Home > Beginner Lessons  > Lesson 30 - The Simple Past Negative - "I didn't".
 

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textThe past of the verb to betext

Mr Bean's other routine

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The Present Simple Past

In spoken English, the following contraction is often used:

Without Contraction What you write

 

 With Contraction What you say

 
did not didn't


For example:-
 

I/he/she/it/you/we/you/they What you write did not did not have did not read did not like did not eat did not drink
I/he/she/it/you/we/you/they What you say didn't didn't have didn't read didn't like didn't eat didn't drink

In order to change an affirmative statement into a negative statement, did not is placed after the subject, and the form of the verb is changed to the bare infinitive.

Positive statement Negative statement
I worked. I didn't work.
You worked. (singular 1 and plural 1+) You didn't work.
He/She worked. He/She didn't work.
It worked. It didn't work
We worked. We didn't work.
They worked. They didn't work.

What Mr Bean did and didn't do yesterday.

wake up to wake up late On Saturday Mr Bean didn't wake up at 6.00 am. He woke up at 8.00 am.
get up to get up late He didn't get up at 6.15 am. He got up at 9.00 am.
office bathroom He didn't go to the office. He went to the bathroom.
shower a bath He didn't have a shower. He had a bath.
cup shave/brush After his shower he didn't have a cup of coffee. He had a shave and brushed his teeth.
Eat breakfastClock Eating10:00 He didn't eat breakfast at about 7.00 am. He ate breakfast at about 10.00 am.
not read the newspaper to run After breakfast he didn't read the newspaper. He went for a run.
not work to visit friends After his run he didn't go to work. He went to meet his friends.

 

Pronunciation and Spelling Tip - Some irregular verbs to listen to and learn

listen do > did - wake up > woke up - get up > got up - go > went - have > had - eat > ate - read > read listen

 

Test It

Test the simple past negative - rewrite the sentences in the negative - Write It!