1. Questions and Negatives Kristi Reyes MiraCosta College
Past Tense
Questions and Negatives
Kristi Reyes
MiraCosta College

2. Let’s make questions (Yes or No?)
She was born in 1982.
They were at school yesterday.
We were at the park on Saturday.
He was at the mall.

3. Let’s make more questions (information)
She was born in 1982.
They were at school yesterday.
We were at the park on Saturday.
He was at the mall because he had to find a new shirt for work.

4. Questions with verb “to be”
Yes / No:
Was / Were + subject + … +?
Information
WH word + was / were + subject + … +?

5. Let’s make more questions (Yes or No? but no “to be” verb)
She moved to the U.S. in 1990.
They went to school yesterday.
We played soccer at the park on Saturday.
He shopped at the mall.

6. Let’s make more information questions (not with verb “to be”)
She moved to the U.S. in 1990.
They went to school yesterday.
We played soccer at the park on Saturday.
He shopped at the mall because he wanted to buy a new shirt.

7. Questions in past (no verb “to be”)
Yes / No:
Did + subject + verb (original form) +?
Information
WH word + did + subject + verb (original form) +?

8. So how about negatives? She was born in 1982.
They were at school yesterday.
We were at the park on Saturday.
He was at the mall.
She moved to the U.S. in 1990.
They went to school yesterday.
We played soccer at the park on Saturday.
He shopped at the mall.

9. Yep – it’s easy! To make negatives in past tense:
If the sentence has verb “to be” (was /were), just use “not” after (was not, were not, or wasn’t, weren’t)
If the sentence has another verb (regular or irregular), use did not (or didn’t) and change the verb to its original form (didn’t go, didn’t like, didn’t have, didn’t work, didn’t study)

10. Any Questions?
If not, let’s practice!