Was and were
The past of be: I was at home, they were late, were you there? And there was, there were.
Not sure A1 is your level? Find out in 8–40 questions, no account needed.
Was and were are the past forms of am, is, are. We use them for a person, a thing or a situation in the past: where someone was, how something was, what it was like.
Positive: was and were
Present | Past |
|---|---|
I am | I was |
he, she, it is | she was |
you, we, they are | they were |
- I was at home all day yesterday.
- The film was very long.
- My parents were in Spain last week.
- We were tired after the trip.
- Incorrect: Yesterday I were at home.
- Correct: Yesterday I was at home.With I, he, she and it, the past of be is was.
- Incorrect: The tickets was expensive.
- Correct: The tickets were expensive.Tickets is plural, so the verb is were.
Negative: wasn't and weren't
Put not after was or were. In speech we usually say wasn't and weren't.
Full form | Short form |
|---|---|
I was not | I wasn't |
they were not | they weren't |
- The hotel wasn't very clean.
- We weren't at the meeting.
- I'm sorry, I wasn't at my desk.
- Incorrect: I didn't was at work on Monday.
- Correct: I wasn't at work on Monday.Was makes its own negative. Don't use didn't with it.
Questions and short answers
Put was or were before the subject. Don't use did.
Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
Was she at work? | Yes, she was. | No, she wasn't. |
Were you at home? | Yes, I was. | No, I wasn't. |
Were they late? | Yes, they were. | No, they weren't. |
- Was the train on time?
- Were you busy yesterday?
- Incorrect: Did you be at the party?
- Correct: Were you at the party?The question starts with were. Don't use did with be.
Question words
Put the question word first, then was or were, then the subject.
- Where were you last night?
- How was your weekend? It was great, thanks.
- Why were they late?
- What was the problem?
- Incorrect: Where you were yesterday?
- Correct: Where were you yesterday?
Born
To say when or where someone started life, we use was born or were born.
- I was born in 1990.
- My children were born in Edinburgh.
- Where were you born?
- Incorrect: I born in Kazan.
- Correct: I was born in Kazan.
- Incorrect: I am born in 1990.
- Correct: I was born in 1990.When we talk about our own birth, we use was born or were born.
There was and there were
The past of there is and there are is there was and there were.
- There was a problem with the bill.
- There were a lot of people at the concert.
- Was there a lift in the hotel? No, there wasn't.
- Were there any messages for me?
- Incorrect: There were a problem with my flight.
- Correct: There was a problem with my flight.A problem is singular, so we use there was.
Past time words
Was and were often go with past time words: yesterday, last night, last week, last year, in 2015. These words usually go at the end of the sentence or at the start.
- She was in Paris last week.
- Last winter it was very cold.
- We were at the same school in 2005.