(The past of the verb TO BE)

TO BE: AM - IS - ARE (NOW)I am a teacher.

The weather is good.I am at work.You are late.

TO BE: WAS – WERE (PAST)I was a teacher.

The weather was good.I was at work.You were late.

POSITIVE

IHeSheIt

WeYou They

WAS

WERE

EXAMPLES:I was tired last night.I was born in Australia.We were at home yesterday.You were in bed last night.They were late 5 days ago.He was ill last week.

NEGATIVE

IHeSheIt

WeYou They

WAS NOT(WASN’T)

WERE NOT(WEREN’T)

EXAMPLES:I wasn’t at school.She wasn’t in bed.We weren’t at home last week.You weren’t tired yesterday.They weren’t here last night.The hotel wasn’t expensive.

QUESTION?

I?he?she?it?

we?you? they?

WAS

WERE

EXAMPLES:Was the weather nice?Were you at the doctor’s?Was Ted at work yesterday?Were Sue and Steve at theparty?

SHORTANSWERS

WAS.

WERE.

I / he / she / itYes,

we / you / they

No,I / he / she / it

we / you / they

WASN’T.

WEREN’T.

EXAMPLES:

Were you at the supermarket? No, I wasn’t.

Was Ahmet born in Turkey? Yes, he was.

Was it hot yesterday? No, it wasn’t.

Those shoes are nice. Were they expensive? Yes, they were.

Was the exam hard? No, it wasn’t.