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When making a question in the past tense using did and two verbs do you write the second verb in the past or present tense?

Example:
Did you call and cancel the appointment yesterday?

or:
Did you call and canceled the appointment yesterday?

Does did apply only to the first verb, in this case call, or does it also apply to cancel and I do not have to write the second verb in past tense?

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    No, just one auxiliary. Did you call and cancel the appointment?
    – Lambie
    Commented Jan 18, 2018 at 17:33
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    They should always be in the same tense. Did you [call and cancel]? Have you [called and cancelled]?
    – Davo
    Commented Jan 18, 2018 at 17:36
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    The auxiliary verb "did" has scope over the coordination "call and cancel", and it requires that both verbs must be plain forms.
    – BillJ
    Commented Jan 18, 2018 at 19:12
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    @Davo Yes, but "call" and "cancel" are not tensed forms - they are plain (infinitive) forms.
    – BillJ
    Commented Jan 18, 2018 at 19:15
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    @BillJ - Wouldn't did effectively apply via parallel construction (or something like that) as Did you call and (did you) cancel, so that the word call is infinitive, but the usage of did call (and (did cancel) ) is tensed?
    – Davo
    Commented Jan 18, 2018 at 20:20

1 Answer 1

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The auxiliary verb "do" is the only part that needs to be conjugated. The rest of the linked verbs are all bare infinitives.

Did you feed and water the horses this morning?

Did you wash, dry, and wax the car like I asked?

You can think of this as a shortened form, rather than needing to ask separate questions, removing any repeated words:

Did you call and did you cancel the appointment?
⇒ Did you call and cancel the appointment?

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