Past simple: Negatives and questions

Past simple: Negatives and questions

Exercise 3

Complete the conversation using the words in brackets to make past simple positive, negative, and questions.

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1 Emma: Where (you/travel) this summer?

2 Phil: We (go) to Playa del Carmen, in Mexico.

3 Emma: Where (you/stay)?

4 Phil: We (stay) in a nice beach resort.

5 Emma: (your children/like) it?

6 Phil: Of course! They (spend) all week on the beach.

7 Emma: (be/you) there for one week?

8 Phil: Yes. We (come) back last Sunday.

9 Emma: (your wife/enjoy) the trip too?

10 Phil: Yes, she , although she (not like) the food too much.

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Past simple negatives and questions

We use did and didn’t to make negatives, questions and short answers in past simple.

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Word order in questions

Remember that the word order in questions is QWASI: (Question Word), Auxiliary (did), Subject, Infinitive.

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Infinitive without to

We use did or didn’t with the bare infinitive of the main verb (= infinitive without to).

• I didn’t work yesterday.
• I didn’t didn’t worked yesterday.
• Did you go to the concert? 
• Did you went to the concert?

Don’t use did in positive sentences

We use did or didn’t in negatives, questions and short answers, but NOT in positive sentences.

• We stayed home yesterday. 
• We did stay home yesterday.
• I went out last night.
• I did go out last night.

Did or was/were?

We use did and didn’t (NOT was/wasn’t or were/weren’t) as the auxiliary verb in negatives and questions in past simple.

• We didn’t eat at 6. 
• We weren’t eat at 6.
• Did you do your homework? 
• Were you do your homework?

We do NOT use did or didn’t in past simple negatives or questions when the main verb is be.

• They weren’t happy. 
• They didn’t be happy.
• Was he at home? 
• Did he be at home?