Past Simple Wh Questions ESL Activities, Games and Worksheets

In this free past simple running dictation activity, students ask and answer past simple Wh questions about holidays. In pairs, one student is the writer and the other is the reader. The readers run to the text, read a sentence or two, and then return and dictate what they read to their partner, who writes it down. When the students have finished, they use prompts on a worksheet to create past simple questions about holidays. Students then use the questions to write notes about their own holiday in a chart. After that, students ask three classmates about their last holiday using the questions and complete the other columns in the chart. As a follow-up, students write a paragraph about their last holiday in the past simple.

In this engaging past simple speaking activity, students practice forming, asking and answering past simple Wh conversation questions. To begin, in two groups, students complete each past simple Wh question with the verb to be or do, you or your, and the correct form of the verb in brackets where shown. Students then pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking and answering the past simple conversation questions with their partner. Afterwards, students share what they found out about their partner with the class.

In this entertaining past simple questions game, students race to make past simple Wh questions that elicit certain words or phrases. One student takes an answer card and reads it aloud. The players in the group then race to make a past simple Wh question using a question word from their card to elicit the answer. The first player to do this correctly takes the answer card and crosses off the question word on their card. Then, it's the next student’s turn to take an answer card and read it aloud. The first player to cross off all their question words wins the game.

In this fun past simple questions game, students try to answer all their opponent's questions correctly. In pairs, Student B begins by rolling the dice and adding up the numbers rolled. Student A then formulates the past simple question that corresponds to the number on their worksheet. For example, if Student B rolls a two, Student A asks question two on their worksheet, i.e. 'What did you wear yesterday?' If Student B answers correctly, Student A crosses off the question. If Student B makes a grammatical mistake or is unable to answer appropriately, the question remains active and can be asked again, depending on the number rolled. This process continues with students taking turns to roll the dice and ask and answer questions. The first student to correctly answer all their partner's questions wins the game.

In this insightful past simple Wh questions activity, students practice asking Wh questions and using the past simple tense with time expressions to talk about experiences earlier in life. In pairs, students take turns asking each other When was the first time...? questions from the worksheet. Students write down their partner's response and then ask follow-up questions to develop a conversation about each event. When the students have finished, they tell the class what they found out about their partner. As an extension, students write a short biographical account about their partner's experiences.

In this rewarding past simple information gap activity, students write and then ask past simple Wh questions in order to complete a text. In two groups, students write down the past simple Wh questions they need to find out the missing information in the text on their worksheet. Students then pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking and answering questions in numerical order to find out the missing information. Students write the information in the blank spaces in the text on their worksheet. When the students have asked all their questions, they check their answers and spelling by comparing texts.

In this useful past simple questions worksheet, students learn and practice past simple Wh question word order using the QuASI structure. First, students match questions with correct answers in order to practice question words. Next, students read about the QuASI structure and how it is used, to help remember the correct word order for Wh questions. Students then categorize words into a table to demonstrate the QuASI structure. Students then use the QuASI structure to rewrite questions, correcting the mistakes. After that, students use the QuASI structure to write questions for a set of answers. In the last exercise, students read a short passage and create past simple Wh questions about the story, beginning with the question words provided. As an extension, students practice asking and answering their questions about the story with a partner.

In these productive past simple Wh question activities, students complete a worksheet to practice past simple verb forms and Wh questions. Students then play a relay race game where they make past simple questions that would elicit specific answers. First, students complete a verb chart with missing verbs. Students then write past simple Wh questions that would elicit a set of answers. Next, students complete gaps with question words to explain what each question word is used for. Afterwards, students play a past simple questions relay race game. Each team stands in a line, facing the board. Read the first answer to the class. The student at the back of each line thinks of a past simple Wh question that will elicit the answer and whispers it to the student in front of them. This continues down the line until it reaches the student at the front. The first team to have their student at the front make an appropriate question scores one point for using an appropriate question word and another point for making a suitable question. The team with the most points at the end wins.

This free past simple questions speaking activity helps students practice Wh questions and time expressions in the past. Students go around the class asking and answering the questions on the worksheet, e.g. 'When did you last watch a film?' Each time a student asks a When did you last...? question, they complete the 'When' column with their classmate's answer and ask a past simple Wh follow-up question to find out more information, noting down the answer in the last column. When everyone has finished, students tell the class what they found out.

Here is an interesting past simple questions activity to help teach students how to ask and answer past simple Wh questions. In the activity, students interview each other about things they did in the past. First, students use verbs, picture prompts and question words to write down past simple Wh questions on their worksheet. Students then take turns asking and answering the questions with a partner about the last time they did the things on their worksheet. When the students have finished, they tell the class what they found out about their partner.

This memorable past simple holiday questions activity helps students ask and answer questions about their last holiday. Pairs begin by reading a conversation about Julia Robert's last holiday. Working alone, students then change the underlined parts of the dialogue with information about their last holiday. Students also add four more past simple Wh follow-up questions and answers to the conversation from a list on their worksheet. Finally, students practice the new dialogue with their partner and present it to the class.

In this engaging past simple guessing game, students write, ask and answer a variety of past simple Wh questions with the verb to be and do about a partner's past. First, students write past simple Wh questions to ask their partner by filling in gaps in questions and creating questions of their own. Next, students guess their partner's answer to each question and write down their guess. Students then take turns asking and answering the questions on the worksheet to find out if their guesses were right or wrong. If a student's guess was the same or very similar to their partner's answer, the student puts a tick. If not, the student puts a cross. The student who guessed the most correct answers about their partner's past wins.