Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)

Level: A2. You can already make past-simple statements (I worked, she went). To say the same ideas in the negative or to ask a question, English uses one helping verb — did — and the main verb goes back to its plain base form.

The rule

An auxiliary (or helping verb) is a small verb that carries the grammar so the main verb can stay simple. In the past simple the auxiliary is did — the past form of do — and it is the same for every subject. There is no do/does split here as there is in the present.

For a negative, put did after the subject and add not: I did not work. / She did not go. In everyday English this shrinks to the contraction didn’t.

For a question, move did in front of the subject: (subject) did becomes Did (subject)…? — Did you work yesterday? / Did she go home?

The rule that ties the lesson together: the past tense sits in did, so the main verb drops its past form and returns to the base. You already put the “pastness” into did, so you do not repeat it on the main verb. That is why it is She went but She didn’t go and Did she go? — the past appears once, in did.

Negative and question forms

Every row is identical — that is the whole point. Did and the base verb do not change, so once you know one subject you know them all.

How to say it

These forms are small and fast in speech. Match the sounds English speakers reduce:

Saying every word fully is always correct and clear; the reduced sounds just help you follow fast native speech.

Example sentences

Common mistakes

• ❌ She didn’t went home. → ✅ She didn’t go home. The past is in did, so the main verb is base: go.
• ❌ Did you saw it? → ✅ Did you see it? Same rule in questions: base verb after did.
• ❌ I no worked. → ✅ I didn’t work. English negates the past with didn’t, not a bare no.
• ❌ You worked yesterday? (asking) → ✅ Did you work yesterday? A yes/no question needs did at the front.
• ❌ Where she went? → ✅ Where did she go? A wh- question still needs did and a base verb.
• ❌ Did she can swim? → ✅ Could she swim? Modal verbs make their own past questions — no did.

A short conversation

A: Did you go out last night? B: No, I didn’t. I stayed home and watched a film. A: Why didn’t you come with us? B: I didn’t feel well, and I didn’t want to miss my early train.

Usage notes

• Contractions. Didn’t is standard in speech and informal writing. The full form did not sounds emphatic or formal: I did not say that.
• Short answers. English rarely answers a yes/no question with a bare Yes/No. Keep did: Did you call? — Yes, I did. / Did she come? — No, she didn’t. You never repeat the main verb.
• The verb be is the exception. Was/were make their own negatives and questions with no did: She wasn’t late, Were you tired? — never Did she be late?
• Subject questions. When the wh-word is the subject, you drop did: Who broke the window? (not Who did break…?). Like the present, this is the one wh- question that keeps the past form.

Compared with…

• Present simple negatives and questions use the very same structure, but with do/does instead of did, and does forces the base verb for he/she/it: She doesn’t work / Does she work? Moving to the past, all of that collapses into one word — did — for every subject. The logic is identical; only the auxiliary changes tense. See Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does).
• Before this lesson, be comfortable with the plain past forms in Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling and Past Simple: Irregular Verbs, because did always sends the main verb back to that base form.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Quiz

Recap cheat-sheet

Next

• Next topic: Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
• Back to the English grammar section
• New here? Start with Start Learning English Here