Arsenio’s ESL Podcast: Season 2 – Episode 55 – Grammar – Simple Past Tense Questions

I thought I would substitute vocabulary this week with some more simple past tense questions.  Because I have a lot of new followers, I want to make sure you get all the necessities before proceeding.  Here’s a nice little run down of how you can ask questions to friends and teachers in the simple past.

Simple Past Tense Questions

There are different ways you can ask questions in the past. 

Use simple past tense questions to ask about….

1. A specific, completed past action: Where were you (last night)?
2. A series of completed past actions: Did you finish your homework before you watched TV?
3. Past actions over a period of time: Who cleaned the kitchen?
4. Habit or repeated past actions: How did you get to school?

 

Forms                                                        Example

Was/were + subject                                                     Were you at home last night?

Why + was / were + subject                                  Where was he yesterday afternoon?

Did + subject + base form                                          Did they come to your house?

Wh- + did + subject + bas form                                    When did the bus arrive?

Who / What + past participle                                         What happened to you?

 

Change these statements into yes / no questions.

1. Steven volunteered at the animal shelter.
2. Helen donated books to charity.
3. Surapong worked with blind adults during her externship.
4. Arsenio wrote a book about his life in Thailand.
5. Arsenio lived in Australia for a year.

Podcast