A2daily

Past Simple (be) - Daily English

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Use the past simple of "be" to describe states, situations, feelings and facts that were true in the past: where someone was, how something was, or who someone was. The verb "be" has two past forms. Use "was" with I, he, she and it; use "were" with you, we and they. For example: "The meeting was very productive," "They were happy with the results," and "I was at the conference in London last week." To make a negative, add "not": "She wasn't at her desk" (was not) or "We weren't late" (were not). To ask a question, put was/were before the subject: "Was the client satisfied?" or "Were you in the office yesterday?" You can also start sentences with "there": "There was a problem with the invoice," "There were several questions after the talk." A common pitfall is mixing the forms, especially with plural subjects, so learners write "they was" or "we was." The correct forms are "they were" and "we were." Another is reaching for the wrong negative; remember "wasn't" pairs with was, and "weren't" pairs with were.

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  1. I very tired after the long flight yesterday.
  2. The weather beautiful during our vacation last week.
  3. They at the shopping mall all afternoon.
  4. My parents very happy with my new job.
  5. It quite cold in the kitchen this morning.
  6. We late for the movie because of the traffic.
  7. The pizza delicious at the Italian restaurant.
  8. You very helpful with the grocery shopping.
  9. Sarah at home when I called her.
  10. The books on the table a minute ago.
  11. My friends excited about the concert.
  12. The coffee too hot to drink.
  13. Tom and Jerry at the park yesterday morning.
  14. The museum very crowded on Sunday.
  15. The keys in my bag, but now they are gone.
  16. He surprised by the birthday party.
  17. The children quiet during the lesson.
  18. The hotel room very clean and comfortable.
  19. We hungry after the long hike.
  20. She a student at this college five years ago.
  21. The shops closed when we arrived.
  22. My brother angry about the broken window.
  23. The flowers lovely in the garden.
  24. It a very sunny day on Saturday.
  25. You and I best friends in primary school.

Common questions

When do you use "was" and when do you use "were"?

Match the form to the subject. Use "was" with the singular subjects I, he, she and it: "I was busy," "The report was ready." Use "were" with the plural subjects you, we and they: "We were in a meeting," "They were late." Note that "you" always takes "were," even for one person: "You were very helpful."

How do you make negatives and questions with the past simple of "be"?

For negatives, add "not" after was/were: "The client was not happy" or the short form "wasn't"; "They were not ready" or "weren't." For questions, put was/were before the subject: "Was the meeting useful?" "Were you at the conference?" Short answers repeat the verb: "Yes, I was." / "No, they weren't."

What is the difference between "there was" and "there were"?

Use "there was" with a singular or uncountable noun and "there were" with a plural noun, to say that something existed or happened. For example: "There was a delay on the project" (one delay) versus "There were several delays" (more than one). In a business email you might write, "There was a problem with the invoice, and there were two missing attachments."