Elementary exercises

Forming the past tense of to be.

Affirmative and negative sentence Interrogative sentence
I was I
He was Was he
She not at home sh
at home
It wasn’t in yesterday. e it
in yesterday?
You were hospital last week. you hospital last week?
We were not on holiday Were we on holiday
They weren’t in London they in London

Task 1 - Complete the Task 3 - Rewrite the sentences into the Simple
sentences with the Past Tense Past Tense. Then write a negative sentence. Look
of “to be”. at the example below.
I am at home.  I was at home. I wasn’t at home.
1) We in Australia.
1) He is my friend.
2) She in the classroom.
3) It my birthday
_
last week. 2) I am a man.
4) The man in the train.
5) It an apple. _
6) You in a bookshop. 3) It is an umbrella.
7) It a doll.
8) I a good pupil. _
9) What this? 4) That is a bird.
10) It a French lesson.
_
11) It a beautiful city.
5) These are your pens and pencils.
12) He my brother.
13) I in London today.
_
14) We on holiday. 6) They are happy people.

Task 2 – Write some true _

sentences with was, were, wasn’t, 7) This is a kitchen.
weren’t.
_
8) Those are two bags, a ruler and a rubber.

_
9) We are in.

_
10) You are my brother.

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Task 4 - Rewrite the sentences into
the Simple Past. Then write an
interrogative sentence. Look at the
example below.
Mr Smith is at home.  Mr Smith was
at home. Was Mr Smith at home?
1) I am a good teacher.
Task 5 - Change the following
sentences into interrogative then give
short answers according to the sign.
Look at the examples.
Mr Smith was at home.   Was Mr
Smith at home? Yes, he was.

2) Mickey is strong and brave.

Tim and Peter were in the library. 
 Were Tim and Peter in the
library? No, they weren’t.
3) My name is Susan.
1) I was in the garden. 

4) Peter is a boy.
2) Mum was ill last week. 

5) She is a young woman.

3) They were on holiday in May. 

6) These are my comics.

4) You were tired yesterday. 

7) This is a family.
5) We were in the park at 5
o’clock yesterday. 
8) This pen is blue.

6) Jack was too fat two years ago. 

9) We are from Australia.

7) The Lees were in the zoo the

10) You are a stupid girl. day before yesterday. 

8) I was always hungry. 

Task 6 – Underline the adverbs of
time in Task 5. Then write them on
the lines.
9) Kim and Greg were married. 

10) Frank Sinatra was a famous actor. 

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Task 7 - Look at the calendar for last week and complete the sentences with
was, wasn’t, were or weren’t.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

library Mandy Kim
football training Sam Tom
dance lesson Lucy Mandy
the doctor’s Tom Lucy
cinema Sam and Kim

1) Mandy _ in the library on Monday.

2) On Thursday Lucy _ on a dance lesson.
3) Kim _ in the library last week.
4) Sam on football training on Thursday.
5) Tom ill on Tuesday.
6) Sam and Kim _ in the cinema on Wednesday.
7) Tom ill on Friday, he on football training.
8) Sam at the doctor’s.
9) Mandy _ on a dance lesson on Tuesday.
10)Lucy _ at the doctor’s on Friday.
11) Tom and Sam _ on football training last week.
12)Lucy _ in the library on Thursday.

Task 8 – Write some more sentences about the people in Task 7.

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

9)

10)

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