Past simple: negatives and questions without marking the past twice

Did not and didn’t express the same negation. The contraction is common in conversation; the full form is also correct and can emphasise the negative. Both follow the subject and precede a base verb.

Negation does not create new facts. I didn’t leave at six says there was no departure at six; I may have left earlier, later or not at all. It does not automatically mean staying all day. Likewise, didn’t buy does not mean didn’t have: something could have been a gift.

To ask directly and neutrally whether an action occurred, place did before the subject and a base verb after it. For a specific detail, add when, where, why, how or another question word at the beginning.

Choose the question word for the missing detail: when for time, where for place, what for a thing or action, and who for a person. Preserve known participant roles: if Ava met Ben, a question about Ben still keeps Ava as the person who did the meeting.

To describe a past state, location or quality with be, use was/were. Put was/were before the subject in a question and add not for a negative. These ordinary past-simple be sentences do not need did.

Use was with I/he/she/it and were with you/we/they. Full was not / were not and contracted wasn’t / weren’t are valid. Distinguish state The shop was closed from event The shop closed. Were they tired? asks about a state; Did they work? asks about working.

In a neutral affirmative-form subject question, who or what occupies the performer’s position. The ordinary verb keeps its past form: Who called? What happened? No additional did is needed for that question.

Who called you? asks who phoned you. Who did you call? asks whom you phoned. These express different participant roles rather than interchangeable word orders.

Emphatic Who DID call? is possible when asking who actually did call, and is not ungrammatical. A negative subject question also needs did: Who didn’t call? asks for the person who did not phone.

Reply to a did question with Yes, … did or No, … didn’t / did not. For was/were questions, repeat the appropriate be form. The pronoun depends on who is discussed: Did you …? → Yes, I did.

When or where usually needs a time or place rather than only yes/no. A didn’t question often checks an expectation or expresses surprise. In ordinary short answers, Yes, I did confirms the action happened; No, I didn’t denies it. Add a full factual sentence to avoid misunderstanding if useful.

For lexical have expressing possession, modern neutral usage is Did you have …? / I didn’t have … . Forms such as Had you any money? are also possible, particularly in more formal or older British English. Do not call them ungrammatical. Exercises targeting neutral did specify that form separately.

You went by bus? is a valid question using statement order to check, confirm a guess or express surprise. Did you go by bus? is an ordinary direct question with inversion. If the task requests a neutral inverted question, the first may fail the target while remaining grammatical.

Used to describes a former habit or state. Did you use to …? / didn’t use to … can appear alongside this topic, but does not replace a question about one event. Here we only distinguish their scope. Spelling variants, the relationship with the present and all nuances of negative questions need separate study.

First decide which fact you negate or which detail is unknown. Check whether the verb is an ordinary action, be or part of a neutral subject question. Finally check participants, time and the form after did.

In open tasks, compose your own English sentence before comparing it with the sample and criteria. Different natural wording is valid if it preserves meaning and an explicitly requested form. Self-checking helps identify errors but does not automatically certify correctness or an overall A2 level. Invent situations if you prefer.