Simple Past questions without "did"

Question

Hello insidersI teach English in grade 9 in Switzerland. In our new English book I stumbled over the following questions in the Simple Past:Who designed this car? (Instead of: Who did design this car?)Who discovered Australia? (Instead of: Who did discover Australia?)Now everyone in the class agreed that these questions are correct. However, we found no information in our grammar reference for this. Could anyone please point me to an according rule?Thanks in advance!Morgy

LouiseT · Accepted Answer

Hello Morgy

AnonymousHello insiders
I teach English in grade 9 in Switzerland. In our new English book I stumbled over the following questions in the Simple Past:
Who designed this car? (Instead of: Who did design this car?)
Who discovered Australia? (Instead of: Who did discover Australia?)
Now everyone in the class agreed that these questions are correct. However, we found no information in our grammar reference for this. Could anyone please point me to an according rule?
Thanks in advance!
Morgy

Can you explain why you want to put "did" into these questions? They look like ordinary past simple questions to me.
You would only need "did" for emphasis, for example if you had already asked the question and someone had got it wrong.

"No John Mr Renault did not design this car; so class who did design this car?"

It is the same with present simple questions the auxiliary is only used in questions for emphasis.

Who likes cheese?
Well I hate it.
OK so Fred hates it but who does like cheese?

I hope this helps

Louise

BarbaraPA · Answer

When you are asking about the subject, you use the simple past form.

I set the letter gently down on the desk yesterday so I wouldn't forget to mail it.

Only the "Who" question will use the simple past: Who set the letter to Martha on the desk.

All the others take "did."

What did you set on the desk?
Where did you put the letter?
When did you put the letter on the desk?
Why did you put the letter on the desk?
How did you put the letter down?

You can use the "did" form with who to be emphatic.
Did Jeanne put the letter on the desk?
No.
Ah, did Peter put the letter on the desk?
No.
So it was George who put the letter on the desk?
No, it wasn't George either.
Well, who DID put the letter on the desk?

Anonymous · Answer

Hello Louise and GrammarGeek

Thanks for your help. My conlusion is the following:

No "did" is needed if a Simple Past question asks for the SUBJECT.

e.g.

Who designed this building?
What happened in the year 2000?

Morgy

BarbaraPA · Answer

Yes, the subject is a better way to say it than the "who question."

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousNo "did" is needed if a Simple Past question asks for the SUBJECT.

Yes, but that's stated too gently. "did" must not be used if you question the subject -- unless you are faced with one of those rare cases where you need to emphasize a contrast.

The reason is that do, does, and did are introduced into questions for the purpose of subject-verb inversion, and when you question the subject, there's no inversion.

See Asking Questions

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Hello Louise

It's not about emphasis overall,only sometimes.

You use do/did in questions and negatives and not in positives.

Study again!

FF

Anonymous · Answer

Hi!! I'm a teacher here in Brazil and I had similar problem with my students today. I was looking for some exercises when I came across this forum.
I think I can contribute by showing what I have learned, but I'm not sure if the terms "receiver" and "author" is really the correct names for these elements and I fell that it's really difficult to explain this to intermediate students...

1. We use who when we want to ask about the author of the action.
2. We have to use the auxiliary did or do/does when we want to ask about the receiver of the action.

Examples:
Mary works here.
Alice gave a book to Paul yesterday.
Tom works for Peter.

1. Example of the first use:
Who works here? (asking about Mary, the author of the action of living here)
Who gave Paul a book? (asking about Alice, the author of the action of giving a book)

2. Example of the second use:
Who does Tom work for? (asking about Peter, the receiver of Tom's action)
Who did Alice give a book for? (asking about Paul , the receiver of Alice's action)

Ademilson

Fivejedjon · Answer

Anonymous1. We use who when we want to ask about the author of the action.

We can also use 'what' and 'which (...)' as the subject of a question:

What has happened?
Which president slept with XX?

Anonymous2. We have to use the auxiliary did or do/does when we want to ask about the receiver of the action.

As others have pointed out, DO can be used for emphasis:

A. I don't think that Oswald shot Kennedy.
B: Who did shoot him then?.

Anonymous · Answer

Hey grammar geek excellent! I had the similar problem with who won? when we were playing. I knew it was right but it made no sense on what I've learned here in Argentina.

Grammar Geek When you are asking about the subject, you use the simple past form.I set the letter gently down on the desk yesterday so I wouldn't forget to mail it.Only the "Who" question will use the simple past: Who set the letter to Martha on the desk.All the others take "did."What did you set on the desk?Where did you put the letter?When did you put the letter on the desk?Why did you put the letter on the desk?How did you put the letter down?You can use the "did" form with who to be emphatic.Did Jeanne put the letter on the desk? No.Ah, did Peter put the letter on the desk?No.So it was George who put the letter on the desk?No, it wasn't George either.Well, who DID put the letter on the desk?

Anonymous · Answer

I would like to augment this question with this sentence: "What made you go?" So, it doesn't only happen with "who" questions.

Simple Past questions without "did"

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions