Common mistake: “Did Ben went to Cartagena?” — Correct: “Did Ben go to Cartagena?”
We use the past simple to tell finished actions in the past; after 'did' the verb goes back to its base form (go, not went).
Past simple in a story: did / didn't
Form
Structure
Example
Affirmative
verb in past form (went, took, lost)
Ben went to Cartagena
Negative
did not (didn't) + base verb
He didn't bring a map
Question
Did + subject + base verb?
Did Ben enjoy the trip?
Short answer
Yes, he did. / No, he didn't.
Did you go? Yes, I did.
Story connectors
first, then, because, so, luckily
He lost his map, so he got lost
★ go · went · gone — journey to an exciting destination
★ take · took · taken — board transport or carry items
★ fall · fell · fallen — drop down by accident
★ lose · lost · lost — misplace or be deprived of
★ meet · met · met — make the acquaintance of someone
★ eat · ate · eaten — share food and meals together
★ have · had · had — experience a wonderful period
★ see · saw · seen — perceive or look at landmarks
Last year, Ben traveled to Cartagena.
He took a boat to the islands, but he lost his hat.
Ben fell into the water because he was clumsy.
He did not bring a map, so he got lost.
Did Ben enjoy the trip? Yes, he did.
He met a local family and they helped him.
Ben bought a new hat at the market.
They ate arepas together on the beach.
Ben did not speak Spanish well, but he tried.
Where did you go on your last holiday?
Did you take photos on your last trip?
Did Ben speak Spanish well? No, he didn't.
Practice
Last year, Ben ___ to Cartagena. (go, went, goes)
Ben ___ into the water because he was clumsy. (fell, falled, felled)
He didn't ___ a map, so he got lost. (brought, bring, brings)
After 'did' in a question, the main verb goes back to its base form: 'Did he go?', not 'Did he went?'.
'Ben buyed a hat' is correct because 'buy' is a regular verb.
Ben ___ his hat when he fell into the water. (lose)
He ___ not bring a map, so he got lost.
Unscramble: met, Ben, a, family, local, .
Find the mistake: Ben buyed a new hat at the market.
Find the mistake: Did Ben went to Cartagena?
Ben enjoyed the trip. — Turn it into a question (use 'did').
Ben took a boat to the islands. — Make it negative (use 'did not').
Where did you go on your last holiday? (Answer with a full sentence.)
Ben lost his hat. — Write the negative form.
Did Ben meet a local family? (short answer)
Listening
Kenji: Ben, tell me about your trip to Cartagena!
Ben: Oh, it was an adventure. I took a boat to the islands.
Kenji: Nice! Did you enjoy it?
Ben: Yes, but I fell into the water and I lost my hat.
Kenji: Oh no! What did you do?
Ben: I bought a new one and I met a wonderful local family.
Reading
Last year, Ben traveled to Cartagena. He was excited, but he was also very clumsy. He took a boat to the islands, and he fell into the water. He lost his hat and his map, so he got lost in the old town. Luckily, he met a local family. They helped him, and they ate arepas together on the beach. Ben did not speak Spanish well, but he tried, and he had a wonderful time.