This document provides information on using the past simple tense of the verb "to be" in English. It covers the affirmative, negative, and interrogative forms. Key points include: 1. The affirmative form uses "was" or "were" followed by the subject. 2. The negative form can be contracted (e.g. wasn't, weren't) or full (was not, were not). 3. Questions are formed by placing "was" or "were" before the subject. 4. Short answers do not repeat the verb phrase and use "yes" or "no" with the contracted or full forms of "was" or "were".

1. Past Simple
To be

2. Past Simple
to be - Affirmative Form
Forma affermativa
I was
you were
he was
she was
it was
we were
your were
they were

3. Past Simple
to be Affirmative Form
Come si cotruisce:
Forma affermativa
Soggetto Was/wer
I was
you were
she was
ecc… ecc…

4. Past Simple
to be - Affirmative Form
Ricorda che:
1. Non esiste la forma contratta (o breve) del Past Simple
2. Il Past Simple si usa per parlare di un’azione che è iniziata e si è conclusa nel
passato
3. Il Past Simple corrisponde all’imperfetto, al passato prossimo e al passato
remoto in italiano.

5. Past Simple
to be - Affirmative Form
Esempi
1. It was sunny yesterday. C’era il sole ieri (imperfetto)
2. I was in Rome Saturday. Sono stato a Roma sabato (passato prossimo)
3. Dickens was a great writer. Dickens fu un grande scrittore (passato remoto)

6. Past Simple
Past time expressions
Le espressioni di tempo che si riferiscono al passato spesso includono gli
avverbi yesterday (ieri), last (scorso) opppure ago (fa).
Espressioni ti tempo
yesterday yesterday morning, yesterday
afternoon, yesterday evening
last last night, last Monday, last week, last
month, last year
ago a year ago, a month ago, 2 days ago, 20
minutes ago.

7. Past Simple
Past time expressions
Ricorda che:
Le espressioni di tempo passato si mettono all’inizio o alla fine della frase senza
alcun cambiamento di significato.
Yesterday I was at the cinema. Ieri ero al cinema.
I was at the cinema yesterday. Ero al cinema ieri.

8. Past Simple
there was/there were
Traduciamo there was (forma singolare) con c’era e there were (forma al
plurale) c’erano.
• There was a child in the park yesterday. C’era un bambino nel parco ieri.
• There were many people in the beach last week. C’erano tante persone in
spiaggia la settimana scorsa.
Forma affermativa there was/there were
Forma negativa there wasn’t (there was not)/there weren’t
(there were not)
Forma interrogativa Was there? Were there?

9. Past Simple
to be – Negative Form
Forma negativa
Forma intera Forma contratta
I was not I wasn’t
You were not You weren’t
He/she/it was not He/she/it wasn’t
We were We weren’t
You were You weren’t
They were They weren’t

10. Past Simple
to be – Negative Form
Esempi
I wasn’t home. Non ero a casa.
You weren’t at the concert. Non eri al concerto.
Ricorda che:
Le forma contratte wasn’t e weren’t si usano nell’inglese parlato e nell’inglese
informale.

11. Past Simple
to be – Interrogative Form
Forma interrogativa Risposte brevi
Was I? Yes, you were. No, you weren’t.
Were you? Yes, I was. No, I wasn’t.
Was he? Yes, he was. No, he wasn’t.
Was she? Yes, she was. No, she wasn’t.
Was it? Yes, it was. No, it wasn’t.
Were we? Yes, you were. No, you weren’t.
Were you? Yes, we were. No, we weren’t.
Were they? Yes, they were. No, they weren’t.

12. Past Simple
to be – Interrogative Form
Come si costruisce la forma interrogativa?
La forma interrogativa si costruisce mettendo was o were davanti al soggetto.
was/were soggetto resto della frase
Was I a good child?
Were you at home?

13. Past Simple
to be – Short Answers
Come si costruiscono le risposte brevi?
Domanda Was I a good child?
Risposta affermativa Yes, you were.
Risposta negativa No, you, weren’t.
Domanda Were you at home?
Risposta affermativa Yes, I was.
Risposta negativa No, I wasn’t.

14. Past Simple
to be – Short Answers
Come si costruiscono le risposte brevi affermative?
Le risposte brevi affermative si ottengono con
Yes, + Soggetto + was o were
e non hanno MAI la forma contratta!
Were you at the concert? Yes, I was.

15. Past Simple
to be – Short Answers
Come si costruiscono le risposte brevi negative?
Le risposte brevi negative si ottengono con
No, + Soggetto + wasn’t o weren’t
e non hanno MAI la forma contratta!
Were you at the concert? No, I wasn’t.

16. Past Simple
to be – Short answers
Perché si chiamano risposte brevi?
Si chiamano così perché il resto della frase viene ommesso!
Were you at the concert?
Yes, I was (at the concert).
No, I wasn’t (at the concert).

17. Past Simple
to have - Affirmative form
Forma affermativa
I had
you had
he had
she had
it had
we had
your had
they had