Grammar in focus
Form
Past of to be: was (I, he, she, it) · were (you, we, they)
| Affirmative | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|
| I was at home. / They were late. | She wasn't ready. / We weren't there. | Were you at the party? / Was it cold? |
Short answers: Yes, I was. · No, they weren't.
Use
- Where or how someone or something was: I was at work. The film was boring.
- Age, place and date of birth: I was born in 1990. Where were you born?
- There was / there were: There was a problem. There were many people.
Words used with it
yesterday, last night, last week, two days ago, in 2019, this morning.
Watch out
We was at the cinema→ We were at the cinema.You was right→ You were right.- No did with was / were:
He didn't was here→ He wasn't here. - Questions: invert the verb.
Was they late?→ Were they late?
En español
Was / were = pasado de to be (ser o estar): I was tired = estaba cansado. Was con I, he, she, it; were con you, we, they. Negativo: wasn't / weren't.
US vs UK
This book teaches American English. These are the differences you will notice with British English on this topic.
Both varieties use If I were you in careful English; American writing strongly prefers were.
En inglés cuidado se usa If I were you; la escritura americana prefiere were.
Same was; sick (US) = ill (UK).
Mismo was; sick (EE. UU.) = ill (Reino Unido).
Don't add at in exams.
No añadas at en exámenes.
Exam practice
- Five parts, like a certification exam: multiple choice, open cloze, error identification, sentence transformation and US vs UK.
- Typed answers accept American spelling and contractions (don't = do not).
- Every item has feedback in English and Spanish. Items and options change order on every attempt.
- Only Exam mode saves your score to your progress. You pass with 70%.
Practice mode
No timer. Check each part as you go and read the feedback.
Exam mode
25 minutes. Feedback at the end. Your best score is saved.