Verb to Be – Was/Were

Understanding the Verb “To Be” – Was/Were

The verb “to be” is one of the most important verbs in English. It helps us talk about the past, describe people and things, and tell stories. In this lesson, we will focus on the past tense forms of “to be”—was and were—and learn how to use them correctly.

What Are Was/Were?

In the past tense, the verb “to be” changes into two forms:

Was – Used with singular subjects (I, he, she, it).
Were – Used with plural subjects (you, we, they).

Examples:

I was at the park yesterday.
He was happy with his test results.
She was late for school.
It was a sunny day.
We were excited about the trip.
They were best friends in high school.
You were very helpful. (Note: “You” always takes “were,” whether singular or plural!)

When Do We Use Was/Were?

We use was and were in different ways. Let’s look at some common uses:

1️⃣ Talking About the Past

We use “was” and “were” to describe things that happened before now.

Yesterday, I was at my grandma’s house.
Last summer, we were on vacation in Italy.
When I was a child, I loved cartoons.

2️⃣ Describing Feelings and Conditions

If we want to describe how someone felt in the past, we use “was” or “were.”

She was very tired after the long trip.
They were excited about the party.
It was cold last night.

3️⃣ Asking and Answering Questions

We use was and were in questions too!

🔹 Was he at the office this morning? – Yes, he was.
🔹 Were you at the party last night? – No, I wasn’t.
🔹 Were they late for class? – Yes, they were.

💡 Remember: In short answers, we say “Yes, I was” or “No, we weren’t”, instead of repeating the whole sentence.