Was / Were
Learn how to talk about be verbs in the past using was and were.
Special Lesson Activities for This Grammar Point
Past Tense (Be)
Point 1: There are two forms of the past tense Be verbs: was and were.
- I was late. I was not on time.
- You were right. You were not wrong.
- It was cold. It was not warm.
- He was mad. He was not happy.
- She was early. She was not late.
- They were funny. They were not boring.
- We were busy. We were not idle.
Point 2: Speakers use contractions wasn't (was not) and weren't (were not) often in spoken English.
- She wasn't happy.
- It wasn't a fun evening.
- He wasn't a fun teacher.
- You weren't there.
- They weren't hungry.
- We weren't at the game.
Point 3: Both was and were are sometimes hard to hear because they are reduced and not clearly spoken.
- He was mad.
- It was hard to do.
- They were there.
- We were in class.
Point 4: In questions, pronouns and was and were become one blurred sound.
- Where was he?
- He was outside.
- Was she on time?
- No, she was late.
- I heard something. What was it?
- It was just the wind.
Answer the following questions about the interview.
About the Teacher
My name is Todd Beuckens and I am an ESL teacher in Thailand. I created this site to provide teachers and students free audio lessons and learning materials not usually found in commercial textbooks.