Past Simple: negative sentences
450 fill-in-the-gap exercises, 45 tests of ten
One negative form for every subject: didn't. The verb after it loses its past form.
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The pattern
The negative needs did plus not, almost always shortened to didn’t, followed by the plain verb:
I didn’t understand. — She didn’t understand. — They didn’t understand.
Nothing changes from subject to subject, which makes this the easiest negative in English to form and the easiest to spoil.
Where the past goes
The rule is the same as with do and does: the auxiliary takes the tense.
She went home. — the past is on the verb. She didn’t go home. — the past has moved to did, so go is plain.
So didn’t went, didn’t saw, didn’t took are always wrong, in every sentence.
Verbs that do not use didn’t
Two groups make their own negative:
- be: He wasn’t at home. Not he didn’t be at home.
- modal verbs: She couldn’t come. Not she didn’t could come.
Softening the statement
English often prefers a negative where other languages use a positive. I didn’t get much sleep is more natural than I got little sleep. Both are correct; the first is what people say.
All forms
| Subject | Short form | Full form |
|---|---|---|
| I, you, he, she, it, we, they | didn't go | did not go |
Examples
Taken from the 450 sentences in this drill. The answer is highlighted.
- They didn't have a great time on their vacation.
- They didn't go to the party because they were feeling sick.
- I didn't arrive late for work every day last week.
- He didn't finish his homework before he went to bed.
- Amanda and John didn't enjoy the concert last night.
- They didn't watch their favorite team's match yesterday.
- The kids didn't eat their lunch at school today.
- I didn't find my keys when I left the house this morning.
- The company didn't make any profits last quarter.
- They didn't take the train to their destination.
- We didn't lose the game yesterday.
- You didn't leave your keys at home.
Mistakes to avoid
Wrong: They didn't came. correct: They didn't come.
Did carries the past, so the main verb returns to its plain form.
Wrong: He not called me. correct: He didn't call me.
Not cannot attach to an ordinary verb. It needs did in front.
Wrong: She wasn't go to the party. correct: She didn't go to the party.
Was and were only work with be, not with ordinary verbs.