Past simple - verb 'to be'

Do you want to practise using the past simple of the verb to be in English?

Help

  • Read about the grammar.
  • Play the games to help you practise.
  • Print the activity sheet for more practice.
  • Remember to leave a comment!

Past simple – verb 'to be'

We can use the past simple of the verb to be to talk about situations and states in the past.

I was at my gran's house yesterday.
She was with her friends last Saturday.
We were happy yesterday.

How to use it

Use was for I, he, she and it. Use were for you, we and they.

I was hungry this morning.
You were in the garden yesterday.
It was sunny yesterday.
They were at the beach last weekend.

For negatives, use not. We can contract not and the verb, especially when we're speaking.

I was not late for school this morning. = I wasn't late for school this morning.
He was not at home last Saturday. = He wasn't at home last Saturday.
We were not cold yesterday. = We weren't cold yesterday.

For questions, change the order of was or were and the person.

Were you tired this morning? Yes, I was.
Was she at the park last Sunday? No, she wasn't.
Where was he yesterday?

Average: 4 (36 votes)

Submitted by LovelyDungeon9999 on Wed, 17/05/2023 - 11:32

Permalink

Today I learn how to use was, were, wasn't and weren't. I'd like to give some example.
We were in the park last week.
We were at school yesterday.
Yesterday was Tuesday.
I wasn't at the park yesterday.
She weren't at the park yesterday.

I learned about was, were, wasn't and weren't. Here are some examples:

We were in Diyarbakır for the weekend.
My brother was tired.
I wasn't bored in the guest house where we stayed.
My parents weren't bored either.

Submitted by HelpfulGarnet80 on Sun, 09/01/2022 - 15:53

Permalink
Now I got 7 out of 7

Submitted by ExtraJewel70 on Sun, 09/01/2022 - 15:50

Permalink
Sadly I got 86% but that's still good

Submitted by HelpfulGarnet80 on Sun, 09/01/2022 - 15:49

Permalink
I got 6 out of 7

Submitted by DJDJTeam on Tue, 20/07/2021 - 15:32

Permalink
I got 100% in the two games it's soo easy UwU

Submitted by PrincessTieTarantula on Tue, 03/07/2018 - 09:18

Permalink
Good game too

English courses for children aged 6-17

Learn more

Sign up to our newsletter for free learning tips and resources

We will process your data to send you our newsletter and updates based on your consent. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of every email. Read our privacy policy for more information.