{"id":273498,"date":"2026-09-22T03:00:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T08:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/?p=273498"},"modified":"2026-09-22T03:00:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T08:00:20","slug":"was-were-past-simple-a1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/blog\/was-were-past-simple-a1\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn &#8216;Was&#8217; and &#8216;Were&#8217;: Past Simple for A1 English Learners"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lc-answer\"><strong>Utilizamos <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> e <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> to talk about the past. They are the past forms of the verb <span data-no-translation>to be<\/span>.<\/strong> We use them to describe what someone or something <em>was<\/em> like, or where they <em>were<\/em> at a specific time in the past. Think of them as your English &#8220;time machine&#8221; words! You use <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> with singular subjects: <span data-no-translation>I<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>he<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>she<\/span>, e <span data-no-translation>it<\/span>. Por exemplo, <span data-no-translation>I was happy yesterday.<\/span> <span data-no-translation>She was at home.<\/span> Voc\u00ea usa <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> with plural subjects: <span data-no-translation>you<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>we<\/span>, e <span data-no-translation>they<\/span>. Por exemplo, <span data-no-translation>You were busy.<\/span> <span data-no-translation>They were at the park.<\/span> These two words help you share stories about things that are already finished, like <span data-no-translation>It was sunny last week.<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>We were friends in school.<\/span><\/div>\n<h2>What are &#8216;Was&#8217; and &#8216;Were&#8217;?<\/h2>\n<p><span data-no-translation>Was<\/span> e <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> are special words in English. They are the past forms of the verb <span data-no-translation>to be<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>We use them to talk about things that happened before now. For example, yesterday, last week, or a long time ago.<\/p>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-blended\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0E63C4,#0A2540);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\ud83c\udf93 Aprenda ingl\u00eas com o m\u00e9todo misto<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;opacity:.95;\">Grupos pequenos \u00b7 Tutor de IA 24 horas por dia, 7 dias por semana \u00b7 Prepara\u00e7\u00e3o para os exames de Cambridge<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:18px;\">Planos de <strong><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\" dir=\"auto\">$<\/span>39<\/bdi><\/span><\/strong> <s style=\"opacity:.6;\"><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\" dir=\"auto\">$<\/span>79<\/bdi><\/span><\/s> por m\u00eas<\/p><a href=\"\/pt\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#fff;color:#0E63C4;\">Reserve sua aula<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>When Do We Use 'Was'?<\/h2>\n<p>Utilizamos <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> when the subject is singular. This means we are talking about one person or one thing.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Uso <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> with:<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>I<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>He<\/span> (for a boy or man)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She<\/span> (for a girl or woman)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It<\/span> (for an animal or thing)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>When Do We Use 'Were'?<\/h2>\n<p>Utilizamos <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> when the subject is plural. This means we are talking about more than one person or thing.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Uso <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> with:<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>You<\/span> (for one person or many people)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>We<\/span> (you and other people)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>They<\/span> (other people, animals, or things)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How to Make Sentences with 'Was' and 'Were'<\/h2>\n<p>It's easy to make sentences using <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> e <span data-no-translation>were<\/span>. Just remember the subject and the past form.<\/p>\n<h3>Positive Sentences<\/h3>\n<p>Use: Subject + <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> \/ <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> + information.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>I was happy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>They were at school.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Negative Sentences<\/h3>\n<p>Use: Subject + <span data-no-translation>was not<\/span> \/ <span data-no-translation>were not<\/span> + information.<\/p>\n<p>We often use short forms: <span data-no-translation>wasn't<\/span> e <span data-no-translation>weren't<\/span>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She was not tired.<\/span> (ou <span data-no-translation>She wasn't tired.<\/span>)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>We were not ready.<\/span> (ou <span data-no-translation>We weren't ready.<\/span>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Questions<\/h3>\n<p>To ask a question, put <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> no in\u00edcio da frase.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Was he here?<\/span> (Yes, <span data-no-translation>he was<\/span>. \/ No, <span data-no-translation>he wasn't<\/span>.)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Were you busy?<\/span> (Yes, <span data-no-translation>I was<\/span>. \/ No, <span data-no-translation>I wasn't<\/span>.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For 'Wh-' questions (like <span data-no-translation>where<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>what<\/span>), put the 'Wh-' word first.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Where was she?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>What were they doing?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table>\n<caption>Subject and Past Form of &#x27;To Be&#x27;<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Assunto<\/th>\n<th>Past Form<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>I<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>was<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>He<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>was<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>She<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>was<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>It<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>was<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>You<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>were<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>We<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>were<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>They<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>were<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Exemplos<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>I was at home yesterday.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>He was a good student.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She was tired last night.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>It was sunny this morning.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>You were very kind.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>We were friends in primary school.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>They were late for the meeting.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>My cat was sleeping on the sofa.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>The books were on the table.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Was your brother here?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Were they happy with the results?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>I wasn't hungry.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>We weren't at the party.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Pr\u00e1tica<\/h2>\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-2134\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"2134\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"PT02 L1 GRAMMAR was \/ were\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-whatsapp\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#3DB16A,#1f8a4c);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\ud83d\udcac Precisa de orienta\u00e7\u00e3o personalizada?<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;opacity:.95;\">Como Centro Autorizado de Prepara\u00e7\u00e3o para os Exames de Cambridge, podemos orient\u00e1-lo na escolha do curso e da certifica\u00e7\u00e3o mais adequados. Entre em contato com nossos orientadores hoje mesmo.<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/wa.me\/51987070865?text=Hi%2C%20I%27m%20interested%20in%20Langcom%27s%20courses%20and%20would%20like%20some%20guidance%20choosing%20the%20right%20one.\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#fff;color:#1f8a4c;\">Converse com um consultor pelo WhatsApp<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Erros comuns entre falantes de espanhol<\/h2>\n<p>Os falantes de espanhol \u00e0s vezes cometem estes erros:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Using the wrong form:<\/strong> Remember, <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> is for <span data-no-translation>I, he, she, it<\/span> e <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> is for <span data-no-translation>you, we, they<\/span>. It is incorrect to say <span data-no-translation>I were happy<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>You was sad<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Forgetting 'to be' in the past:<\/strong> In English, you always need <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> to describe a past state or location. Do not say <span data-no-translation>I happy yesterday<\/span> (incorrect). Say <span data-no-translation>I was happy yesterday<\/span> (correct).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Confusing 'ser' and 'estar':<\/strong> In Spanish, you have 'ser' and 'estar'. In English, <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> e <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> cover both ideas in the past. For example, <span data-no-translation>I was a student<\/span> (Yo era estudiante) and <span data-no-translation>I was at home<\/span> (Yo estaba en casa) both use <span data-no-translation>was<\/span>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Perguntas frequentes<\/h2>\n<h3>What is the difference between was and were?<\/h3>\n<p>The difference is the subject. We use <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> for singular subjects (<span data-no-translation>I, he, she, it<\/span>). We use <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> for plural subjects (<span data-no-translation>you, we, they<\/span>).<\/p>\n<h3>Can was and were be used for both 'ser' and 'estar' in Spanish?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, exactly! In English, <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> e <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> are the past forms of <span data-no-translation>to be<\/span>, which covers both the meanings of 'ser' and 'estar' in the past. For example, <span data-no-translation>She was a doctor<\/span> (Ella era m\u00e9dica) and <span data-no-translation>She was in the hospital<\/span> (Ella estaba en el hospital).<\/p>\n<h3>How do I make a question with was or were?<\/h3>\n<p>To make a question, you put <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> at the beginning of the sentence, before the subject. For example, <span data-no-translation>Was he busy?<\/span> ou <span data-no-translation>Were they ready?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>What are the short forms for was not and were not?<\/h3>\n<p>The short form for <span data-no-translation>was not<\/span> \u00e9 <span data-no-translation>wasn't<\/span>. The short form for <span data-no-translation>were not<\/span> \u00e9 <span data-no-translation>weren't<\/span>. These are very common in spoken English.<\/p>\n<h2>Aulas relacionadas<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/?p=272544\">Past simple<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/?p=272562\">Past simple<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/?p=272568\">Past simple<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/?p=272574\">Past simple<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We use was and were to talk about the past. They are the past forms of the verb to be. We use them to describe what someone or something was like, or where they were at a specific time in the past. Think of them as your English &#8220;time machine&#8221; words! You use was with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":192,"featured_media":274672,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bwfblock_default_font":"","langcom_teaches":"Past simple","langcom_cefr":"A1","langcom_type":"grammar","langcom_faq":"[{\"q\": \"What is the difference between was and were?\", \"a\": \"The difference is the subject. We use <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> for singular subjects (<span data-no-translation>I, he, she, it<\/span>). We use <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> for plural subjects (<span data-no-translation>you, we, they<\/span>).\"}, {\"q\": \"Can was and were be used for both 'ser' and 'estar' in Spanish?\", \"a\": \"Yes, exactly! In English, <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> and <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> are the past forms of <span data-no-translation>to be<\/span>, which covers both the meanings of 'ser' and 'estar' in the past. For example, <span data-no-translation>She was a doctor<\/span> (Ella era m\u00e9dica) and <span data-no-translation>She was in the hospital<\/span> (Ella estaba en el hospital).\"}, {\"q\": \"How do I make a question with was or were?\", \"a\": \"To make a question, you put <span data-no-translation>was<\/span> or <span data-no-translation>were<\/span> at the beginning of the sentence, before the subject. For example, <span data-no-translation>Was he busy?<\/span> or <span data-no-translation>Were they ready?<\/span>\"}, {\"q\": \"What are the short forms for was not and were not?\", \"a\": \"The short form for <span data-no-translation>was not<\/span> is <span data-no-translation>wasn't<\/span>. The short form for <span data-no-translation>were not<\/span> is <span data-no-translation>weren't<\/span>. These are very common in spoken English.\"}]","_kiss_seo_title":"","_kiss_seo_excerpt":"We use was and were to talk about the past. They are the past forms of the verb to be.","_mwseo_canonical":"","_mwseo_keywords":"","_mwseo_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[608],"tags":[651,887],"formats":[],"class_list":["post-273498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a1-beginner-english-for-kids","tag-grammar","tag-was-were"],"dsm_author":{"name":"Ra\u00fal","avatar_url":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/nsl_avatars\/1de86ea706740d324aaef3dd8bf0843b.png","archive_link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/blog\/author\/raulmaguinahamann\/","biodata":""},"dsm_categories":[{"term_name":"A1 Beginner English for Kids","term_id":608,"term_link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/blog\/category\/learn-english\/english-for-kids\/a1-beginner-english-for-kids\/"}],"dsm_attachment_categories":[],"dsm_featured_image":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-150x150.webp","medium":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-300x158.webp","medium_large":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-768x403.webp","large":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-1024x538.webp","1536x1536":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7.webp","2048x2048":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7.webp","trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-18x9.webp","et-pb-post-main-image":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-400x250.webp","et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-1080x630.webp","et-pb-portfolio-image":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-400x284.webp","et-pb-portfolio-module-image":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-510x382.webp","et-pb-portfolio-image-single":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-1080x567.webp","et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-400x516.webp","et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth-large":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7.webp","et-pb-image--responsive--desktop":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7.webp","et-pb-image--responsive--tablet":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-980x515.webp","et-pb-image--responsive--phone":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-480x252.webp","woocommerce_thumbnail":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-300x300.webp","woocommerce_single":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-600x315.webp","woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7-100x100.webp","full":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/past-simple-a1-grammar-english-langcom-7.webp"},"dsm_comment_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/192"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=273498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273498\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/274672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=273498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=273498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=273498"},{"taxonomy":"post_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/formats?post=273498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}