Was and were
Use was and were to describe the past: where you were, how you felt and what things were like.
In this lesson you will
- Use was/were in positive, negative and question forms
- Describe past places, people and feelings
- Use there was / there were
Learn
Was with I, he, she, it; were with you, we, they: I was tired. They were at home.
Negatives: wasn’t, weren’t. Questions: Was it good? Where were you? Short answers: Yes, it was. / No, they weren’t. We don’t use did with be.
Use was/were to describe past situations, feelings, places and weather: The hotel was lovely. The streets were empty. I was nervous.
There was / there were: There was a problem. There were lots of people.
Examples
- I was at home all day.
- The tickets weren’t expensive.
- Were you nervous before the interview?
- There were three people in the queue.
Vocabulary
nervous
worried and a bit afraid
crowded
full of people
delicious
tasting very good
boring
not interesting
empty
with nothing or no one inside
Practice
We ___ in Madrid last week.
Listening: The first day
Audio isn’t available in this browser — read the transcript instead.
Mum: How was your first day at the new job?
Leo: It was OK. I was really nervous in the morning.
Mum: Were your colleagues friendly?
Leo: Yes, they were. But the office was very cold!
Mum: And lunch?
Leo: There wasn’t a canteen, so I bought a sandwich.
1.Leo was nervous in the morning.
2.His colleagues weren’t friendly.
3.What was the problem with the office?
4.Why did Leo buy a sandwich?
Speaking
Describe your first day at school or at work: where were you, how did you feel, what was it like?
Writing
Describe a place you visited as a child (50–70 words) with was, were, there was and there were.
Lesson quiz
Where ___ you last night?
Review
Key points
- was: I/he/she/it; were: you/we/they.
- wasn’t/weren’t; Was…? Were…?
- No did with be.
- There was / there were.
What you learned
- ✓ I can use was and were.
- ✓ I can describe past situations.
- ✓ I can use there was/were.
Grammar reference: Past simple, The verb “to be” (am, is, are)