Past Simple of 'be'
Beginner (A1)en
Past simple of to be
Past Simple of “Be” (was / were)
Remember
You already know how to use am / is / are (present simple of be).
In this lesson, you will learn how to use was / were to talk about the past.
1. What Is the Past Simple of “Be”?
In the past simple, the verb be has two forms:
- was
- were
We use was / were to talk about:
- something that happened in the past
2. When Do You Use the Past Simple of “Be”?
You use was / were to talk about the past when the time is:
yesterday, last week, last year, before, earlier, etc.
2.1 Identity and Jobs in the Past
We use was / were to say who someone was or what their job was.
Examples:
- “I was a student.”
- “She was a teacher.”
- “They were doctors.”
Why?
The identity or job is not true now.
2.2 Feelings and States in the Past
We use was / were to say how someone felt.
Examples:
The identity or job is not true now.
2.2 Feelings and States in the Past
We use was / were to say how someone felt.
Examples:
- “I was tired yesterday.”
- “He was happy.”
- “We were nervous.”
Why?
The feeling happened in the past.
2.3 Location in the Past
We use was / were to say where someone or something was.
Examples:
The feeling happened in the past.
2.3 Location in the Past
We use was / were to say where someone or something was.
Examples:
- “I was at home last night.”
- “She was at school.”
- “They were in the park.”
2.4 Descriptions in the Past
We use was / were to describe something in the past.
Examples:
- “The weather was cold.”
- “The room was clean.”
- “The movie was boring.”
3. Choosing the Correct Form: was / were
The form depends on the subject.
Use was with:
- I
- he
- she
- it
Examples:
- “I was tired.”
- “He was tired.”
- “She was tired.”
- “It was tired.”
Use were with:
- you
- we
- they
Examples:
- “You were tired.”
- “We were tired.”
- “They were tired.”
4. Positive Sentences with “Be” (Past Simple)
Structure:
Subject + was / were + information
Examples:
- “I was tired.”
- “He was tired.”
- “She was tired.”
- “It was tired.”
- “You were tired.”
- “We were tired.”
- “They were tired.”
Only was / were changes — the rest of the sentence stays the same.
The information after was / were can be:
The information after was / were can be:
- a noun → “He was a teacher.”
- an adjective → “She was tired.”
- a place → “We were at home.”
5. Negative Sentences with “Be” (Past Simple)
To make a negative sentence, add not after was / were.
Structure:
Subject + was / were + not + information
Examples:
- “I was not tired.” → “I wasn't tired.”
- “He was not tired.” → “He wasn't tired.”
- “She was not tired.” → “She wasn't tired.”
- “It was not tired.” → “It wasn't tired.”
- “You were not tired.” → “You weren't tired.”
- “We were not tired.” → “We weren't tired.”
- “They were not tired.” → “They weren't tired.”
Short forms (very common):
- was not → wasn’t
- were not → weren’t
6. Questions with the Verb “Be” (Past Simple)
To make a question, change the word order.
Structure:
Was / Were + subject + information?
Examples:
- “Was I tired?”
- “Was he tired?”
- “Was she tired?”
- “Was it tired?”
- “Were you tired?”
- “Were we tired?”
- “Were they tired?”
6.1 Short Answers
Yes answers:
- “Yes, I was.”
- “Yes, he/she/it was.”
- “Yes, you/we/they were.”
No answers:
- “No, I wasn’t.”
- “No, he/she/it wasn’t.”
- “No, you/we/they weren’t.”
7. Time Words Often Used with Past Simple “Be”
Common past time expressions:
- yesterday
- last night
- last week / last year
- earlier
- before
- in 2022
- when I was a child
Examples:
- “I was tired yesterday.”
- “They were here last week.”
- “She was happy when she was young.”
8. Past Simple “Be” vs Present Simple “Be” (Reminder)
Present (now):
- “I am tired.”
- “She is at home.”
Past (before):
- “I was tired yesterday.”
- “She was at home last night.”
One-sentence rule:
If the time is finished, use was / were.
9. Easy Way to Remember
Think about time first:
If the time is finished, use was / were.
9. Easy Way to Remember
Think about time first:
- Now → am / is / are
- Before → was / were
Ask yourself:
- “Is this about the past?”
If the answer is yes, use was / were.
Practice Exercises
Test your knowledge with interactive fill-in-the-blank exercises
Past simple of to be
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Related Vocabulary
Expand your vocabulary with words related to this grammar topic
Past simple of to be
A1Past Simple (be)
2 wordswas
verb
The past form of 'be', used to describe existence or identity.
She was happy yesterday.
were
verb
The past tense of 'be', used to indicate a state of being or existence in the past.
They were happy at the party.