Was and were: talking about before — Foreign languages, 7–10 years
Was and were are the past forms of be. Foreign languages, 7–10 years.
Be can point to the past
When English talks about how someone or something was before, be changes to was or were. Use was with I, he, she and it; use were with you, we and they. “The room was quiet” tells us about an earlier time, not only about now.
Why does be change?
Listeners need to know whether a description belongs to now or to an earlier moment. English has two special past forms of be, so a single word can carry that time clue: was or were. This is different from many action verbs, which often use an ending such as -ed.
Choose was or were
Imagine yesterday’s picnic. Start with “We ___ in the park.” We belongs with were, so write “We were in the park.” For one person, write “I was hungry.” For several people, write “They were happy.” Each form matches the subject and points to yesterday.
You always takes were
A common mistake is “You was late.” It feels natural to choose was for one listener, but English treats you with were whether it means one person or several people. Say “You were late.” The same word works in “You were late, Sam” and “You were late, everyone.”
Remembering an earlier place
Was and were help you tell a simple story about a visit, a feeling or a place: “The museum was busy”, “We were tired” and “The keys were on the table.” They are useful when sharing what you noticed yesterday or describing an old photograph.
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