Bob is eighty. He’s old and weak.

Mary, his wife is seventy-nine. She’s old, too.

Fifty years ago they were young. Bob was strong.
He wasn’t weak. Mary was beautiful. She wasn’t
old.
The past simple of the verb “to be” is was & were.
I We
He
was You were
She
They
It
• We form questions by putting was/were before
the subject pronoun.
She was ill yesterday. ( + )
Was she ill yesterday? ( ? )

• We form negations by putting not after was/were.

She was not ill yesterday.
She wasn’t ill yesterday.
• We use the past simple for actions which
finished at a definite stated time in the past.
That is, we know when the action happened.

I went to Mersin last summer.

My father painted our house yesterday.
They were in Berlin last month.
(When? Last month)
He was in hospital two
weeks ago.
(When? Two weeks ago)
 square

John
John was at the square.
 castle

Mary and Peter

Mary and Peter were at the castle.
 palace

Jill
Jill was at the palace.
 souvenir shop

George and Mary

George and Mary were at the souvenir shop.
 museum

Nina and Rhonda

Nina and Rhonda were at the museum.
1. Were there CDs 100 years ago?
No, there weren’t.
2. Were there boats 100 years ago?
Yes, there were.

3. Were there helicopters 100 years ago?

No, there weren’t.
4. Were there bowls 100 years ago?
Yes, there were.

5. Were there videos 100 years ago?

No, there weren’t.

6. Were there irons 100 years ago?

No, there weren’t.
7. Were there washing machines 100 years ago?
No, there weren’t.

8. Were there motorcycles 100 years ago?

No, there weren’t.
9. Were there cookers 100 years ago?
No, there weren’t.
10. Were there TVs 100 years ago?
No, there weren’t.

11. Were there bicycles 100 years ago?

Yes, there were.
12. Were there glasses 100 years ago?
Yes, there were.
Where / Lyn / last Tuesday / ?
Where was Lyn last Tuesday?
She was at the supermarket.
 Where / children / yesterday afternoon / ?
Where were the children yesterday afternoon?
They were at the playground.
 Where / John / last night / ?
Where was John last night?
He was at the cinema.
 Where / Kevin and Sally / two days ago / ?
Where were Kevin and Sally two days ago?
They were at the museum.
 Where / you and your friends / last Saturday / ?
Where were you and your friends last Saturday?
We were at a restaurant.
Where / Diane / yesterday / at noon?
Where was Diane yesterday at noon?
She was at a train station.
 Lisa / actress
Lisa wasn’t an actress ten years ago.
She was a singer.
 Betty and Tom / poor
Betty and Tom weren’t poor ten years ago.
They were rich.
 Bob / fat
Bob wasn’t fat ten years ago.
He was thin.
 Tina and Allison / doctors
Tina and Allison weren’t doctors ten years ago.
They were students.
 Ted / in Italy
Ted wasn’t in Italy ten years ago.
He was in Spain.
Put WAS, WASN’T, WERE or WEREN’T in the gaps in these
conversations:
 
     1. Peter   :    ….. Was …….. Paul at work today?
         Julie    :    No, he ……………….. in the office. I think he’s sick.
 
     2. Henry  :    ……………… you in South America last year?
         Steve   :    Yes. I ……………….. in Bolivia on business, and then my
wife and I …………in Brazil for a holiday.
 
     3. Paula   :   Philip and I ……………….. at home in London last week.
We …………… at Mike’s house in Cornwall. It was lovely there. Do you
know Mike?
          Jane     :   Yes, I …………………. at Mike’s party in Oxford in the
summer.  ……………………you there?
          Paula   :   No, we weren’t there. Philip and I ……………….. in
Portugal in the summer.
 
Read the interview and answer the questions:
 Bill Jenkins is 100 today.
      Interviewer:  Bill, I expect life is very different today than a hundred years ago.
What was it  like?
     Bill            :  Yes, it is very different. Life was much quieter then. There are so many
cars now. There weren’t any cars when I was a boy.
     Interviewer:  Were you happy as a child?
     Bill            :  Oh yes, I was very happy, but I’m still happy now!
     Interviewer:  Tell me about your family.
     Bill            :  Well, my father was a postman and my mother was a cook. We
weren’t rich, but we weren’t poor either. There were five children. My brothers and
sisters were all younger than me but I’m the only one still here.
   
1.      Were there any cars when he was a boy?
 
2.      Was he happy or sad when he was a child?
 
3.      What was his mother’s job?
 
4.      How many children were there in his family?
 
5.      How old is Bill Jenkins?
A. Complete the text with WAS or WERE:
 
     Interviewer:  What ……………. it like during the First World War, Bill?
     Bill            :  It ……………… a terrible time. I ………………. a young man, so
I …………in the army. We …………….. in Italy.
     Interviewer:  Where ……………….. your wife and children?
     Bill            :  They ……………… in London. That ……………. dangerous too.
There   ...... bombs and there ……………… not a lot of food. The children
………….. very young and they ……………….. very frightened.
 
B. Are these statements TRUE or FALSE? Correct the FALSE statements
using WASN’T  or WEREN’T:
                     
                a) Bill was in the army. ……………………………………………
  b) Bill was in Poland. …………………………………………………
                c) Bill’s wife and children were in Italy. …………………………………
                d) It was dangerous in London. ………………………………………
                e) There was a lot of food in London. …………………………………
                f) The children were quite old. …………………………………………
                g)) The children were frightened. ………………………………………
Make questions about the text using WAS or WERE:
 
     Example: a) How old / Bill / during the First World War?
                         How old was Bill during the First World War?
 
                     b) / Bill / in the army? ……………………………………………?
                     c) Where / Bill? …………………………………………………..?
                     d) Where / Bill’s wife and children? ……………………………..?
                     e) / It dangerous in London? ……………………………………?
                     f) / there bombs? …………………………………………………?
                     g) / there a lot of food? ………………………………………….. ?
                     h) How old / the children? ………………………………………. ?
                     I) / the children frightened? …………………………………….. ?