Be: Past Forms
The past of 'be' is 'was' for singular subjects and 'were' for plural subjects and 'you'. The negative adds 'not'.
Level A1
Verbs & Verb Patterns
Summary
- The past of 'be' is 'was' for singular subjects and 'were' for plural subjects and 'you'. The negative adds 'not'.
Structure
subject + was/were (+ not) (+ complement)
Examples
- I was at home yesterday.
- They were very kind.
- She wasn't ready.
- Were you tired after the trip?
Common mistakes
- • Mixing forms, e.g. 'You was late' instead of 'You were late'.
- • Saying 'They was' instead of 'They were'.
Related
More verbs & verb patterns
Used To (Past Habits and States)
A2
Use 'used to' to talk about habits or states that were true in the past but are not true now.
Gerunds vs Infinitives
B2
Some verbs are followed by a gerund (-ing form) and others by an infinitive (to + verb). The choice depends on the first verb, and a few verbs change meaning depending on which form follows.
Phrasal Verbs (Introduction)
B1
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a particle (like up, off, on, out) that often creates a new meaning. Some can be separated by their object, and some cannot.
Have Got
A2
'Have got' is a common British way to talk about possession, relationships, and characteristics. It means the same as 'have' but forms questions and negatives without 'do'.
Imperatives
A1
Imperatives give orders, instructions, invitations, and warnings. They use the base form of the verb with no subject; for negatives, put 'don't' first.
Like, Love, Hate + Verb-ing
A2
After verbs of liking and disliking such as like, love, enjoy, and hate, we usually use the -ing form of the next verb to talk about activities in general.