WH Questions (In the Past)
Learn how to ask English wh-questions about the past, using words like what and where, most of which are formed with the auxiliary did, at A2 level.
In this lesson, you will learn how to ask information questions about the past using Wh-words.
What Are Wh-Questions?
Wh-questions ask for specific information, not just yes or no.
Common Wh-words:
- what
- where
- when
- why
- who
- how
- which
- whose
Examples: How did you get there? / How often did you go? / How far did you walk? / Which bus did you take? / Whose bag did you find?
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?
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.
- ✗ What did you ate? → ✓ What did you eat?
- ✗ Where did she went? → ✓ Where did she go?
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?
Was/were simply changes places with the subject: She was tired. → Why was she tired?
Examples
- Where were you yesterday?
- Why was she angry?
- Who was your teacher?
- How was the film?
- Where were the keys?
With the past continuous
When another auxiliary is already present, do not use did. For past continuous questions, use:
Wh-word + was/were + subject + verb-ing?
- Where were you going?
- What was she doing at eight o’clock?
Subject and object questions
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?
- Which train arrived first?
These 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).
If the answer is the person or thing doing the action, the Wh-word is the subject and you do not use did. Who was at the party? is also a subject question, and it uses was because be is the main verb.
Questions with a preposition
In everyday questions, the preposition often comes at the end.
- Who did you go with?
- What did you talk about?
- Where did she come from?
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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?
“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?
- How much + did + subject + base verb? (for a price or amount)
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.
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. |
The question uses the base verb after did (What did you eat?), but a full answer uses the past form (I ate pasta).
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
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22 wordsLast updated October 14, 2026