past verb to be

PAST SIMPLE

TO BE: WAS, WERE

My grandmother is old

She was young 50 years ago

We are 7 th grade students now,but we were 6 th grade students last year

Mary is slim now but she was fat last year

Now last year

DIFFERENCE PRESENT & PAST

PRESENT

I am

You are

He, She, It is

We are

You are

They are

PAST

I was

You were

He, she, it was

We were

You were

They were

Positive: was, were

I

You

He, She,

It

We

You

They

was

were

was

were

were

were

Positive examples

I

You

She

We use phrases such as yesterday, last night and last year with the past simple.

Negative: was, were

I

You

He, She,

It

We

You

They

was not / wasn’t

were not / weren't

was not / wasn’t

were not / weren’t

were not / weren’t

were not /weren’t

Negative Examples

I

You

She

How to make questions

Positive form

I waswas at school yesterday

Question form

Was I

at school yesterday

?

Questions: was, were

I?

you?

he, she,

it?

we?

you?

they?

Was

Were

Was

Were

Were

Were

Questions examples

I

you

she

?

?

?

Short answers

Positive Negative

Yes, I was No, I wasn’t / was not

Yes, you were No, you weren’t / were not

Yes, she/he/it was No, she/he/it wasn’t/ was not

Yes, we were No, we weren’t / were not

Yes, you were No, you weren’t / were not

Yes, they were No, they weren’t / were not

Questions and short answers examples

Was she at home yesterday?Yes, she was || No, she wasn’t

Were you at the gym last night? Yes, I was || No, I wasn’t

Were they at the cinema yesterday?

Yes, they were || No, they weren’t

WAS OR WERE

Can you use the verb to be in the past to describe these

famous people?

Gran capitan was born in Cordoba. He was a general.

Seneca was born in Cordoba. He was a philosopher.

Maimonides was born in Cordoba. He was a doctor.

Isabel and Fernando were born in Castilla and Aragon. They were the Catholic

Monarchs.