Elementary grammar exercise: past simple tense questions

English grammar practice exercise for elementary level.

In this exercise you will practise forming questions in the past simple tense.

Exercise instructions:
Put the words in brackets into the correct order to complete each of the following questions. All the questions are in the past simple.

Remember, your spelling must be correct!


questions go herescore goes here

Structure of past simple
positive negative question
I arrived yesterday.
You arrived yesterday.
He/she/it arrived.
We arrived.
They arrived.
I didn't (did not) arrive.
You didn't (did not) arrive.
He/she/it didn't arrive.
We didn't arrive.
They didn't arrive.
Did I arrive yesterday?
Did you arrive?
Did he/she/it arrive?
Did we arrive?
Did they arrive?




Past simple questions - common mistakes
Common mistakes Correct version Why?
He worked in London? Did he work in London? The helping verb 'did' is used in past simple questions.
Worked he in London? Did he work in London? The helping verb 'did' is used in past simple questions.
Did he wrote a letter? Did he write a letter? The main verb (here write) is used in the infinitive form in questions and negatives.