Wh Questions with Did

Elementary (A1-A2) 30 minutes
ESL Wh questions with did worksheet for elementary A1-A2: matching, gap-fill, unscrambling, writing

ESL Wh Questions with Did Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Matching, Gap-fill, Writing Questions - Speaking Activity: Freer Practice - Pair Work

This comprehensive past simple Wh questions worksheet helps students practice forming and using Wh questions with 'did'. First, students match past simple...

ESL Wh Questions with Did Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Matching, Gap-fill, Unscrambling, Writing Questions - Speaking Activity: Freer Practice - Pair Work This comprehensive past simple Wh questions worksheet helps students practice forming and using Wh questions with 'did'. First, students match past simple Wh questions with answers. Students then complete usage explanations with the correct question words. Next, students complete past simple questions with the correct question words. After that, students put words in the correct order to form Wh questions with 'did'. Students then complete past simple Wh questions so they match a set of answers. When the students have finished, they practice the conversation with a partner. Finally, students write short answers to past simple Wh questions and then ask the questions to a classmate and write down their answers.
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What did you do yesterday?

Elementary (A1-A2) 25 minutes
ESL past simple Wh questions activity for elementary A1-A2: asking and answering questions about what they did yesterday

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions - Pair Work

In this enjoyable past simple Wh questions activity, students answer Wh questions about what they did yesterday, write their own responses and then mingle to find classmates who have the same answers....

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Controlled and Freer Practice - Pair Work In this enjoyable past simple Wh questions activity, students answer Wh questions about what they did yesterday, write their own responses and then mingle to find classmates who have the same answers. First, go through the items on the worksheet with the students and elicit the questions they need to ask, e.g. 'What time did you get up yesterday?' Next, students answer the questions and write short answers in the column marked 'You'. Students then go around the class asking and answering the questions to find classmates with the same answers. When a student finds someone with the same answer, the two students write each other's names in the last column. If a student cannot find anyone with the same answer, they write 'No match' in the last column and move on. When everyone has finished, ask students the questions to find out about their matching answers.
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Where did they go?

Elementary (A1-A2) 25 minutes
ESL past simple Wh questions activity for elementary A1-A2: information gap, pair work

ESL Past Simple Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Information Gap, Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Pair Work

In this free past simple information gap activity, students practice asking Wh questions in the past simple to complete missing details in a table...

ESL Past Simple Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Information Gap, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Freer Practice - Pair Work In this free past simple information gap activity, students practice asking Wh questions in the past simple to complete missing details in a table. In pairs, students take turns using the question prompts on their worksheet to ask past simple Wh questions to their partner. Students then write the missing information in the table. When the students have finished, they compare tables to check their answers.
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How was your weekend?

Pre-intermediate (A2) 50 minutes
ESL past simple questions worksheet for pre-intermediate A2: weekend conversation, dialogue, role-play

ESL Past Simple Questions Worksheet - Reading, Writing and Grammar Exercises: Matching, Writing a Dialogue - Speaking Activity: Role-Play - Pair Work

This useful past simple questions worksheet helps students practice asking and answering past simple Wh questions about weekend activities and using follow-up...

ESL Past Simple Questions Worksheet - Reading, Writing and Grammar Exercises: Unscrambling, Matching, Binary Choice, Writing a Dialogue - Speaking Activity: Role-Play - Pair Work This useful past simple questions worksheet helps students practice asking and answering past simple Wh questions about weekend activities and using follow-up questions to show interest and keep a conversation going. First, students put words in the correct order to form past simple Wh questions about the weekend. Students then match a reply to each question and write it in the corresponding box. Next, students underline the best answer that shows interest in each short conversation. After that, students complete a dialogue about the weekend that helps to demonstrate how to keep a conversation going. Students then match statements with the best follow-up questions. Following that, in pairs, students use the past simple Wh questions from the worksheet and their own ideas to create a conversation about what they did at the weekend. Finally, pairs present their role-plays to another pair. show less
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My Last Holiday

Pre-intermediate (A2) 45 minutes
ESL past simple running dictation for pre-intermediate A2: holidays, question writing, group work

ESL Past Simple Running Dictation - Grammar and Speaking Activity: Forming, Asking and Answering Questions, Table Completion - Pair and Group Work

In this free past simple running dictation activity, students ask and answer past simple Wh questions about holidays. In pairs, one student is the writer and...

ESL Past Simple Running Dictation - Grammar and Speaking Activity: Forming, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Table Completion - Pair and Group Work In this free past simple running dictation activity, students ask and answer past simple Wh questions about holidays. In pairs, one student is the writer and the other is the reader. The readers run to the text, read a sentence or two, and then return and dictate what they read to their partner, who writes it down. When the students have finished, they use prompts on a worksheet to create past simple questions about holidays. Students then use the questions to write notes about their own holiday in a chart. After that, students ask three classmates about their last holiday using the questions and complete the other columns in the chart. As a follow-up, students write a paragraph about their last holiday in the past simple.
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Past Simple Wh Question Time

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL past simple questions game for pre-intermediate A2: forming questions from prompts, group work

ESL Past Simple Questions Game - Grammar and Speaking: Forming Questions - Group Work

In this entertaining past simple Wh questions game, students race to make past simple questions that elicit certain short answers. In groups, students take turns taking a short answer card from an...

ESL Past Simple Questions Game - Grammar and Speaking: Forming Questions from Prompts - Group Work In this entertaining past simple Wh questions game, students race to make past simple questions that elicit certain short answers. In groups, students take turns taking a short answer card from an envelope and reading it aloud to the group, e.g. a new phone. All the students then race to make a past simple Wh question to elicit the response using a question word from their card, e.g. 'What did you buy?' The first student to form and ask a suitable question takes the answer card and crosses off the question word on their card, e.g. what. It's then the next student's turn to take an answer card, and so on. The first student to cross off all the question words on their card wins the game.
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Roll of the Dice

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL past simple questions game for pre-intermediate A2: forming/answering questions, rolling dice, pair work

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Game - Grammar and Speaking: Forming and Asking Questions, Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Pair Work

In this fun past simple questions game, students try to answer all their opponent's questions correctly. In pairs, Student B begins by rolling the dice and...

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Game - Grammar and Speaking: Forming and Asking Questions from Prompts, Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Pair Work In this fun past simple questions game, students try to answer all their opponent's questions correctly. In pairs, Student B begins by rolling the dice and adding up the numbers rolled. Student A then formulates the past simple question that corresponds to the number on their worksheet. For example, if Student B rolls a two, Student A asks question two on their worksheet, i.e. 'What did you wear yesterday?' If Student B answers correctly, Student A crosses off the question. If Student B makes a grammatical mistake or is unable to answer appropriately, the question remains active and can be asked again, depending on the number rolled. This process continues with students taking turns to roll the dice and ask and answer questions. The first student to correctly answer all their partner's questions wins the game.
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The First Time

Pre-intermediate (A2) 45 minutes
ESL past simple Wh questions activity for pre-intermediate A2: asking about first experiences, follow-ups

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions - Pair Work

In this insightful past simple Wh questions activity, students practice asking Wh questions and using the past simple tense with time expressions to talk about experiences earlier in life...

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Controlled and Freer Practice - Pair Work In this insightful past simple Wh questions activity, students practice asking Wh questions and using the past simple tense with time expressions to talk about experiences earlier in life. In pairs, students take turns asking each other 'When was the first time...?' questions from the worksheet. Students write down their partner's response and then ask follow-up questions to develop a conversation about each event. When the students have finished, they tell the class what they found out about their partner. As an extension, students write a short biographical account about their partner's experiences.
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The Honeymoon

Pre-intermediate (A2) 30 minutes
ESL past simple information gap for pre-intermediate A2: writing and asking Wh questions to complete a text

ESL Past Simple Information Gap Activity - Grammar, Writing and Speaking: Information Gap, Writing, Asking and Answering Questions - Pair Work

In this rewarding past simple information gap activity, students write and then ask past simple Wh questions in order to complete a text. In two groups, students...

ESL Past Simple Information Gap Activity - Grammar, Writing and Speaking: Information Gap, Writing, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts - Pair Work In this rewarding past simple information gap activity, students write and then ask past simple Wh questions in order to complete a text. In two groups, students write down the past simple Wh questions they need to find out the missing information in the text on their worksheet. Students then pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking and answering questions in numerical order to find out the missing information. Students write the information in the blank spaces in the text on their worksheet. When the students have asked all their questions, they check their answers and spelling by comparing texts.
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The Past Simple Exchange

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL past simple Wh questions activity for pre-intermediate A2: forming, asking, answering conversation questions

ESL Past Simple Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Forming, Asking and Answering Questions - Group and Pair Work

In this engaging past simple speaking activity, students practice forming, asking and answering past simple Wh conversation questions. To begin, in two...

ESL Past Simple Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Forming, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Controlled and Freer Practice - Group and Pair Work In this engaging past simple speaking activity, students practice forming, asking and answering past simple Wh conversation questions. To begin, in two groups, students complete each past simple Wh question with the verb 'to be' or 'do', 'you' or 'your', and the correct form of the verb in brackets where shown. Students then pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking and answering the past simple conversation questions with their partner. Afterwards, students share what they found out about their partner with the class.
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The QuASI Structure

Pre-intermediate (A2) 30 minutes
ESL past simple Wh questions worksheet for pre-intermediate A2: matching, categorizing, error correction

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Matching, Categorizing, Error Correction, Writing Questions

In this useful past simple questions worksheet, students learn and practice past simple Wh question word order using the QuASI structure. First, students match questions with correct...

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Matching, Categorizing, Error Correction, Writing Questions from Prompts In this useful past simple questions worksheet, students learn and practice past simple Wh question word order using the QuASI structure. First, students match questions with correct answers in order to practice question words. Next, students read about the QuASI structure and how it is used, to help remember the correct word order for Wh questions. Students then categorize words into a table to demonstrate the QuASI structure. Students then use the QuASI structure to rewrite questions, correcting the mistakes. After that, students use the QuASI structure to write questions for a set of answers. Lastly, students read a short passage and create past simple Wh questions about the story, beginning with the question words provided. As an extension, students practice asking and answering their questions about the story with a partner.
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What's the Question?

Pre-intermediate (A2) 40 minutes
ESL past simple Wh questions relay game for pre-intermediate A2: writing questions, group race

ESL Past Simple Questions Activities - Grammar Exercises, Writing Questions, Gap-fill - Speaking Game: Relay, Forming Questions - Group Work

In these productive past simple Wh question activities, students complete a worksheet to practice past simple verb forms and Wh questions. Students then play...

ESL Past Simple Questions Activities - Grammar Exercises, Writing Questions, Gap-fill - Speaking Game: Relay, Forming Questions from Prompts - Group Work In these productive past simple Wh question activities, students complete a worksheet to practice past simple verb forms and Wh questions. Students then play a relay race game where they make past simple questions that would elicit specific answers. First, students complete a verb chart with missing verbs. Students then write past simple Wh questions that would elicit a set of answers. Next, students complete gaps with question words to explain what each question word is used for. Afterwards, students play a past simple questions relay race game. Each team stands in a line, facing the board. Read the first answer to the class. The student at the back of each line thinks of a past simple Wh question that will elicit the answer and whispers it to the student in front of them. This continues down the line until it reaches the student at the front. The first team to have their student at the front make an appropriate question scores one point for using an appropriate question word and another point for making a suitable question. The team with the most points at the end wins.
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When did you do that?

Pre-intermediate (A2) 30 minutes
ESL past simple Wh questions activity for pre-intermediate A2: when/what Q&A, pair interviews

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice

This free past simple questions speaking activity helps students practice Wh questions and time expressions in the past. Students go around the class asking and answering the questions on the worksheet...

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Freer Practice This free past simple questions speaking activity helps students practice Wh questions and time expressions in the past. Students go around the class asking and answering the questions on the worksheet, e.g. 'When did you last watch a film?' Each time a student asks a 'When did you last...?' question, they complete the 'When' column with their classmate's answer and ask a past simple Wh follow-up question to find out more information, noting down the answer in the last column. When everyone has finished, students tell the class what they found out.
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When was the last time...?

Pre-intermediate (A2) 30 minutes
ESL past simple Wh questions activity for pre-intermediate A2: partner interviews, question writing

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Forming, Asking and Answering Questions - Pair Work

Here is an interesting past simple questions activity to help teach students how to ask and answer past simple Wh questions. In the activity, students interview each other about things they did in the past...

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Forming, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts - Pair Work Here is an interesting past simple questions activity to help teach students how to ask and answer past simple Wh questions. In the activity, students interview each other about things they did in the past. First, students use verbs, picture prompts and question words to write down past simple Wh questions on their worksheet. Students then take turns asking and answering the questions with a partner about the last time they did the things on their worksheet. When the students have finished, they tell the class what they found out about their partner.
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Where did you go on holiday?

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL past simple holiday questions activity for pre-intermediate A2: dialogue, question writing, pair work

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar, Writing and Speaking: Writing Questions and Answers, Reading and Completing a Dialogue - Pair Work

This memorable past simple holiday questions activity helps students ask and answer questions about their last holiday. Pairs begin by reading a conversation...

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar, Writing and Speaking: Writing Questions and Answers, Reading and Completing a Dialogue - Pair Work This memorable past simple holiday questions activity helps students ask and answer questions about their last holiday. Pairs begin by reading a conversation about Julia Robert's last holiday. Working alone, students then change the underlined parts of the dialogue with information about their last holiday. Students also add four more past simple Wh follow-up questions and answers to the conversation from a list on their worksheet. Finally, students practice the new dialogue with their partner and present it to the class.
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Who Went Where?

Pre-intermediate (A2) 25 minutes
ESL past simple Wh questions activity for pre-intermediate A2: group guessing, information gap, table completion

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Speaking: Role-play, Asking and Answering Questions, Guessing, Table Completion, Gap-fill - Group and Pair Work

In this intriguing past simple Wh questions activity, students work together to solve a mystery about where different people went earlier in the day. In the...

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Speaking: Role-play, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts, Guessing, Table Completion, Gap-fill - Group and Pair Work In this intriguing past simple Wh questions activity, students work together to solve a mystery about where different people went earlier in the day. In the activity, each student takes on the role of a person who visited a specific place earlier in the day. Their goal is to ask questions to gather information and determine where each person went. First, students look at a table on their worksheet and prepare the questions they need to ask. Next, students go around their group, asking and answering the questions to collect clues about where each person went, noting down the information in the table. After that, in pairs, students use the information to guess the place each person went and complete sentences with the names and places. Finally, review the correct answers with the class.
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Your Partner's Past

Pre-intermediate (A2) 30 minutes
ESL past simple Wh questions game for pre-intermediate A2: guessing, writing, pair interviews

ESL Past Simple Questions Game - Grammar and Speaking: Gap-fill, Guessing, Asking and Answering Questions - Pair Work

In this engaging past simple guessing game, students write, ask and answer a variety of past simple Wh questions with the verb 'to be' and 'do' about a partner's past. First, students write past simple Wh...

ESL Past Simple Questions Game - Grammar and Speaking: Gap-fill, Guessing, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts - Pair Work In this engaging past simple guessing game, students write, ask and answer a variety of past simple Wh questions with the verb 'to be' and 'do' about a partner's past. First, students write past simple Wh questions to ask their partner by filling in gaps in questions and creating questions of their own. Next, students guess their partner's answer to each question and write down their guess. Students then take turns asking and answering the questions on the worksheet to find out if their guesses were right or wrong. If a student's guess was the same or very similar to their partner's answer, the student puts a tick. If not, the student puts a cross. The student who guessed the most correct answers about their partner's past wins.
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Ask Me a Question

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL past simple questions activity for intermediate B1: writing questions for classmates, group work

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar, Writing and Speaking: Completing and Answering Questions, Discussion - Group Work

In this inventive past simple questions activity, students review past simple Wh questions by writing questions for other classmates to answer. Students write...

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar, Writing and Speaking: Completing and Answering Questions, Guided Discussion - Group Work In this inventive past simple questions activity, students review past simple Wh questions by writing questions for other classmates to answer. Students write their name at the bottom of the worksheet and then hand their paper to the person on their right, who completes the first past simple Wh question (What did...?) for the person whose name is at the bottom of the worksheet. The student also writes their name next to the question to show who wrote it. The student then folds the paper, so the question is hidden and passes it to the person on their right, who writes the next question and their name, and so on. When all the questions have been written, students hand the worksheet back to the person whose name is written on the sheet. Students then unfold their worksheets and read the questions. Finally, students find the person who wrote each question and answer it.
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Do you remember?

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL past simple questions activity for intermediate B1: asking 'When did you last...?' and follow-up details

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled and Freer Practice

Here is a past simple questions speaking activity to help students ask Wh questions and talk about past events. In the activity, students go around the class asking and...

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Activity - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Controlled and Freer Practice Here is a past simple questions speaking activity to help students ask Wh questions and talk about past events. In the activity, students go around the class asking and answering the 'When did you last...?' questions on the worksheet, e.g. 'When did you last watch a movie at the cinema?' When a student asks a question to a classmate, they complete the 'When' column with their answer, ask for their name and write it under the 'Who' column, and then ask past simple Wh follow-up questions to find out more information, e.g. 'What did you watch?' 'Who did you go with?', noting down the answers in the last column. Afterwards, students share what they found out with the class.
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What did you do?

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
ESL past simple questions game for intermediate B1: team leaders, choosing verbs, Q&A, team competition

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Game - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Group Work

Here is a compelling past simple questions game to help students practice asking and answering Wh questions. Two team leaders take turns secretly choosing...

ESL Past Simple Wh Questions Game - Grammar and Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions, Freer Practice - Group Work Here is a compelling past simple questions game to help students practice asking and answering Wh questions. Two team leaders take turns secretly choosing a past simple verb from a list. The leader then thinks of a past simple Wh question that will elicit a response using the chosen verb. The question is not allowed to contain any form of that verb. The leader then asks the past simple question to one of the students in the middle of the class. If the student answers using the verb in the past simple tense, they come over to the leader and join their team. Every time a student joins a team, they become the new team leader. The new and old leaders then work together to think of the next question. Teams take turns playing until there are no more students left in the middle of the room. The team with the most members at the end of the game wins.
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Leonardo DiCaprio

Upper-intermediate (B2) 30 minutes
ESL past simple information gap for upper-intermediate B2: Wh questions to complete a text about Leonardo DiCaprio

ESL Past Simple Questions Activity - Grammar, Writing and Speaking: Information Gap, Writing, Asking and Answering Questions - Group and Pair Work

In this free past simple information gap activity, students write and ask past simple Wh questions in order to complete a text about Leonardo DiCaprio...

ESL Past Simple Questions Activity - Grammar, Writing and Speaking: Information Gap, Writing, Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts - Group and Pair Work In this free past simple information gap activity, students write and ask past simple Wh questions in order to complete a text about Leonardo DiCaprio's life. In two groups, students read a text about Leonardo DiCaprio's life and write the ten past simple Wh questions they need to find out the missing information. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking and answering the questions in numerical order to find out the information missing in the text, writing their partner's answers in the spaces. When the students have finished, they compare their completed texts, which should be identical.
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Understanding Past Simple Wh Questions

Past simple Wh questions are questions that ask for specific information about a completed past action or event, using a question word (who, what, where, when, why, or how) followed by 'did' and the base form of the main verb. When students miss out 'did' or keep the past verb form after it, they produce errors like 'Where you went?' or 'What did you ate?' that immediately signal a gap in their grammar control to any English speaker.

This page covers past simple Wh questions across A1-A2, A2, B1, and B2 levels, with 21 activities and worksheets ranging from structured grammar exercises and information gap tasks to classroom games and speaking activities, including four free downloads.

The table below shows the main past simple Wh question words, what each one asks about, the structure used with 'did', and a model example question.

Question WordWhat It Asks AboutPast Simple StructureExample Question
What actions, objects, or things What + did + subject + base verb 'What did you do at the weekend?'
Where places or locations Where + did + subject + base verb 'Where did she go on vacation?'
When time or point in time When + did + subject + base verb 'When did they arrive?'
Who (object) a person (receiving the action) Who + did + subject + base verb 'Who did you meet at the party?'
Who (subject) a person (performing the action) Who + past verb (no 'did') 'Who called you last night?'
Why reasons or causes Why + did + subject + base verb 'Why did he leave the meeting early?'
How manner or means How + did + subject + base verb 'How did you get to the airport?'
How long duration of time How long + did + subject + base verb 'How long did the trip take?'
How much/many quantity or amount How much/many + did + subject + base verb 'How much did you spend on the trip?'

When to Use Past Simple Wh Questions

Catching Up After Time Apart: When you see someone after a gap and want to find out what happened in their life, past simple Wh questions let you get specific details rather than just a yes or no, the way you would ask a friend 'Where did you end up going for your birthday?'

Investigating What Went Wrong: In professional situations where something did not go to plan, past simple Wh questions let you identify the exact point of failure, the way a manager might ask a team member 'Why did the delivery arrive three days late?'

Keeping a Conversation Going: When someone tells you about a past experience, asking a Wh follow-up question signals genuine interest and gives the speaker room to keep talking, the way a friend responds to a story by asking 'What did you end up doing?'

3-Step Framework for Teaching Past Simple Wh Questions

1. Build the Form: Start with a worksheet that gives students a clear, named framework for remembering Wh question word order in the past simple. One effective approach introduces a mnemonic structure that labels each element of the question in sequence, then asks students to sort question parts into a table to show they understand where each element belongs. The same framework then becomes the tool students use to spot and fix word-order mistakes in a set of sample questions, giving them a repeatable rule they can reach for every time they build a question from scratch.

2. Race to Form: Once students can construct the structure correctly, move them into a fast-paced game that rewards both speed and accuracy. Each round, a student draws a short answer card from an envelope and reads it aloud to the group (for example, 'a new phone'), and every player races to form the past simple Wh question that would produce that answer, using a question word shown on their own card. The first student to ask a correct question wins the card and crosses that question word off their personal list, with the winner being the first player to cross off every question word they were given.

3. Speak Freely: Close the lesson with a whole-class game that strips away all written prompts and forces students to think on their feet. Team leaders secretly pick a past tense verb from a list and then craft a Wh question that will get a classmate to use that verb in their answer, with one key rule: the question itself cannot contain any form of the target verb. Any student who answers correctly using the verb crosses the floor to join the leader's team and immediately becomes the new team leader, keeping everyone alert and engaged until no students remain in the middle.

Common Mistakes with Past Simple Wh Questions

Past Tense Verb After 'Did': Students often know they need 'did' in a past simple Wh question but still use the past tense form of the main verb rather than the base form, because the past meaning leads them to reach for a past verb. Wrong: 'What did you ate for dinner?' Correct: 'What did you eat for dinner?'

Adding 'Did' to Subject 'Who' Questions: Students often add 'did' to questions where 'who' is the subject of the sentence, treating it the same as questions where 'who' is the object, when in fact subject 'who' questions use the past verb directly with no auxiliary. Wrong: 'Who did called you last night?' Correct: 'Who called you last night?'

Common Questions About Teaching Past Simple Wh Questions

What is a good worksheet for teaching past simple Wh questions to beginners?

A good worksheet for teaching past simple Wh questions at A1-A2 level walks students through the structure in small steps. The Wh Questions with Did worksheet uses matching, gap-fill, unscrambling, and question-writing exercises, then closes with a speaking stage where students ask a classmate the questions they have just practiced forming and write down their answers.

What is a fun speaking activity for practicing past simple Wh questions?

A fun speaking activity for past simple Wh questions puts students in a position where they must ask to find out information they don't have. The free Where did they go? activity does this: pairs use question prompts to ask past simple Wh questions, write missing details in a table, and compare tables at the end to check their answers.

What is a quick past simple Wh questions activity for pre-intermediate students?

The free My Last Holiday activity is a running dictation that gives pre-intermediate students plenty of practice with past simple Wh questions. One student in each pair runs to read a text and dictates it to their partner. Students then build past simple questions from prompts and interview three classmates, completing a chart with each person's answers.

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Mina Zolfaghari

English Tutor, Australia

"I like the efficiency and organization of the website. The resources cater to various levels with topic-based options for higher levels. The worksheets are very engaging and the answer keys are particularly helpful for teacher. The resources are also highly specific to levels and outcomes, making planning much easier. Finding what I need is simple and time-saving with the keyword search feature. Everything is clear and straightforward."

★★★★★

Karin Kiss

ESL Teacher, Switzerland

"The easy and ready-to-go materials have helped me a lot during the last few years. Most of all I like the grammar games that activate my pupils and keep them engaged. My lessons have become way more playful and varied. Additionally, I like the grammar worksheets which I use to consolidate what I have worked on during class. The website is very user-friendly, and I have never had any difficulties finding what I was looking for."

★★★★★

David-Wonbae Lee

Business English Teacher, Canada

"A friend told me about the site, and it's awesome. I have found the Business English resources especially engaging and relevant for my students as the materials help them understand business writing and terms. My teaching experience has also improved from using the games on the site as they allow me to teach in a fun way. The user experience is outstanding. Great job!"

★★★★★

Daniela Garcia

English Teacher, Mexico

"I found Teach-This a long time ago when I started teaching. It's always had great resources. I really appreciate the grammar materials, board games, and group activities. They've saved me lots of time on lesson planning. The materials are easy to use and understand, making my job much simpler. The best thing is that many resources can be downloaded for free. I've used it for around 8 years, and it consistently offers great content."

★★★★★

Thomas Wilson

Primary School Teacher, United Kingdom

"I use the resources from the Games Section as part of my daily 30-minute morning warm-up activities, and I've received rave reviews for using them. The games help me maintain student interest and participation and leave the students feeling happy and awake. I like everything about the site, and customer support is very effective as they respond in time."

★★★★★

Eugenia Fernandez

EFL Teacher, Argentina

"Teach-This is one of the best EFL websites I've found. It's extremely user-friendly, and I always find what I need quickly. I like the design, and the content is fun, engaging and original. I am very thankful for all your work and generosity by making some resources free. I always recommend this website to my fellow teachers. Your work is really helpful, and I value it enormously."

★★★★★

Jakub Havlk

Language School Teacher, Czechia

"I like the grammar-focused resources the most as they save me time. The resources also inspire me. If I see an interesting grammar activity, I often rework it for other grammar rules. I like the fact that I simply pay a flat fee, and I can download whatever I want. Teach-This really is a great timesaver. I know that if I am in need of resources for my students, I can go to Teach-This and find something interesting."

★★★★★

Alice Dimpz

English Teacher, Kenya

"Getting familiar with the site and how to use the resources is not difficult. I found the writing skills resources to be the most valuable as they have enhanced my teaching of this skill. The website is elaborate and full of all types of resources to help me teach English. When I contacted customer support, they were super-fast to deal with my enquiry. So overall, I recommend it."

★★★★★

Ikrram Badaoui

ESL Teacher, Morocco

"I have found the grammar and vocabulary resources the most valuable. They have improved my teaching experience because they are easy to use and well-organized. The materials are very engaging for my students. The website is also very user-friendly. The best thing about Teach-This is that it offers ready-made worksheets for busy teachers, and the content is well-organized and full of information."

★★★★★

Tania Ahmed

High School Teacher, Kurdistan

"I'm really glad I found the Teach-This website. The materials in the General English section have proven to be really helpful and made my classes more engaging. The materials are well-structured and cover a wide range of topics, making it easy to keep my students interested and motivated. Overall, my experience using your resources has been great."

★★★★★

Khawla Orq

EFL Teacher, Yemen

"My first impression of the website was that it was amazing. The games and activities have really improved my teaching. The resources are engaging and relevant to my students' needs, and I find the website easy to use and navigate. Thanks."

★★★★★

Anika Yadav

English Teacher, India

"I would like to thank you for making a fantastic website. I particularly enjoy teaching the functional language materials, which have been very helpful in my classes. The resources have significantly improved my students' communication skills in daily life, so it was rewarding to see them benefit in this way. It feels great to be able to make a difference in my students' lives. Please keep up the good work."

★★★★★

Dr. Elena Petrov

Academic English Coordinator, Spain

"I've been teaching Academic English for over eight years, and Teach-This.com has become my go-to resource for university preparation classes. The academic vocabulary exercises and speaking test preparation activities are exceptionally well-designed for advanced learners. My students particularly appreciate the study skills resources and paragraph writing materials, which have significantly boosted their confidence and exam scores."

★★★★★

Suzanne Coleman

Volunteer English Teacher, England

"I like your resources because they are so interesting and attractive. Your resources help to maintain student interest. Your resources have helped with the planning and preparation of my lessons because I have often been able to find resources focusing on specific topics, grammar or vocabulary. I am particularly grateful for your free resources, which I use at the English Club where I am a volunteer and help to support internationals in the community who are learning English."

★★★★★