Lesson Twenty-six

Want
Past Tense

write

singular
plural
I wanted _____
We wanted _____
You wanted _____
You wanted _____
He wanted _____
She wanted _____
It wanted _____
They wanted _____

 

The verb “want” requires an object:

  • I wanted some coffee. (The word “coffee” is an object.)
  • He wanted a new car. (The word “car” is an object.)
  • We wanted a vacation. (The word “vacation” is an object.)

 

Want in the Past Tense – Negative

write

singular
plural
I didn’t want _____
We didn’t want _____
You didn’t want _____
You didn’t want _____
He didn’t want _____
She didn’t want _____
It didn’t want _____
They didn’t want _____

Remember:

An object usually comes after the verb “want.”

  • You didn’t want the job.
  • My dog didn’t want to stay home. (The infinitive, “to stay” functions as the object in this sentece.)
  • The kids didn’t want the brocolli.

 

These questions are asked in the past tense:

  • What did you want?
  • Did they want any more juice?
  • Did your neighbor want any help?
  • When did he want to eat?
  • When did you want to leave for the airport? (This question and the one before it are in the past tense, but they refer to a future event.)

 

Here are some examples:

  • A: What did he want?
  • B: He wanted his bottle. Now he’s happy!
 

baby drinking milk from a bottle

  • A: What did she want to do when she was a little girl?
  • B: She wanted to become a ballerina, and now she is.

ballerina

  • A: What did they want to do yesterday?
  • B: They wanted to go skating, so they went to the park and skated around the lake.

skaters

 

write

Practice

Directions: Fill in the blanks to make the past tense with the helping verb (did) and the main verb (want).

1- 10 Past Tense:

  1. What _______ they _________ ?
  2. They ________ a ride.
  3. What ________ he ________?
  4. He _________ something to drink.
  5. What ________ you ________ to do?
  6. I ________ to see a movie.
  7. We _________ __________ that house. (negative)
  8. The childen _________ __________ to leave. (negative)
  9. Why _________ she _________ the job? (negative)
  10. My mother _______  ________ me to do that. (negative)

(Answers: 1. did…want; 2. wanted; 3. did….want; 4. wanted; 5. did….want;

6. wanted; 7. didn’t want; 8. didn’t want; 9. didn’t…want; 10. didn’t want)

Here’s a quiz for the verb “want.” / (PDF version)

Next: Lesson Twenty-seven
How to use “would like”