learn how to use the verb be in past

1. Elaborado por:
Sandrine Lafontant Diaz
Educación a Distancia

2. STRUCTURE
Type of pronoun Pronoun Verb be
First singular person I Was
Second person YOU Were
Third singular person HE, SHE, IT Was
First plural person WE Were
Second plural person YOU Were
Third plural person THEY Were

3. USES
We use the verb BE in the past to talk about past
events and actions.
Key words:
Yesterday, ago (= two days ago, a month ago, three
weeks ago), last (= last month, last year).

4. AFFIRMATIVE
SUBJECT + VERB BE IN PAST + OBJECT/COMPLEMENT
For example:
He was fat two years ago.
They were doctors when they lived in Cuba.

5. NEGATIVE
SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + NOT + OBJECT/COMPLEMENT
For example:
I wasn’t tall eanough to be a model.
We weren’t fat before we started eating so much junk food.

6. QUESTION
WAS/WERE + SUBJECT + OBJECT/COMPLEMENT
For example:
Was she the prettiest girl in the room?
Were they ready to leave the country?