This document provides examples of using past tense verbs like "was" and "were" to talk about occupations and statuses in the past. It demonstrates their use in simple past statements as well as in negative and yes/no question forms. Examples include replacing present tense "is" with past tense "was" or "were" followed by occupations like scientist, teacher, and farmer to talk about what someone used to be.

1. GRAMMAR PRACTICE:
Past: was / were

2. I’m poor.

4. I was poor.

5. You are a journalist.

7. You were a journalist.

8. He is a scientist.

10. He was a scientist.

11. She is a teacher.

13. She was a teacher.

14. We are fightfighters.

16. We were fightfighters.

17. You are farmers.

19. You were farmers.

20. They are builders.

22. They were builders.

23. GRAMMAR PRACTICE:
Past Negative:
wasn’t / weren’t

25. I wasn’t poor.

27. You weren’t a journalist.

29. He wasn’t a scientist.

31. She wasn’t a teacher.

33. They weren’t builders.

34. GRAMMAR PRACTICE:
Past Questions:
was...? / were…?

35. Were you a journalist?

36. Were you a journalist?
Yes, I was.

37. Was he a TV presenter?

38. Was he a TV presenter?
No, he wasn’t.

39. Were they farmers?

40. Were they farmers?
Yes, they were.

41. Were they inventors?

42. Were they inventors?
No, they weren’t.