The structure of the past tense interrogative sentence is Did + Subject + Base form of the verb?
The simple past tense is used to talk about actions or events that happened in the past. When forming questions in the simple past tense, a specific structure is followed to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness.
Based on the provided reference, the structure for forming interrogative sentences in the simple past tense is clearly defined.
Key Components of the Interrogative Structure:
- Did: This is the auxiliary verb (or helping verb) used for all subjects in the simple past tense interrogative. It goes at the beginning of the sentence.
- Subject: This is the person, place, or thing performing the action (e.g., I, you, he, she, it, we, they, John, the students).
- Base form of the verb: Unlike positive simple past sentences which use the past form of the verb, interrogative (and negative) sentences use the base form (infinitive without "to"). For example, if the past form is "finished," the base form is "finish."
The structure is:
Did + Subject + Base form of the verb + ?
Examples of Past Tense Interrogative Sentences
Here are some examples demonstrating the structure:
- Did he finish his work? (Example from reference)
- Did you go to the park yesterday?
- Did they watch the movie?
- Did she arrive on time?
- Did it rain last night?
Comparing Simple Past Tense Structures
To provide context, let's look at how the interrogative structure compares to the positive and negative structures as presented in the reference:
| Sentence Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | Subject + Verb in past form | He finished his work. |
| Negative | Subject + did not (didn't) + Base form | He did not finish his work. |
| Interrogative | Did + Subject + Base form of the verb? | Did he finish his work? |
This table highlights how the auxiliary verb "did" is crucial for both negative and interrogative forms, causing the main verb to revert to its base form.
Practical Insights
When forming a past tense question:
- Start with "Did".
- Add the subject.
- Use the simple, base form of the main verb (e.g., go, eat, play, study - not went, ate, played, studied).
- End with a question mark.
This structure is consistent regardless of the subject (singular or plural, first, second, or third person).
Understanding this fundamental structure is essential for correctly forming questions about past events in English.
