form and use of verb to be in the past

1. PAST SIMPLE
TO BE: WAS, WERE

2. My grandmother is old

3. She was young 50 years ago

4. We are 7 th grade students now,but we were 6 th grade
students last year

5. Mary is slim now but she was fat last year
Now
last year

6. DIFFERENCE PRESENT & PAST
PRESENT
PAST
I am
I was
You are
You were
He, She, It is
He, she, it was
We are
We were
You are
You were
They are
They were

7. Positive: was, were
I
was
You
were
He, She, It
was
We
were
You
were
They
were

8. Positive examples
I
You
 She
We use phrases such as yesterday, last night and last
year with the past simple.

9. Negative: was, were
I
was not / wasn’t
You
were not / weren't
He, She, It
was not / wasn’t
We
were not / weren’t
You
were not / weren’t
They
were not /weren’t

10. Negative Examples
I
You
 She

11. How to make questions
Positive form
I was at school yesterday
Question form
Was
I
at school yesterday
?

12. Questions: was, were
Was
I?
Were
you?
Was
he, she, it?
Were
we?
Were
you?
Were
they?

13. Questions examples
I
you
she
?
?
?

14. Short answers
Positive
Negative
Yes, I was
No, I wasn’t / was not
Yes, you were
No, you weren’t / were not
Yes, she/he/it was
No, she/he/it wasn’t/ was not
Yes, we were
No, we weren’t / were not
Yes, you were
No, you weren’t / were not
Yes, they were
No, they weren’t / were not

15. Questions and short answers examples
Was she at home yesterday?
Yes, she was || No, she wasn’t
Were you at the gym last night?
Yes, I was || No, I wasn’t
Were they at the cinema yesterday?
Yes, they were || No, they weren’t

16. Can you use the verb to be in the
past to describe these famous
people?
WAS OR WERE

17. Gran capitan was born in Cordoba.
He was a general.

18. Seneca was born in Cordoba.
He was a philosopher.

19. Maimonides was born in Cordoba.
He was a doctor.

20. Isabel and Fernando were born in Castilla and
Aragon. They were the Catholic Monarchs.