Past Simple Verb ‘To Be’

Step into our lesson on Past Simple ‘To Be’ Verbs! Discover the secrets of talking about the past in a simple and engaging way. This lesson is designed for all learners, whether you’re new to grammar or just need a refresher. Let’s break down ‘to be’ verbs in the past tense together. Ready to make learning enjoyable and effective? Dive into the lesson now!

Activities

Practice how to conjugate ‘to be’ verb.

Watch Our Video!

Title: How to Conjugate To Be in the Past Simple Tense

Introduction:

Host: Hello and welcome to the English Magnet. Today’s video: was/were in the past simple made easy! Have you ever wondered why sometimes you see ‘was’ and sometimes ‘were’ in the past simple? We’re going to clarify all this right now. By the way, a link to some free material to practice by yourselves can be found in the description below. Alright, let’s jump right into it!

Part 1: To Be in the Past Simple Tense

Let’s start with the basics. The verb ‘to be’ is actually irregular. There are two forms to memorize; was and were. Was follows the subjects I, he, she or it while Were follows the subjects you, we and they. As long as you remember this, you’re golden. Just watch out if the subject isn’t a pronoun, you just need to figure out which pronoun would fit. For instance, ‘my friends and I’ is the same as ‘we’ and ‘the panda’ is the same as ‘it’.

I was at the park yesterday. 

They were in class when the bell rang. 

Part 2: Negative Form

Keep a smile on your face as we explore the negative side of things. When you want to say something was not the case, you go ahead and add ‘not’ after ‘was’ or ‘were’. That’s it!

She was not at the meeting yesterday.

Sarah and I were not late for the movie.

Part 3: Contractions 

A quick tip for you: we often contract ‘was not’ to ‘wasn’t’ and ‘were not’ to ‘weren’t.’ It not only sounds more natural but also keeps things breezy. Just keep in mind that a contraction is informal. 

It wasn’t that difficult after all. (wasn’t = was not) 

You weren’t ready for the challenge. (weren’t = were not) 

Part 4: with There

Watch out when using ‘there’. There was / there were is a structure used to say something or someone exists or was in a place. Just check what follows it; if it’s singular use ‘there was’ and if it’s plural use ‘there were’. In a casual conversation, many people will ‘there was’ even if the noun referred to is plural. 

There was a beautiful sunrise over the mountains. (singular)

In the old library, there were dusty books lining the shelves. (plural)

Unfortunately, there wasn’t any milk left in the refrigerator. (singular) 

Despite our search, there were no hidden treasures in the attic. (plural)

Wrap up: 

Make sure to remember which subjects are associated with ‘was’ & ‘were’. When using ‘there’, check whether the following noun is singular or plural to add ‘was’ or ‘were’. If you’re in the mood, be sure to watch more of our videos! 

Closing:

• Host: Hopefully, this has been helpful. Click on the link to access some free grammar activities directly related to this topic. Keep practicing, and you’ll get the hang of it. Thank you for watching. Until next time!