Learn English from A to Z

PAST TENSE – Negatives

To make the past tense negative, use did not (or didn’t for the short form) before the verb, and change the verb to its base form.

Examples:
I went. → I did not go. / I didn’t go.
They saw me. → They did not see me. / They didn’t see me.

Forms:

• I did not see (I didn’t see)

• You did not see (You didn’t see)

• He did not see (He didn’t see)

• She did not see (She didn’t see)

• It did not see (It didn’t see)

• We did not see (We didn’t see)

They did not see (They didn’t see)

Exercises

Change these sentences from affirmative to negative. Write both the full form and the contracted form.

1. They visited Paris last summer. (They did not visit Paris last summer. They didn’t visit Paris last summer.)
2. I bought a new phone yesterday.
3. She wrote three emails this morning.
4. We watched the football match together.
5. The train left at 9:00 a.m.
6. He found his lost keys in the garden.
7. I read that book last week.
8. We ate dinner at the new restaurant.
9. She drove to work today.
10. They spoke to the manager about the problem.