When did you actually arrive?

The Past Indefinite is also used in special questions beginning with where and how when they refer to the past events.

Where is my hat? Where did I leave my hat?"

The question Where have you been? can be asked of the person who has just come.

'Hello, Mum. I'm sorry I'm late" "Where have you been?"

In all other cases it should be Where were you?

"Did the party go off nicely?" "I don't know. I wasn't there." "Where were you?'

Similarly:

Have you had a good holiday? (You have just returned)

Did you have a good holiday? (Your holiday finished some time before the question)

In special questions beginning with other interrogative words (who, what, why, what... for etc.), both the Present Perfect and the Past Indefinite are possible. We normally use the Simple present perfect when we are thinking about past events together with their present results. However we prefer a simple past when we identify the person, thing or circumstances responsible for a present situation (we focuse on a past cause, not on a present result):

Someone has let the cat in. Who let the cat in?

That’s a nice picture. Did you paint it yourself?

How did you get this bruise?

Why are you crying? - Jack hit me.

"What have I done against you?" "Why can't we get on?"(present result)

"I know she gave him a good scolding." "What did he do?"

"Dorothy's gone to a garden party." "Why haven't you gone too?"(You are here now-result)

4 Remember that we use the present perfect to describe an action that can still happen

She has starred in a lot of major films. (She’s still alive and acting)

She starred in a lot of major films. (Her acting career is finished or she’s dead)

So, the simple past tense is used for an action whose time is not given but which occurred at a moment in a period of time now terminated.

My grandmother once saw Queen Victoria.

Did you ever hear Maria Callas sing?

5 Expectation and reality: we use a past tense to refer to a belief that has just been shown to be true or false:

It’s not as big as I expected.

You are older than I thought.

But you promised!

Remember the following expressions:

Что Вы сказали? What did you say?

Теперь я понял Now I understand.

Я не слышал Вашего вопроса I didn’t hear your question.

Мне сказали, что он в Лондоне. I’m told that he is in London.

Я слышал, что он в Москве. I hear that he is in Moscow.

6 You sometimes use a past tense rather than a present tense when you want to be more polite. For example, in the following pairs of sentences, the second one is more polite.

Do you want to see me now?

Did you want to see me now?

I wonder if you can help me.

I was wondering if you could help me.