How to ask questions in the PAST SIMPLE tense

Ready to master the most used tense in English conversations? In this easy grammar lesson you'll learn to ask questions in the past simple tense. We use this tense more than others because when we have a conversation or tell a story, we are usually talking about something that happened in the past. Unfortunately, many English learners make simple mistakes when they ask questions in the past simple tense. Watch this video for a clear explanation of all the rules you need to follow. Then we'll do some exercises together so you can practice changing statements into questions. In this lesson, I also mention irregular verbs. You can view online, download, or print a list of the most common irregular verbs in English at www.engvid.com/...
Take the quiz on this lesson here: www.engvid.com/...
TRANSCRIPT
Hi. I'm Rebecca from engVid. If you're a beginner or intermediate level student, this is a really important lesson for you, and that's because we're going to focus on the past simple tense, and specifically on making questions or forming questions in the past simple tense.
Now, why are these two areas specifically a little bit more challenging for students? For two reasons. First of all, when we're talking about the past tense, it's a little bit more challenging because we have to deal with regular verbs and irregular verbs, and when we're talking about questions it's a little bit harder because we have to add some words when we form a question and we have to change other words. All right? And all of this we have to do quite a lot when we speak in English, because most of the time when you speak in English or when you speak probably in any language, we tend to talk more about the past than about anything else. So, certainly, when we speak in English, we use this tense very, very often. Okay? So, let's have a look at exactly how to make these changes so that you can ask questions in the past simple tense very easily. Okay.
So, first of all, let's look at the sentence. When we form a sentence using a regular verb in the past, so what we do is we take the base verb, which in this first case is "work", and we add "ed" or "d". Okay? If the verb already ends in "e", like "dance", then we just add a "d"; and if not, we add "ed". So: "He worked", right? "He worked", "work" becomes "worked". But what happens when we need to make the question? Two things. First, you have to add this extra word: "Did". Without that, your question, I guarantee you, will be wrong. It might be casual, it might be informal, but it will grammatically be incorrect. So we need that word "Did" to form the question, and then we have to make another change. We have to add this: "Did he work?" So what happened? Here, when we had the sentence, we had to write "ed", and we said: "He worked." But when we come back to the question, we are coming back to the base form off the verb, so we do not say: "Did he worked?" We just say: "Did he work?" All right? So try to get the rhythm of that. And I'll try to repeat it for you, too, which you can then listen to and repeat after me. So, for example: "He worked.", "Did he work?", "She played.", "Did she play?", "They visited.", "Did they visit?" All right? You see? In each case, we have come back to the base form of the verb. So, do not say: "Did he worked?" Don't say: "He worked?" Try to use the entire expression: "Did he work?", "Did she play?", "Did they visit?" Okay? That's with regular verbs.
Now, what happens when we have irregular verbs? Well, you have to learn a little bit more. First, you have to learn: What is the past tense form to use with those irregular verbs? So, for example, in this one, the verb itself is the verb "go". "I go." Or let's say: "He goes." But in the past, you have to know that the past tense form of "go" is "went". All right? How do you know that? Well, you just have to learn it. Okay? There's no other way. There's a list of irregular verbs, and then you have to learn them by heart, you probably know many of them because you hear them a lot, but otherwise, you have to learn them. There's not much choice, there. Okay?
So in the past: "He went." How do we make that into a question, and what happens? The same thing that happened up here with the regular verbs. So: "He went." becomes: "Did he go?" All right? So let's see. "He went to the store." When we ask the question, we say: "Did he go to the store?" All right? So, again, we had to add the word "did", and we have to come back to the base form of the verb, which in this case was "go". All right?

[@nafeesaahmadzai9405]

I have never seen teacher like you, you’re the best English teacher in the world thank you so much Rebecca 🥰

[@josegabrielsilva5221]

Hi Rebecca, thank you so much for your lessons. I decided to learn English by myself a year ago. And even when I was a beginner I understood everything that you were teaching. English with you becomes so easy. Thank you for the bottom of my heart.

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@Jaime Cody instablaster :)

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[@reubenmarcellus3353]

@Jaime Cody Glad I could help xD

[@Kate07911]

I understand this lesson very well. Thanks a lot. You're one of the best English teacher.

[@malleshwarrao4321]

I am using the grammar in a wrong way until now. Now i have learnt it.she is amazing.

[@Francisko1111]

Your English is absolutely clear. You are the first person I can understand. Thank you very much.

[@fransiscanovitasari7284]

Thank you Rebecca. This video really helps me as a teacher of beginner students.

[@Yosh12345]

thanks for this lesson and this tutorial helped me alot of english sentences but i still watching your videos to improve my english skills because i am not a native english speaker so thats why ive watch your lessons by the way thanks for helping us :)

[@highlandersom1539]

Hi Rebbeca thanks a lot I'm doing exercise from your videos that you did in past or current and you helped me out a lot of things in English I'm the one who started to learn English in KZbin before the school thanks you so much for your helping us I'm very glad to see this video

[@dr.saberhussein40]

In Fact you are professional teacher

[@billaday8589]

Thanks Rebecca for your lessons! Great job!

[@nancytawhite]

you are the best teacher that i have ever had in my entire life thank you

[@annedesilva1224]

no mam not tired at all.very intrasting.thank you sooooomuch.its soooo clear.💝💐💐💐💐💐

[@ahmadawira8873]

I assure you madam that your method by writing on the board is the best method ever . Thank you very much .❤❤❤❤

[@akankshasingh6994]

Very nicely you have explained. This video has really helped me. Thanks a lot 🙏🙏

[@johngeecliffmanggay6731]

Thank you mam rebecca...i feel more improvement with my english skill..more power.and God bless..

[@jamiesalih6907]

Your explain and teaching was very helpful for me, so i want say thank you very much to you teacher Rebecca ☺️💓💯👍🏽

[@BellaEnglishUSA]

"Did" is so hard for non-native speakers because there is often no equal in other languages. Thanks for the lesson!

[@user-uq2pg9kd4g]

You are right

[@ishaakismail9458]

Greatest teacher of all time Thanks dear

[@Hehe289]

Hey tcr🙋‍♀️. I'm from Sri Lanka. This Video very useful for me😍. Thnkyou so much 🤍❤️

[@r9o2b0e2r1t7o]

This is what I learned on last weekend in my english class... I'm just another person trying to learn English :D Very useful and necessary information Rebecca, thank you so much!

[@rogermark9741]

Hello I have a question. Why u didn't use 'feels' ? I thought that 'it' is a singular so we should put 's' at the end? Thanks

[@rogermark9741]

10:00

[@laurawolfe154]

10:45 The base form of the verb must be used when "did" is used. She goes over this point many times in the video. Did I feel...? Did you feel...? Did he feel...? Did she feel...? Did it feel...? Did you all feel...? Did they feel...? Did we feel...? Be grateful, native English speakers have to learn so many conjugations when learning other languages, and it's very difficult! :)

[@laurawolfe154]

Also, "Why u didn't use "feels?" is not English. "Why didn't you use "feels?" is the way to phrase a question. :)

[@CONCOMITTANT]

Hi Rebecca, thank you for the lesson. Could you tell me if you have a lesson on negative questions?

[@DrMani-mc7zd]

Best teacher in the world....

[@XavierRomeroLopez]

Aun no llego a entender a este nivel pero esta muy bueno el canal tratare de adaptar mi oido a la velocidad de la teacher, pero lo mejor es que esta subtitulado me ayuda al aprendizaje

[@nsimbihuzail8646]

Thank you for the lecture madam rebecca. I admire if you were my class teacher during my primary classes.

[@hadooshalshobaki6355]

انا من الاردن اتكلم العربية ومع ذالك انا افهم ما تشرحينه يا مبدعة اشكرك😍😍

[@ramzy-6566]

Thank you. Mrs. Rebecca.

[@sab8627]

Thank you very much. You explain better than my teacher.

[@astpanda]

really really thank you. you are best English teacher ever.

[@veronicasecuya1210]

English is difficult it makes easy when my teacher smile.Thank you

[@siniriweprotais7201]

Hi, Rebecca,thank you so much for your lession God bless us !.

[@ausvanrigo2196]

great lesson, very helpful ...thanks !

[@irinagurinovich1236]

Very simple and useful explanations!

[@rajuahamed7427]

Yeah...this is very useful class... Where are you live in irina?

[@user-ce5ve1on8g]

The Present Perfect Tense .I can say This morning, I have already gone to the temple. Or I have been to the temple. l said correctly or wrong. Thanks, teacher Rebecca.

[@sujityadav-fj3ns]

On morning, I went to temple

[@taiwoadetiba8292]

my Favourite Teacher, well -done, I always enjoy you.

[@veronicaAnaguano]

You are a great teacher!!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉. Thank you.

[@michaeltaglinaolias3284]

Hi ma'am Rebecca, I really appreciate the way you teach about how to ask questions in the PAST SIMPLE tense. Thanks so much.❤

[@shanlang88]

Thank you Becca for your wonderful tutorials.....

[@marialuzmaytorena7095]

Thank you Rebecca ❤ You’re the best!

[@ramaltelekom3937]

Thanks a lot ,dear teacher!

[@Sarah-te2jz]

Thanks a lot. Im inglish student, and Im brazilian, I loved this video (espero ter escrito corretamente beijos!!)

[@FarwaFunChannel]

I love your teaching style

[@yashwanth6794]

Difference between "Did you understand?" Vs "Have you understood?"

[@jub.1201]

You need to use the auxiliary verbs Did or Didn't for questions

[@danmuthoni2244]

I really like the lesson

[@samigebre3833]

Thank you so much my teacher

[@touhsoum6400]

Thank you so much of lessons ☺

[@lalrosanghmarlalrosanghmar5878]

Thank you for teach us a helpful lesson

[@faheedalwadaany373]

thanks for useful lesson

[@ozlemuyan6345]

Rebecca you are so good thank you

[@reyneilperez5578]

Hi Rebecca! What about using "does" in asking questions. Do you have your video pertaining to it?

[@mohalagha987]

Thanks for your efforts .

[@Jyoti2415]

Very very thank you teacher you are best teacher

[@lansinliupamei7233]

thank you so much! I learnt a lot from your teaching.

[@stunninglad1]

A very well put together lesson. Rebecca.

[@zuhrahameedi7055]

Thanks a lot Ma’am 👍👍👍

[@dianazaatari6889]

Thank you for your help

[@amilton1015]

Thank you Teach Rebecca

[@EbrahimAhmed-wn8vz]

to be honest, I learned a lot from you and I would like to say thank you very much for sharing your experience.

[@dattugudurhonagunt596]

Madam your teaching was excellent. thank you so much.

[@Pattyto-sq6tb]

Thank you so much my amazing teacher!

[@rukhsanakhalid4441]

is the best english teacher Rebecca

[@claudiachristello8691]

Hi Rebecca, yesterday I read "what happened?" Is that correct? Are there any verbs that permit that kind of question structure? Thanks in advance!

[@hadabali1438]

You're awesome teacher thanks dear I wish you all the best

[@suvadiptalks5352]

Very very helpful lesson mam thanks a lot

[@RodrigoSantos-vc4xm]

Thank you Professor

[@rajachahid4644]

Thank you so much 💓

[@T20-w3l]

Nice teaching

[@ghitalah3218]

Good job thank you

[@ghitalah3218]

Thank you very useful

[@mohamedbnyslman1645]

Thanks for that you really help me

[@ryotimor7172]

Than you for your teaching English.

What a great lesson!. I'll show this lesson to my students. I'm sure they will understand the way to do this kind of questions.

[@supperhappy8943]

I really appreciate teacher!!!! very helpful to a understand

[@sujityadav-fj3ns]

Would u make a video on difference between could and would in unreal situation?

[@hayatullahidris3573]

Thank you!

[@mariamyaka6363]

Thanks for sharing 😊😊😊

[@malshakaushalya1747]

Thank you very much teacher. I most like that. Im sri Lankan

[@binoyrn16]

Hi Rebecca... "She thrust her hands into her pockets" I found this sentence on Google dictionary. Is this sentence correct? If it is correct why don't we use thrusts there?

[@engvidRebecca]

+Zachariah Binoy Because the sentence is in past tense, and that is the past form of that verb.

[@binoyrn16]

Thank you

[@bagjatravelersunda3162]

You are the teacher Rebecca, I enjoyed itu😍

[@roselainececilien7348]

thank you so much .

[@Valentindjedje85]

HI REBBECA THANKS A LOT YOU'RE GOOD TEACHER

[@ndagijimanaflorence4996]

I really appreciated,Thank u for your lesson.

[@diegonayalazo]

Thanks Rebecca

[@Lina-ep5gw]

thank you very much Mrs Rebecca you are a good teacher (y) fan from Algeria ^^

[@asmaeouroui3229]

Thank you

[@dhanibakhshsultan2667]

Thank you ma'am, you learnt me English

[@rahelasiddiqui9413]

Please explain me that question in past simple tense where I use was or where I use did

[@mustaphaer6231]

thanks teatcher

[@jk-fx4bf]

Thank you so much💛💚💙💜❤💖💓💞💘💟💕🌼🌻

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Thank you i understand about your lessonnnn and thank you for teaching usss

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thank you for this lesson, I really enjoyed

[@mardochedecle6987]

Very good 🎉

[@nafisarizvi3556]

Best teacher.. excellent method 👍🏻

[@aliciabaigorri41]

Teacher Rebecca, Thanks for this video.

[@WeningCahya]

Rebecca, can you help me? I took the quiz, and got wrong in question such as "Did he have / did he has" and "did she do / did she does" Why "he" or "she" as third person singular pronouns use "have" not "has"? Thank you

[@iritacherylwinterbach4637]

Thank you, very helpful.

[@user-zn8iz1xi9i]

right. it is good lesson for all students. but will be cool to see example with " didn't

[@ladonasencion6347]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP , MUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@hongvlogger3106]

Could I use like this: v2+subject+v1+(obj)+?

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Thank you for your help ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Hello thanks

[@daisythairu8961]

I love this this .....