Learners often say “I were in a park” or “We was at home”. The past of to be changes with the subject, so once you know the two groups, these mistakes go away.
The phrase: I was in a park
The simplest way to say where you were is I was in a park. The past tense of to be has two forms, was and were, and the subject decides which one you use.
- I was in a park.Past of to be with I (singular).
- She was at school yesterday.Past of to be with she (singular).
- We were at the beach last summer.Past of to be with we (plural).
Ukrainian and Russian past forms change for gender: «я був» / «я була». English doesn’t care about gender here. I was works for a man and a woman alike.
was or were: the table
Sort the subjects into two groups:
- was — I, he, she, it, and singular nouns: my sister was.
- were — we, you, they, and plural nouns: the kids were.
- He was tired after work.Singular subject, so was.
- They were at home.Plural subject, so were.
Even when you speak to just one person, you always takes were: You were late.
Negatives and questions with to be
For a negative, add not after was or were. In speech, people usually use the contractions wasn’t and weren’t. For a question, swap the verb and the subject.
- I wasn’t in a park.Negative with the contraction wasn’t.
- They weren’t at school on Monday.Negative with weren’t.
- Was he at work?Yes/no question: was before the subject.
- Were you at home?Yes/no question: were before the subject.
- Why was she late?Wh-question: the question word comes first, then was/were, then the subject.
Short answers repeat was or were: Were they at home? — Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.
Common mistakes
- I were → I was. After I, it is always was.
- We was → We were. After we, it is always were.
- I didn’t was → I wasn’t. To be doesn’t take did or didn’t.
- Did you were…? → Were you…?
For other past verbs, which do need did, see our Past Simple negatives and questions post.
Check yourself
Fill in was or were, then check the answers:
1.They ___ at school yesterday. (was / were)
Answer
were
2.I ___ tired after the trip. (was / were)
Answer
was
3.___ you at the park last night? (Was / Were)
Answer
Were
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