The verb to do · Conjugation
Past Simple of do
The answer: did
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to do is did.
Example: I did my homework yesterday.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | did |
| You | did |
| He / She / It | did |
| We | did |
| You (pl.) | did |
| They | did |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I doed ❌
Do is an irregular verb. Its Past Simple is did, never doed. Many learners add -ed to every verb, but irregular verbs do not take it: learn their past forms by heart.
2. I didn't did it ❌
When didn't is there, the main verb goes back to its base form: I didn't do it is correct, I didn't did it is wrong. The past is already in didn't.
3. I have did my work ❌
Did = Past Simple (used alone, for a finished time). Done = past participle, used after have / has in the Present Perfect. Compare: I did my work and I have done my work.
Practice quiz
Going further
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of do?+
The Past Simple of do is did. It is the same for every person: I did, you did, he did, she did, we did, they did.
What is the difference between did and done?+
Did is the Past Simple: I did it yesterday. Done is the past participle, used after have / has in the Present Perfect: I have done it (it is finished now).
How do you make questions and negatives with did?+
For the negative, use didn't (did not). For a question, put did at the start: I didn't do it. Did you do it? After did, the main verb stays in its base form.
Why is did used in past questions?+
In English, do, does and did are auxiliaries (helping verbs) for questions and negatives in the Present Simple and the Past Simple: Did you see the film? Be and have can also be main verbs and auxiliaries. But only do is an empty helper that makes questions and negatives for other verbs.
Is it I did my homework or I have done my homework?+
Both are correct. With a past time: I did my homework yesterday (Past Simple). With no time, for a recent action that matters now: I have done my homework (Present Perfect, with the past participle done).
Related pages: do Past Simple
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/do/past-simple
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
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More forms of the verb to do are coming soon.