30 To be Past simple
Advertising
Introduction
The verb to be is essential in grammar. It is an auxiliary verb and it is one of the irregular verbs.
To express situations that occurred in the past and have now concluded, we use the past tense of the verb.
Form
The verb to be is one of the verbs with an irregular past form.
Affirmative
| Subject | To Be |
|---|---|
| I | was |
| You | were |
| He | was |
| She | was |
| It | was |
| We | were |
| You | were |
| They | were |
Negative
| Subject | To Be + not | Short form |
|---|---|---|
| I | was not | wasn’t |
| You | were not | weren’t |
| He | was not | wasn’t |
| She | was not | wasn’t |
| It | was not | wasn’t |
| We | were not | weren’t |
| You | were not | weren’t |
| They | were not | weren’t |
Interrogative
| To Be | Subject | Question Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Was | I | …? |
| Were | you | …? |
| Was | he | …? |
| Was | she | …? |
| Was | it | …? |
| Were | we | …? |
| Were | you | …? |
| Were | they | …? |
Example
Affirmative
- I was a good boss.
- He was here 2 minutes ago.
- We were in Portugal in 2012.
Negative
- I wasn’t a good boss.
- He wasn’t here 2 minutes ago.
- We weren’t in Portugal in 2012.
Interrogative
- Was I a good boss?
- Was he here 2 minutes ago?
- Were you in Portugal in 2012?
Use
The past simple of to be is used as a linking word between the subject and a complement or adjective. It provides further information about the subject itself in the past.
Summary
We use the past simple to express situations that occurred in the past and have now concluded. The verb to be has an irregular past form.
- Affirmative: (I) was, (you) were, (he/she/it) was, (we/you/they) were;
- Negative: (I) was not, (you) were not, (he/she/it) was not, (we/you/they) were not;
- Interrogative: was (I…?), were (you…?), was (he/she/it…?), were (we/you/they…?).
For example:
— Affirmative: “There was enough sugar to make the cake.”
— Negative: “There wasn’t enough sugar to make the cake.”
— Interrogative: “Was there enough sugar to make the cake?”
Let’s revise this content within the {Form} section. Take a look at the {Example} section that shows its use within a context.
Exercises
The exercises are not created yet. If you would like to get involve with their creation, be a contributor.
Ambassadors
Open TextBooks are collaborative projects, with people from all over the world bringing their skills and interests to join in the compilation and dissemination of knowledge to everyone and everywhere.
Become an Ambassador and write your textbooks.
Online Teaching
Become a Books4Languages Online tutor & teacher.
More information here about how to be a tutor.
