Episode 14: The Night It Happened

Past Simple: irregular — Thomas Edison, 1879 (A1-A2)

Grammar Box

Meaning: Some verbs don’t add -ed in the past. They change completely. These are irregular verbs, and we must learn their special forms.

Form: Irregular changes (go→went, see→saw, make→made, have→had, take→took)

Example 1: I went to school yesterday. (not: goed)

Example 2: She saw the movie. (not: seed)

Common mistake: Wrong: I maked a mistake. Better: I made a mistake.

The Question

Luna read a sentence: “Yesterday I go to the park.” She shook her head. “Go… went? Why is it different?” Her watch glowed brightly. Professor Wisdom appeared. “Some verbs don’t follow the -ed rule. They change completely. Come. Let’s visit a man who made thousands of mistakes before he found success.”

The Journey

The world shifted. Luna stood in Edison’s laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. October 21, 1879. Night. The room smelled of smoke and burned materials. Thomas Edison sat at his workbench. He was thirty-two years old. He looked exhausted but determined.

For over a year, Edison and his team had tried to create a practical electric light. They had tested hundreds of materials. Nothing worked well. Most filaments burned out in minutes. Some broke immediately. Others cost too much.

People said it was impossible. They told him to give up. Scientists wrote articles saying electric light had no future. Investors grew impatient. They wanted results. They wanted success.

But Edison saw failure differently. “I have not failed,” he said. “I’ve just found ten thousand ways that won’t work.” Each failure taught him something. Each mistake brought him closer.

That night, something felt different. They had made a new filament from carbonized bamboo. Edison held his breath. He lit the bulb. Light filled the room. Soft. Steady. Beautiful.

One hour passed. The bulb still glowed. Two hours. Still bright. Five hours. The light held. Everyone in the lab stood silently. They knew they were watching history. They saw the future being born.

The bulb burned for thirteen and a half hours before it went dark. But it was enough. Edison knew he had done it. He had found the answer.

Luna watched his face. Relief. Joy. Exhaustion. The room felt warm. The light was golden. The moment was electric with possibility.

The Insight

“Listen to how we tell this story,” the Professor said. “‘He made a filament.’ ‘They saw the future.’ ‘The bulb went dark.’ These verbs are irregular. They don’t use -ed. They change completely.”

He continued, “Many common verbs are irregular. Go becomes went. See becomes saw. Make becomes made. Have becomes had. These verbs are used very often, so we must learn their special forms.”

“The good news? You already know many of them. You’ve heard them before. The more you read and listen, the more natural they become.”

Practice Zone

More Examples:

“I saw the movie last night.” — See → saw
“She made dinner for everyone.” — Make → made
“They went to Paris last summer.” — Go → went
“He took the bus to work.” — Take → took
“We had a great time together.” — Have → had
“I wrote a letter to my friend.” — Write → wrote

Exercises:

Fill in the blank: Yesterday, I _____ (go) to the library.
Choose the correct:
a) Last week, she maked a cake.
b) Last week, she made a cake.
Write the past form:
– see → _
– take →
– write → __
Complete the sentence: They _____ (have) lunch at noon yesterday.
Your turn: Write a sentence about yesterday using one irregular past verb: go, see, make, or have.

Answer Key:

went (not “goed”)
b) Last week, she made a cake
see → saw / take → took / write → wrote
had
Check: Did you use the irregular form? Examples: “I went home early.” “She saw her friend.” “We made cookies.” “They had fun.”

The Lesson

They returned to Luna’s room. Luna wrote: “Yesterday I went to class and saw my teacher.” She smiled. “Irregular verbs are different, but I can learn them.” The Professor nodded. “Yes. And like Edison, you learn through doing. Every mistake makes you stronger. Every attempt brings you closer to success.”