WAS/WERE

PRESENTAtion

TALKING ABOUT THE PAST: WAS AND WERE

start

INTRODUCTION

We use the simple past tense of the verb to be for any state to describe a person or situation in the past.

AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES

SUBJECT+ WAS/WERE+ COMPLEMENT

• I was cold
• you were tired
• he was in the garden
• she was late
• it was sunny
• we were on holiday
• they were hungry

NEGATIVE SENTENCES

SUBJECT+ WAS/WERE+NOT + COMPLEMENT

• I was NOT cold
• you were NOT tired
• he was NOT in the garden
• she was NOT late
• it was NOT sunny
• we were NOT on holiday
• they were NOT hungry

QUESTIONS

To make a question, just like the present simple, we change the position of 'was / were' and the subject. Was+subject+complement

'Yes / No' Questions with 'Be'

was I sleepy? were you late? was he at the cinema? was she kind? was it hot? were we hungry? were they at work?

+info

'Wh' questions with 'be' (the question word just goes at the beginning, everything else is the same)

'Wh' Questions with 'Be' why was I sleepy? where were you? when was he at the cinema? how was she? how was it? why were we hungry? when were they at work?

+info

I WAS AT SCHOOL THIS MORNING YOU WERE AT WORK

Thanks!