English Exercises 8th Grade.

 

English Exercises to Practice

 8th Grade.

Questions in the simple past.

We use did to make a question in the past tense.
This is for regular AND irregular verbs in English.
(Exception is To Be and Modal Verbs such as Can)

Compare the following:

Present: Do they live in France?
Past: Did they live in France?

The main verb (live in the example above) is in its base form (of the infinitive). The auxiliary DID shows that the question is in the past tense.

NOTICE: The only difference between a question in the present tense and a question in the past tense is the change in the auxiliary verb.
Both Do and Does in present tense questions become Didn't in past tense questions.

Compare the questions in the examples below:

Present: Do you need a doctor?
Past: Did you need a doctor?

Present: Do you ride your bike to work?
Past: Did you ride your bike to work?

Present: Does he live in Italy?
Past: Did he live in Italy?

We can also use a question word (Who, What, Why etc.) before DID to ask for more information.

• Did you study? – Yes, I did.
• When did you study? – I studied last night.
• Where did you study? – I studied at the library.

Read more about short answers in the past tense.

Examples of Questions in the Past Tense

• Did you go to work yesterday?
• Did they arrive on time?
• Did she like the surprise?
• Where did she go?
• What did you do yesterday?
• What did you say? - I didn't say anything.
• Why did we have to come?

Irregular Verbs in the Past Tense

Irregular verbs are ONLY irregular in affirmative/positive sentences.
(An exception to this is with the verb TO BE in the Past Tense).

For example: The past tense of GO is WENT.
It does not end in –ED so it is considered irregular.

The word went is used for all subjects – I, you, we, they, he, she, it.

• I went to the beach
• He went to the park.
• She went to the zoo.
• They went to the library.

BUT, as we mentioned before, it is only in its irregular form (went) in sentences that are affirmative/positive.

Compare the following using GO in the past tense.

• They went to the beach
• They didn't go to the beach --- Didn't shows that we are talking in the past tense.
• Did they go to the beach? --- Did shows that we are talking in the past tense.

Another example with an irregular verb.
The past of EAT is ATE.

• You ate my cake.
• You didn't eat my cake.
• Did you eat my cake?

More Examples.

 1. I watched TV last week.

2. We ate meat with my best friend yesterday.

3. The bus stopped a few minutes ago.

4. I met my wife 9 years ago.

5. She left the school in 2010.

6. He bought a new house last month.

7. Did she clean her home?

8. I read an interesting book last month.

9. We did a lot of shopping at the shopping mall.

10. He cut his finger and went to hospital.

11. She finished her work at six o’clock.

12. The rain stopped an hour ago.

13. It discovered a new land.

14. We watched a movie last weekend.

15. We were good friends.