Professional Documents
Culture Documents
4
TENSES - VERB TO BE (WAS, WERE) - SIMPLE PAST
FORM
AFFIRMATIVE
NEGATIVE
I
He
She
It
was
I
He
She
It
We
You
They
were
We
You
They
Affirmative form:
QUESTION
was not
(wasnt)
were not
(werent)
Was
Were
I?
he?
she?
it?
we?
you?
they?
Examples:
Last year my sister was 22 years old, so she is 23 now.
The hotel was lovely, and the rooms were very comfortable.
The children were in the garden yesterday afternoon.
Negative Form:
Examples:
You werent late yesterday.
He wasnt at home.
I wasnt in class last Monday.
Question Form:
We put was, were at the beginning of the question, before the subject.
Examples:
He was at school.
SHORT ANSWERS
Was he at school?
ONLINE
QUESTION
ANSWER
QUESTION
ANSWER
USE
We use the past of BE to express the following:
1. Profession, trade, occupation:
Ex:
My grandfather was a famous lawyer.
2. Nationality:
Ex:
My great-grandparents were both from Germany.
3. Age:
Ex:
4. Characteristics:
Ex:
Einstein was a very intelligent man.
5. Condition:
Ex:
Clark was pretty sick a few days ago.
6. Place:
Ex:
7. Color:
Ex:
ONLINE
III. Fill in the blanks and complete these sentences in the present
(am/is/are) or in the past (was / were).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ONLINE
ONLINE
was
were
was
were
was
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Exercise II:
were
was
was
were
was
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
wasnt
werent
wasnt
werent
wasnt
Exercise III:
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
werent
wasnt
wasnt
werent
wasnt
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
was
was
am
were
were
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
are
is
were
was
was
Exercise IV:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Exercise V:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ONLINE