WH Questions (In the Past)

In this lesson, you will learn how to ask information questions about the past using Wh-words.

1. What Are Wh-Questions?

Wh-questions ask for specific information, not just yes or no.

Common Wh-words:

• what
• where
• when
• why
• who
• how

2. Basic Structure of Wh-Questions in the Past

Most Wh-questions in the past use did.

Structure

Wh-word + did + subject + base verb?

Model: Where + did + she + go?

Examples

• What did you eat yesterday?
• Where did she go last night?
• When did they arrive?
• Why did he leave early?

3. Important Rule About the Verb

After did, the verb is always in the base form. We use base form because did already shows past tense.

Examples

✗ What did you ate?
✓ What did you eat?

✗ Where did she went?
✓ Where did she go?

4. Wh-Questions with BE in the Past

This is a special case. If the main verb is be in the past (was/were), the question pattern is different.

When the verb is was / were, do not use did.

Structure

Wh-word + was / were + subject?

Examples

• Where were you yesterday?
• Why was she angry?
• Who was at the party?

5. Wh-Questions Where the Wh-Word Is the Subject

When the Wh-word is the subject, it does the action, so we do not use did.

Examples

• Who called you last night?
• What happened after the meeting?
• Who broke the window?

(The Wh-word replaces the subject.)

6. Comparing Subject and Object Questions

These two questions look similar, but they ask about different people:

• “Who did you call?” → You are asking about the object (the person you called).
• “Who called you?” → You are asking about the subject (the person who did the action).

(The structure changes because the subject changes.)

7. Negative Wh-Questions

Use didn’t + subject + base verb to ask for information about something that did not happen.

Structure

Wh-word + didn’t + subject + base verb?

Examples

• Why didn’t you call me?
• What didn’t she understand?
• Why didn’t they come to the party?

With be, use wasn’t/weren’t instead of didn’t.

• Why wasn’t he at work yesterday?
• Why weren’t they ready on time?

If the Wh-word is the subject, keep it before didn’t: Who didn’t finish the test?

8. “How Many”, “How Much”, and “How Long”

Use how many with plural countable nouns and how much with uncountable nouns or prices.

Structures

• How many + plural noun + did + subject + base verb?
• How much + uncountable noun + did + subject + base verb?

Examples

• How many books did you buy? → Three books.
• How much water did they drink? → Two litres.
• How much did the tickets cost? → Twenty euros.

Use how long to ask about duration.

• How long did you stay in Rome? → For five days.
• How long were you at the museum? → About two hours.

9. Answering Wh-Questions

Wh-questions normally need information, not yes/no. A short answer can give only the requested information, while a full answer uses a complete clause.

Question	Short answer	Full answer
Where did you go?	To the library.	I went to the library.
When did she arrive?	At eight o’clock.	She arrived at eight o’clock.
Why did he leave?	Because he was tired.	He left because he was tired.
Who called you?	Maya.	Maya called me.
How many tickets did you buy?	Three.	I bought three tickets.
How long did you stay?	For two hours.	I stayed for two hours.

10. Easy Way to Remember

• Most past questions: Wh-word + did + base verb
• With was/were: Wh-word + was/were + subject
• Do not use did when the Wh-word is the subject
• Negative questions use didn’t + base verb or wasn’t/weren’t
• Use how many/how much for quantity and how long for duration