How to make the simple past negative

• Fortunately, there is a formula for making simple past verbs negative, and it’s the same for both regular and irregular verbs (except for the verb to be).
• The formula is did not + [root form of verb]. You can also use the contraction didn’tinstead of did not.
  • Example: Wolfgang did not brag too much about his hula hoop skills. Wolfgang’s girlfriend didn’t see the contest.
• For the verb to be, you don’t need the auxiliary did. When the subject of the sentence is singular, use was notor wasn’t. When the subject is plural, use were notor weren’t.
  • Example: The third-place winner was not as happy as Wolfgang. The fourth-place winner wasn’t happy at all. The onlookers were not ready to leave after the contest ended. The contestants weren’t ready to leave either.