café near the river. How about you?

Emily: I stayed home and baked. I forgot the sugar, though.

Paul: Oh no! Did anyone eat it?

Emily: My neighbor did. She was very polite about it.

Paul: Now it’s your turn. You are Emily. I’ll ask, and you answer.

Paul: Use your own weekend, or yesterday. Short answers are fine.

Paul: Morning! How was your weekend?

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: Nice. Where did you go?

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: Did you see anyone special?

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: That sounds nice. What did you eat?

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: And how did you feel at the end of the day?

Emily: One… two… three…

Paul: Great job. That was a real conversation, and you were in it.

Emily: If you needed more time, that’s completely normal. Pause the video.

Paul: Then play this part again, and try to answer a little faster.

Emily: Notice that Paul reacted and asked one more question each time.

Paul: And to ask about a word, you can always say, “Sorry, what did you mean?”

Emily: So here is your small task for today. It takes only thirty seconds.

Paul: Open the voice recorder on your phone.

Emily: Record a short voice message about yesterday.

Paul: You can send it to a friend, or just keep it for yourself.

Emily: Use three time words. For example, yesterday morning, afternoon, last night.

Paul: Add one feeling, with because or so.

Emily: And add one sentence with I didn’t.

Paul: Then listen to it once. Check every verb after did and didn’t.

Emily: Check your e, d endings, too. Worked, cleaned, visited.

Emily: Did the verb go home? Let’s hear an example. I’ll do mine now.

Emily: Yesterday morning, I slept until nine. It was my day off.

Emily: Yesterday afternoon, I baked banana bread for my neighbor.

Emily: I didn’t add any sugar, so I felt a bit embarrassed.

Emily: Last night, I watched a show and went to bed early.

Paul: Thirty seconds, four sentences, and a real story. Very nice.

Emily: Your message doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be yours.

Paul: Tomorrow, record another one. After one week, listen to the first message.

Emily: You’ll be surprised how much easier it feels.

Paul: And when you check it, remember our line one more time.

Emily: Did comes first, and the verb goes home.

Paul: Did comes first, and the verb goes home.

Emily: Paul, that was a full lesson. Let’s look back quickly.

Paul: First, we told stories with first, then, after that, and in the end.

Emily: Second, we asked questions with did, and the verb went home.

Paul: Third, we reacted like a good friend, with a nod you can hear.

Emily: And we learned a few extra tools. Was and were, when, and the e, d sounds.

Emily: Now we want to hear from you. Here’s our question.

Paul: Tell us one small thing that went wrong yesterday.

Emily: And tell us how you felt about it. Just two sentences.

Paul: For example: “I missed my bus. I felt annoyed, but I listened to music.”

Emily: Write your two sentences in the comments. We read every one.

Paul: In our next episode, we’ll talk about tomorrow and making plans.

Emily: You’ll learn going to and will, and when to use each one.

Paul: If this lesson helped you, please subscribe to English Practice Daily.

Emily: Thanks for listening, and enjoy telling your stories. See you next time.

Paul: Bye for now, everyone.