Level Two
Lesson 25
past tense - questions
To make a question in the past tense, put “did” before the subject. The main verb remains in the simple form.
live / lived / lived
Where did you live five years ago?
Did you live there a long time?
The Past Tense in English
There are two main types of questions for the past tense: yes-no questions and information questions.
25a. past tense - yes-no questions
Did + subject + main verb
The answer is “yes” or “no.”
have
have / had / had
Singular
Did I have breakfast?
Did you have breakfast?
Did he have breakfast?
Did she have breakfast?
Did it have breakfast?
Plural
Did we have breakfast?
Did you have breakfast?
Did they have breakfast?
25a. Example
- A: Did you have breakfast this morning?
- B: Yes, I did. I had eggs and toast.
- A: Did he feel well this morning? .
- B: No he didn’t. He felt sick.
An affirmative or negative answer to the question, often includes the helping verb “did.”
A: Did you have breakfast this morning?
B: Yes, I did. / No, I didn’t.
A: Did they go biking last weekend?
B: Yes, they did. They went for a long bike ride.
25b. past tense - information questions
Question word + did + subject + main verb
The answer provides information.
have — irregular verb
have / had / had
Singular
What did I have?
What did you have?
What did he have?
What did she have?
What did it have?
Plural
What did we have?
What did you have?
What did they have?
25b. Examples
- A: What did you have breakfast this morning?
- B: I had eggs and toast.
- A: What did he make?
- B: He made some bread
make / made / made
live — regular verb
lived / lived / lived
Singular
Where did I live?
Where did you live?
Where did he live?
Where did she live?
Where did it live?
Plural
Where did we live?
Where did you live?
Where did they live?
A: Where did they live ten years ago?
B: They lived in Brazil.
- A: Where did you work last year?
- B: I worked in Canada.
live / lived / lived
work / worked / worked
25c. past tense - information questions
Some questions about the past do not use the helping verb “did.”
What happened?
Who was here yesterday?
Who completed their homework?
25c. Examples
- What happened in class yesterday?
- How many students were in class?
- Who completed the homework assignment?
25d. Here are some examples of ways to ask about past activities:
- A: Did you wake up early this morning?
- B: Yes, I did.
- A: What time did you wake up?
- B: I woke up at 6:30.
- A: Did Olivia leave for work yet?
- B: Yes, she did.
- A: What time did she leave?
- B: She left at 8:20.
- A: Did it rain yesterday?
- B: No, it didn’t.
- A: That’s too bad. We needed the rain.
- A: Did you go out in the rain?
- B: Yes, I did.
- A: Why did you do that?
- B: I had to get to work.
A: How much rain did we get yesterday?
B: We got an inch of rain.
Here’s an exercise for you to try. Write the questions in your notebook. You can print the PDF here: past tense questions
Part A. Directions: Write the helping verb and the main verb for each sentence.
1. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the class _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ yet? (start)
2. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ you _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ breakfast this morning? (have)
3. What time _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ he _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ for work? (leave)
4. Who _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the asparagus? (eat)
5. How much _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ you _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ last year? (make)
6. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the meeting on time? (be)
7. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ it _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ on time? (end)
8. What _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _? (happen)
9. Where _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ my pliers _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ? (go)
10. How _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ your classes today? (be)
Part B. Directions: Write each sentence in the form of a yes-no question.
1. They went to a movie. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?
2. The coffee maker broke. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?
3. Deanna was late today. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?
4. You asked me a question. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?
5. She lived in that apartment. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?
6. The alarm went off. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?
7. The bus left already. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?
8. He planted tomatoes. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?
9. It was hot yesterday. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?
10. The toast burned. _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?
The answers are below.
In Lesson Twenty-six, you will learn how to use possessive adjectives
Here are the answers:
Part A. Directions: Write the helping verb and the main verb for each sentence.
1. Did the class start yet? (start)
2. Did you have breakfast this morning? (have)
3. What time did he leave for work? (leave)
4. Who ate the asparagus? (eat)
5. How much did you make last year? (make)
6. Was the meeting on time? (be)
7. Did it end on time? (end)
8. What happened? (happen)
9. Where did my pliers go ? (go)
10. How were your classes today? (be)
Part B. Directions: Write each sentence in the form of a yes-no question.
1. Did they go to a movie?
2. Did the coffee maker break?
3. WAs Deanna late today?
4. Did you ask me a question?
5. Did she live in that apartment?
6. Did the alarm go off?
7. Did the bus leave already?
8. Did he plant tomatoes?
9. Was it hot yesterday?
10. Did the toast burn?