Past Simple of Verb To Be

Past Simple of Verb To Be

1. Use

   • Actions or events that started and finished in the past
     • Examples
       • She was sick last week
       • You weren't nice to me yesterday
       • They were in London last summer

2. Affirmative Sentences

   • was
   • were
   • Examples
     • I was in France last year
     • You were a quiet child
   • Form
     • Subject + was/were

3. Negative Sentences

   • was not
     • wasn't
   • were not
     • weren't
   • Form
     • Subject + wasn't/weren't
   • Examples
     • I wasn't home yesterday
     • You weren't quiet as a child

4. Interrogative sentences

   • Wh- Questions
     • What
     • Where
     • When
     • Who
     • Example
       • What was the name of the book you recommended last week?
     • Form
       • Wh question word + was/were
     • How
   • Yes/No Questions
     • Examples
       • Were you in class yesterday?
     • Form
       • was/were + Subject

5. Time expressions

   • Yesterday
   • Last night/year/month/week/Sunday
   • A week/ few days/month/year ago
   • Position in the sentence
     • Generally, end of sentence. Sometimes beginning of sentence for emphasis
   • In 2006, in May...
   • The day before yesterday
   • When I was...

6. I was

7. You were

8. He/She/it was

9. You were

10. We were

11. They were

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