Download - 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.