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Unit 03
Past Simple: Negatives & Questions
didn't / did you...?
Negatives: didn't + Base Form
To make a negative sentence in the Past Simple, use didn't (did not) + the base form of the verb. This rule applies to all verbs — regular and irregular.
| Subject | didn't | Base verb | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / You / He / She / It / We / They | didn't | base verb | She didn't call me. |
| I / You / He / She / It / We / They | did not | base verb | They did not finish on time. |
Yes/No Questions: Did + Subject + Base Form?
To make a yes/no question, put did before the subject and use the base form.
| Structure | Example | Short answer |
|---|---|---|
| Did + subject + base verb? | Did she arrive on time? | Yes, she did. / No, she didn't. |
| Did + subject + base verb? | Did they finish the project? | Yes, they did. / No, they didn't. |
Wh- Questions: Question Word + Did + Subject + Base Form?
| Question word | Example |
|---|---|
| What | What did you do yesterday? |
| Where | Where did they go? |
| When | When did she arrive? |
| Why | Why did he leave early? |
| Who | Who did you meet? |
| How | How did you get there? |
| How long | How long did the meeting last? |
Who Called You? vs Who Did You Call?
When who or what is the subject (the person/thing that did the action), don't use did. The verb stays in the past form:
| Subject question (no did) | Object question (with did) |
|---|---|
| Who called you? — Ayşe called me. | Who did you call? — I called Ayşe. |
| What happened? — The car broke down. | What did you do? — I called a taxi. |
| Who won the match? — Galatasaray won. | Who did they play? — They played Fenerbahçe. |
Be is Different: wasn't / Was...?
- With be, don't use did: I wasn't at home. · Were they late?
- Compare: Did you go out? (action) vs Were you out? (state/place).
- Negative questions show surprise: Didn't you see my message? = I'm surprised you didn't see it.
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectIauxiliarydidn'tverbgoobjectto schooladverbyesterday.
↳ Negative: didn't + base form (go, not went).
auxiliaryDidsubjectyouverbfinishobjectyour homework?
↳ Yes/No question: Did + subject + base form?
adverbWhereauxiliarydidsubjectsheverbgoadverblast night?
↳ Wh- question: question word + did + subject + base form.
Short Answers
| Question | Positive short answer | Negative short answer |
|---|---|---|
| Did you call him? | Yes, I did. | No, I didn't. |
| Did she pass the exam? | Yes, she did. | No, she didn't. |
| Did they arrive on time? | Yes, they did. | No, they didn't. |
Common Mistakes
I didn't went.
→
I didn't go.
After didn't → always base form.
Did she went home?
→
Did she go home?
After did → always base form.
She not came.
→
She didn't come.
Use didn't, not "not" alone.
Where did she went?
→
Where did she go?
After did (even with wh- words) → base form.
Did you enjoyed the party?
→
Did you enjoy the party?
Base form after did: enjoy, not enjoyed.
Who did call you?
→
Who called you?
"Who" is the subject → no "did".
What did happen?
→
What happened?
"What" is the subject → no "did".
Did you at home last night?
→
Were you at home last night?
Place/state → be (were), not did.