GRAMMAR 1 REVIEW

Was ​and Were

In the present tense, the forms of the verb ​be​ are ​am, are, ​ and​ is​ . In the past tense, the forms of the
verb ​be ​ are ​was​ ​ and ​were​ .

Subjects Present Examples Past Examples

Tense Tense

I am I​ ​am ​from the United was I​ ​was​ ​sick last night.

States.

You You​ ​are ​from Mexico. You​ ​were​ ​happy yesterday.

We are We​ ​are ​from Saudi Arabia​. were We ​were​ sad yesterday.
They They​ ​are ​from Ireland. They​ ​were​ excited yesterday.

He He​ ​is​ funny. He​ ​was​ ​popular in the past.

She is She​ ​is​ ​tall. was She​ ​was​ ​famous in the past.
It It​ ​is​ ​beautiful. It​ ​was​ b
​ eautiful in the past.

Negative Form of ​Was​ and ​Were

To make ​was​ and ​were​ negative, add ​not​:​ ​was + not ​ and ​were + not​.

Negatives Examples Negative Examples

Contractions

was​ ​+​ ​not The movie​ ​was​ not​ ​funny. was​n’t The movie​ ​was​n’t​ ​funny.

were​ ​+​ ​not The books​ ​were​ ​not​ ​funny. were​n’t The books​ ​were​n't​ ​funny.

Created by Global Launch and Arizona State University. Copyright © 2020 Arizona Board of Regents. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized Duplication and Distribution Is Prohibited.
 GRAMMAR 1 REVIEW

Questions with ​Was​ and ​Were

To make a ​yes/no​ question with ​was and were​, change the order to ​Verb + Subject​.
Sentences: Subject​ ​+ V
​ erb Questions: ​Verb​ + Subject

Ai ​was​ ​tall. Was​ ​Ai ​tall?

The cups​ ​were​ ​copper. Were​ ​the cups​ ​copper?

To answer a ​yes/no​ question, we often give short answers.

For the negative form, we use contractions: ​wasn’t, weren’t​.
Yes/No ​Questions Short Answers

Was​ ​the weather ​amazing? Yes,​ ​it​ ​was​.

Was​ ​the crown ​big? No,​ ​it​ ​wasn’t​.

Were​ ​the pictures​ beautiful? Yes​,​ ​they​ ​were​.

Were​ ​Isabella and Luis ​from Mexico? No, ​they​ ​weren’t​.

Created by Global Launch and Arizona State University. Copyright © 2020 Arizona Board of Regents. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized Duplication and Distribution Is Prohibited.