سنة سعيدة · Programme: Writing about a party · Grammar: Simple past: irregular verbs
By the end of this lesson, I can:
- I can name New Year’s party activities.
- I can use common irregular verbs in the simple past.
- I can understand a story about a party.
- I can write about a New Year’s party.
🖼️ Picture dictionary قاموس مصوّر
tap 🔊 to listen📚 كلمات الدرس
12 كلمة من هذا الدرس في القاموس المدرسي: المعنى بالعربية والفرنسية، والنطق، ومثال.
📖 Read: Welcome, New Year! أقرأ
On 31st December, my family had a small party at home in Monastir. My cousins Aziz and Salma came at seven o’clock.
First, we blew up lots of balloons and we put them in the living room. Then we put on our nice clothes. Mum made a chocolate cake and Dad bought snacks: popcorn, nuts and biscuits. We ate pizza for dinner.
After dinner, we played games. Grandpa told funny stories and we laughed a lot. Salma sang a song and Aziz drew our family on a big paper.
We waited for midnight. At 11:59, we counted together: ten, nine, eight… one! Happy New Year! We pulled the crackers and paper hats came out. Everybody hugged everybody. Then we ate the cake and we made a wish. I went to bed at one o’clock. I was tired but very happy!
Do you understand? أفهم
Answer in your copybook first, then check.
- Where did the family have the party?
Answer
At home in Monastir.
- What snacks did Dad buy?
Answer
Popcorn, nuts and biscuits.
- What did Salma do after dinner?
Answer
She sang a song.
- What came out of the crackers?
Answer
Paper hats.
- When did the writer go to bed?
Answer
At one o’clock.
🧩 Grammar القواعد
Many common verbs are irregular: they do not take -ed in the past. We must learn them by heart.
go ➡️ went, have ➡️ had, eat ➡️ ate, make ➡️ made, blow ➡️ blew, put ➡️ put.
Like regular verbs, the past form is the same for all subjects: I went, she went, they went.
Two-word verbs keep the second word: blow up ➡️ blew up, put on ➡️ put on, wait for ➡️ waited for.
بعض الأفعال شاذّة: لا نضيف لها ed- بل يتغيّر شكلها في الماضي (go تصبح went، eat تصبح ate). نحفظها عن ظهر قلب، وشكلها واحد مع كلّ الضمائر.
Irregular verbs to learn
| Verb | Past | Example |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | I went to bed at one. |
| have | had | We had a party. |
| eat | ate | We ate pizza. |
| make | made | Mum made a cake. |
| blow (up) | blew (up) | We blew up balloons. |
| put (on) | put (on) | I put on my new dress. |
| come | came | My cousins came at seven. |
| sing | sang | Salma sang a song. |
| buy | bought | Dad bought snacks. |
| tell | told | Grandpa told stories. |
The party on a timeline
Regular: played, waited, hugged, counted. Irregular: went, ate, had, sang. Check the list when you are not sure!
💬 Useful expressions عبارات مفيدة
Talking about a party
New Year wishes
🔊 Pronunciation النطق
Worked examples أمثلة محلولة
Try first, then read the solution.
Complete: Yesterday, we (go) to the park.
Step-by-step solution
- Yesterday ➡️ past.
- go is irregular ➡️ went.
✓ Yesterday, we went to the park.
Complete: At the party, we (blow up) balloons.
Step-by-step solution
- blow ➡️ blew.
- Keep up after the verb.
✓ At the party, we blew up balloons.
Sort: waited, ate, hugged, had.
Step-by-step solution
- -ed ➡️ regular: waited, hugged.
- No -ed ➡️ irregular: ate (eat), had (have).
✓ Regular: waited, hugged · Irregular: ate, had
⚠️ Common mistakes أخطاء شائعة
⭐ Remember أحفظ
- Irregular verbs do not take -ed: go ➡️ went, eat ➡️ ate, have ➡️ had.
- The past form is the same for all subjects.
- Some verbs do not change: put ➡️ put.
- Party words: snacks, crackers, balloons, midnight, party hat.
- “er” and “ir” often sound the same: her, girl, first.
Quick quiz اختبار سريع
4 questions · instant feedback1. What is the past of “eat”?
2. Complete: We … a party last night.
3. At what time does the New Year start?
4. In the text, what did Grandpa do?
✍️ Write: Our New Year’s party أكتب
Write about a New Year’s party (50–80 words). Say who came, what you did, what you ate and how you felt.
Steps
- Say where and when the party was.
- Say who came.
- Say what you did before midnight (balloons, clothes, games).
- Say what happened at midnight.
- Say how you felt.
A model text to compare with (after writing mine)
Last New Year, we had a party at my grandmother’s house in Kairouan. My aunt and my cousins came too. In the evening, we blew up balloons and we put on party hats. We ate snacks, sandwiches and a big lemon cake. We played games and my uncle told jokes. At midnight, we hugged each other and we made wishes. I went to bed very late, but I was very happy.
One good example among many: compare, don’t copy.
😊 The lighter side استراحة
New year, new start!
I have two hands but no fingers. At midnight, my hands meet at the top. What am I?
Answer
A clock.
Pupil: “I didn’t see you all year!” — Friend: “Of course, we saw each other yesterday… in the old year!”
✅ Exercises تمارين
All exercises →6 exercises on three levels, with new questions every time.
- Choose the right answerTo do
- ClassifyTo do
- Situation 1To do
- Situation 2To do
Practise: Happy New Year
True or false, complete, choose, classify and situations: instant correction with explanations.
Got the lesson? Try it yourself
6 exercises · instant correction · new questions every time
Start the exercisesPictures: Twemoji (CC-BY 4.0). Texts, explanations and exercises: Scolaire.tn.