✨ Lesson 4: Past Simple Negatives (didn't + base form)
This lesson is a special focus on one very important rule. We have learned that to make a negative sentence with an action verb in the past, we need the helping verb did + not.
Today, we will review and practice this rule to make sure it is perfectly clear.
The Golden Rule for Past Simple Negatives
The rule is the same for ALL action verbs, both regular and irregular. When we use the helping verb didn't (did not), the main verb MUST return to its base form1.
Subject + didn't + [Base Verb]...
Examples with Regular and Irregular Verbs
Look how the main verb changes from the positive statement to the negative one.
| Verb Type | Affirmative (+) | Negative (-) |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | I visited the museum. | I didn't visit the museum. |
| Regular | She liked the food. | She didn't like the food. |
| Irregular | We went to Pub Street. | We didn't go to Pub Street. |
| Irregular | He saw his friend. | He didn't see his friend. |
The Most Common Mistake
The biggest mistake learners make is using the past tense form of the verb after 'didn't'. This is always incorrect!
- Incorrect:
I didn't visited the temple. - Correct: I didn't visit the temple.
- Incorrect:
She didn't went to the market. - Correct: She didn't go to the market.
🧠 Practice Quiz: Make it Negative
Change the positive sentences into negative sentences. Remember to use the base form of the verb!
- She ate breakfast this morning.
→ She didn't eat breakfast this morning. - They watched the sunrise at Angkor Wat.
→ They didn't watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. - I bought a souvenir.
→ I didn't buy a souvenir. - He had a lot of free time.
→ He didn't have a lot of free time.
📝 Homework: Things You Didn't Do
Write three true sentences about things you did not do yesterday. Use 'didn't' in each sentence.
Example: I didn't go to a restaurant. I didn't see my friends.
1: ___________________________________
2: ___________________________________
3: ___________________________________
Vocabulary Glossary
- Base Form: (Noun) - ទម្រង់ដើម (tŭmrâng daem) - The simplest form of a verb, with no endings like '-s', '-ed', or '-ing'. ↩