Learn when to use did + verb, had + past participle, and has/have + past participle.
Lesson Goal
Today we are not only fixing two sentences. We are learning how English shows time.
One finished past action Past Simple
I watched a film yesterday.
Question about the past did + verb
What did you watch yesterday?
Before another past action had + past participle
I had eaten before I went out.
Still true now has/have + past participle
I have lived here for five years.
Mistake 1: Past Simple Questions
Sentence: The twins broke something in the garage yesterday.
Your answer: ❌ What the twins had break in the garage yesterday?
Correct answer: ✅ What did the twins break in the garage yesterday?
What is the mistake?
You used had break, but the sentence is asking about one finished action in the past.
Rule: For Past Simple questions, use:
Question word + did + subject + base verb
What + did + the twins + break?
Regola: Per fare domande al Past Simple, usiamo: parola interrogativa + did + soggetto + verbo base. Dopo did, il verbo resta nella forma base: break, non broke.
Why not “had”?
We use had + past participle only when one past action happened before another past action.
✅ The twins had broken the window before their parents arrived.
There are two past actions: they broke the window first, then their parents arrived.
1. The twins broke the window.
→
2. Their parents arrived.
But in the original sentence, there is only one past action: They broke something yesterday.
Mistake 2: Has Worked or Had Worked?
Sentence: Priya left the bank in May and opened a bakery.
❌ She has worked there for 8 years.
✅ She had worked there for 8 years.
Why?
Priya does not work at the bank now. She left the bank. So we cannot use has worked here.
1. Priya worked at the bank for 8 years.
→
2. She left the bank.
→
3. She opened a bakery.
Present Perfect: has/have + past participle Use it when the situation is still connected to now.
✅ She has worked here for 8 years. = She still works here.
Present Perfect:has/have + participio passato. Si usa quando l'azione o situazione è ancora collegata al presente. She has worked here for 8 years significa che probabilmente lavora ancora qui.
Past Perfect: had + past participle Use it when one past action happened before another past action.
✅ She had worked there for 8 years before she left.
Past Perfect:had + participio passato. Si usa quando un'azione nel passato è successa prima di un'altra azione nel passato.
The Three Main Rules
1. Did + verb
Use this for questions about a finished past action.
✅ What did you buy?
❌ What had you buy?
2. Has/Have + past participle
Use this when the situation continues now or is connected to now.
✅ I have lived here for 5 years.
I still live here.
3. Had + past participle
Use this when one past action happened before another past action.
✅ I had eaten before I left.
More Examples
✅ What did Sarah lose yesterday?
✅ Where did your brother go last night?
✅ Marco has studied English for three years. He still studies English.
✅ Marco had studied English before he moved to London.
✅ They had finished the work before the teacher checked it.
Practice: Choose the Correct Answer
Written Practice
Write your own answers. Then click “Example answer” to compare.
Final Test: Fix the Mistake
Read the wrong sentence. Write the correction. Then check the example answer.