What are ‘Was’ and ‘Were’?
Was and were are special words in English. They are the past forms of the verb to be.
We use them to talk about things that happened before now. For example, yesterday, last week, or a long time ago.
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When Do We Use ‘Was’?
We use was when the subject is singular. This means we are talking about one person or one thing.
- Use was with:
- I
- He (for a boy or man)
- She (for a girl or woman)
- It (for an animal or thing)
When Do We Use ‘Were’?
We use were when the subject is plural. This means we are talking about more than one person or thing.
- Use were with:
- You (for one person or many people)
- We (you and other people)
- They (other people, animals, or things)
How to Make Sentences with ‘Was’ and ‘Were’
It’s easy to make sentences using was and were. Just remember the subject and the past form.
Positive Sentences
Use: Subject + was / were + information.
- I was happy.
- They were at school.
Negative Sentences
Use: Subject + was not / were not + information.
We often use short forms: wasn’t and weren’t.
- She was not tired. (or She wasn’t tired.)
- We were not ready. (or We weren’t ready.)
Questions
To ask a question, put was or were at the beginning of the sentence.
- Was he here? (Yes, he was. / No, he wasn’t.)
- Were you busy? (Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.)
For ‘Wh-‘ questions (like where, what), put the ‘Wh-‘ word first.
- Where was she?
- What were they doing?
| Subject | Past Form |
|---|---|
| I | was |
| He | was |
| She | was |
| It | was |
| You | were |
| We | were |
| They | were |
Examples
- I was at home yesterday.
- He was a good student.
- She was tired last night.
- It was sunny this morning.
- You were very kind.
- We were friends in primary school.
- They were late for the meeting.
- My cat was sleeping on the sofa.
- The books were on the table.
- Was your brother here?
- Were they happy with the results?
- I wasn’t hungry.
- We weren’t at the party.
Practice
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Common mistakes for Spanish speakers
Spanish speakers sometimes make these mistakes:
- Using the wrong form: Remember, was is for I, he, she, it and were is for you, we, they. It is incorrect to say I were happy or You was sad.
- Forgetting ‘to be’ in the past: In English, you always need was or were to describe a past state or location. Do not say I happy yesterday (incorrect). Say I was happy yesterday (correct).
- Confusing ‘ser’ and ‘estar’: In Spanish, you have ‘ser’ and ‘estar’. In English, was and were cover both ideas in the past. For example, I was a student (Yo era estudiante) and I was at home (Yo estaba en casa) both use was.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between was and were?
The difference is the subject. We use was for singular subjects (I, he, she, it). We use were for plural subjects (you, we, they).
Can was and were be used for both ‘ser’ and ‘estar’ in Spanish?
Yes, exactly! In English, was and were are the past forms of to be, which covers both the meanings of ‘ser’ and ‘estar’ in the past. For example, She was a doctor (Ella era médica) and She was in the hospital (Ella estaba en el hospital).
How do I make a question with was or were?
To make a question, you put was or were at the beginning of the sentence, before the subject. For example, Was he busy? or Were they ready?
What are the short forms for was not and were not?
The short form for was not is wasn’t. The short form for were not is weren’t. These are very common in spoken English.
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