Affirmative And Negative Questions In Past Tense

Affirmative question is a commonly used question form to ask people about something they do or not. We usually change a positive sentence to affirmative question. The affirmative question is called positive interrogative. And the opposite, the negative interrogative is called negative question.

Sometimes we use the negative question to make sure about something when we think the affirmative one doesn't work. When we say "yes" to answer the affirmative question, then it shows that we do something they think. The answer will be a positive sentence.

But when we say "yes" to answer the negative questions, then it shows that we didn't do something they think. The answer will be the negative sentence.

Simple Past Tense 

(+) S + V-2 + o.c

(-) S + didn't + V-1 + o.c

(?) Did + S + V-1 + o.c ?

(-?) Didn't + S + V-1 + o.c ?

(?-) Did + S + not + V-1 + o.c ?

Forming Affirmative and Negative Questions

Basically, forming a questions in English is not so difficult if we understand the rules. To change a positive sentence to interrogative sentence, we must recognize the auxilary verbs (verbs) that take a part in the change of sentence's structure. 

Example :

1. (+) She went to see her doctor last week.
   (-) She didn't go to see her doctor last week.
   (?) Did she go to see her doctor last week?
   (-?) Didn't she go to see her doctor last week?
   (?-) Did she not go to see her doctor last week?
   
   
2. (+) The doctor prescribed medicine for you.
   (-) The doctor didn't prescribe medicine for you.
   (?) Did doctor prescribe medicine for you?
   (-?) Didn't doctor prescribe medicine for you?
   (?-) Did doctor not prescribe medicine for you?
   
   
3. (+) My Father stopped smoking last week.
   (-) My father didnt stop smoking last week.
   (?) Did my father stop smoking last week?
   (-?) Didn't my father stop smoking last week?
   (?-) Did my father not stop smoking last week?
   
   
4. (+) She studied English last night.
   (-) She didin't study English last night.
   (?) Did she study English last night?
   (-?) Didn't she study English last night?
   (?-) Did she not study English last night?
   
   
5. My family called the police a few minutes ago.
   (-) My family didn't call the police a few minutes ago.
   (?) Did my family call the police a few minutes ago?
   (-?) Didn't my family call the police a few minutes ago?
   (?-) Did my family not call the police a few minutes ago?
   
   
6. (+) My mother told me a story about you last night.
   (-) My mother didn't tell me a story about you last night.
   (?) Did my mother tell me a story about you last night?
   (-?) Didn't my mother tell me a story about you last night?
   (?-) Did my mother not tell me a story about you last night?
   
   
7. (+) I tried to call you last night but the line was busy.
   (-) I didn't try to call you last night.
   (?) Did I try to call you last night.
   (-?) Didn't I try to call you last night?
   (?-) Did I not try to call you last night?
   
   
8. (+) The phone rang at about nine o'clock yesterday.
   (-) The phone didn't ring at about nine o'clock yesterday.
   (?) Did phone ring at about nine o'clock yesterday?
   (-?) Didn't the phone ring at about nine o'clock yesterday?
   (?-) Did the phone not ring at about nine o'clock yesterday?
   
   
9. (+) They wanted to go to Bali last holliday.
   (-) They didn't want to go to Bali last holiday.
   (?) Did they want to go to Bali last holiday?
   (-?) Didn't they want to go to Bali last holiday?
   (?-) Did they not want to go to Bali last holiday?
   
   
10. (+) My mother washed my shirt yesterday.
    (-) My mother didn't wash my shirt yesterday.
    (?) Did My mother wash my shirt yesterday?
    (-?) Didn't My mother wash my shirt yesterday?
    (?-) Did My mother not wash my shirt yesterday?