When to use the Past of Verb To BE?
You need to use it when talking about (past feelings, identities, locations, and time). Let’s have a look at the following examples to understand the idea better!
Feelings:
I was hungry = (not hungry anymore)
They were tired =(not tired anymore)
Identities:
They were students
He was a shop owner
Locations:
The book was on the table
The boys were outside the house
Time:
The meeting was at 10:00 am
Our classes were on Monday
How to use the past of verb to BE?
You need to look at the subject.Â
If the subject is singular (he, she, it, I), use (was)
If the subject is plural (they, we, you), use (were)
Let’s have a look at the following examples to learn more about the use of the past of verb to BE:
She was tired yesterday
They were hungry after a long journey
He was an engineer before retiring
The keys were on the table
We were in the shopping mall last week
How to form questions using the past of verb to BE?
You need to start the questions with either (was) or (were). So, you just need to look at the subject. If the subject is (singular), start the question with (was) and if the subject is (plural), start the question with (were). Let’s have a look at the following examples to learn more about the Past of verb to BE questions:
Was he at the party?
Were you at home yesterday morning?
Was the book interesting?
Were the keys on the table?
Was she in the kitchen?
How to form negative sentences using the past of verb to BE?
You just need to add (not) after (was & were). Or you can even use the contraction form of (wasn’t & weren’t). Both can be used but you need to be careful! When writing a professional letter or email, better use (was not or were not). When sending messages, commenting on social media posts, or writing informal letters to friends, family members, etc, you may use (wasn’t & weren’t). So, it depends on the person you write to. Let’s have a look at the following examples:
No, he was not/ wasn’t at the party
No, I was not/ wasn’t at home yesterday morning
No, the book was not/ wasn’t interesting
No, she was not/ wasn’t in the kitchen
Let’s have a short exercise & type your answers below in the comments section 🙂
She _____ (not) at the meeting yesterday.
_____ they happy with the decision?
The weather _____ perfect for a picnic.
We _____ (not) aware of the change in plans.
_____ you at the concert last night?
He _____ (not) the person I saw earlier.
The children _____ excited about the trip.
_____ it difficult to find the place?
They _____ (not) ready to leave.
I hope you find this English grammar lesson useful, let me know if you have any questions related to the use of the past of verb to BE or if you have any suggestions for the upcoming topics. Yesterday, I explained about the use of present of verb to BE, so feel free to check it 🙂 Also, if you need a private discussion or lessons, email me 🙂
Have a great day & take care!