The Past Simple Tense

The President of the United States

Do you want to be president of the United States of America? Maybe you can apply for the job. Answer these three questions. Are you a U.S. citi­zen? Are you thirty-five years old or older? Have you been a resident of the United States for fourteen years or longer? Did you say "yes" to all three questions? Then you can take the first steps to the White House.

You become president for a terra. A term is four years. You can only serve two terms. This means that you can only be president twice. This became law in 1951. Before that, the law was different. In fact, Franklin D. Roosevelt became president in 1933. He was still president when he died in 1945. He was president for twelve years. No one was president longer than he was.

As president of the United States, you earn $200,000 a year. You also get an extra $50,000 for expenses, tax free. You have your own limousine, jet,

and housekeepers, all free. You also live rent free, in the White House in Washington, D.C. And you are head of the richest country in the world.

Presidents of the United States are very different people. Twenty-two were lawyers, four soldiers, four farmers, four teachers, two writers, two busi­nessmen, one tailor, and one actor. Eight of them did not have a college education.

The Past Simple (Indefinite) Tense

Употребляется для выражения:

а) повторяющегося действия или признака предмета в прошлом

He often spоke English. (Он часто говорил по – английски).

б) цепи последовательных действий в прошлом

Не took a book, opened it and began reading it.

в) однократного действия в прошлом.

I took the book from the library yesterday.

Обстоятельства времени, указывающие на группу Simple: last week, last year, yesterday, two years ago.