Past Simple. Negative sentence. Exercise
Past Simple: Negative sentences
Past Simple is one of the fundamental tenses in the English language, used to describe actions that occurred in the past and have no connection to the present. In this article, we will examine how negative sentences are formed in the Past Simple tense.
Forming negative sentences in past simple
To form negative sentences in the Past Simple, the auxiliary verb did and the particle not are used. The main verb remains in its base form (infinitive without “to”).
Structure of a negative sentence
- Subject + did not (didn’t) + base form of the verb
Examples:
- I did not go to the park.
- She did not eat breakfast.
- They did not see the movie.
Contracted Form In spoken English, the contracted form did not — didn’t is often used.
Examples:
- He didn’t play football yesterday.
- We didn’t understand the question.
- You didn’t call me last night.
Using negative sentences in past simple
Negative sentences in the Past Simple are used to deny actions or events that took place in the past.
Contextual examples:
- John didn’t visit his grandparents last weekend.
- The company didn’t achieve its sales targets last year.
Common Mistakes Leaving the verb in the past tense:
- Incorrect: She didn’t went to school.
- Correct: She didn’t go to school.
Omitting the auxiliary verb “did”:
- Incorrect: They not play football yesterday.
- Correct: They did not play football yesterday.
Negative sentences in Past Simple are an important aspect of the English language that allows you to negate events or actions that took place in the past. By using the auxiliary verb did and the particle not, we can easily and correctly form such sentences. Practice, pay attention to typical mistakes, and enrich your vocabulary for more confident language proficiency.
Practice – Past simple: negative sentences
Read the sentences in the positive form and transform them into negative. Important note: use the full form “did not” when filling in the blanks.
