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  1. I didn't go to party.
  2. I didn't went to party.
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  • possible duplicate of did + present tense (or ) Past tense of the verb
    – user6951
    May 27, 2015 at 10:23
  • Not a duplicate of the above-linked question, which is about the need to introduce "did" to make a question: "How you went to the party?" vs. "How did you go to the party?"
    – Ben Kovitz
    May 27, 2015 at 12:02

5 Answers 5

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  1. I didn't go to (the) party

  2. I didn't went to (the) party.

After the auxiliary verb DO the main verb must be in the plain form. This is the form you see in the dictionary. It does not have any tense. It is not past or present:

  • *He doesn't goes to the gym. (ungrammatical - main verb in present tense)
  • *He didn't saw the film. (ungrammatical - main verb in past tense)
  • He doesn't go to the gym. (correct)
  • He didn't see the film. (correct)

The Original Poster's examples

Example (1) is correct because the verb go is in the plain form after the auxiliary do. Example (2) is incorrect because went is a past form, not a plain form of the verb.

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  • 1
    Example #1 would also be correct with the indefinite article depending on the context I think. "I didn't go to a party. I went to work." I'm not stalking you, by the way - these questions are in my review queue :)
    – ColleenV
    May 27, 2015 at 12:44
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    +1 It'd be even better if you added in your answer why "I didn't go (to) party" and "I didn't go to the party" (or "a party") are different, even though the OP could find some clues in other answers.
    – Damkerng T.
    May 28, 2015 at 1:28
  • @DamkerngT. I'm a bit strapped for time.But, if you wanted to, you could edit that info in - if the fancy takes you :)
    – Araucaria - Not here any more.
    May 28, 2015 at 12:45
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"I didn't go to party" could also be correct if you're talking about the reason you went somewhere...

"I went to Bermuda on a business trip. I didn't go to party."

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This is a rule in English grammar:

The verb which comes after the auxiliary verb - "did", always will be the base form (that called "infinitive" form, meaning without any inflection to the past tense). Therefore:

I didn't go to the party.

I didn't meet him.

I didn't know him.

I didn't see him.

As you can see, all of them are in the base form.

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Neither is correct, unless there's literally a place called "Party."

I didn't go to the party.

Also, it's go and not went because the auxiliary verb did means that go does not change tenses.

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    Not necessarily true! : ) "Why did you go there?" - "I went there to party". "I didn't go to party, I went to study!"
    – Araucaria - Not here any more.
    May 27, 2015 at 10:27
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It must be "I didn't go". "Did" is already in the past tense. "Go" does not have to be in the past tense if "did" was already in the past tense. You could say I went. But you couldn't say I did not went. You could say I went not.

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