PAST SIMPLE - VERB 'TO BE'

We can use the past simple of the verb to be to talk about situations and states in
the past.

EXAMPLES:

I was at my brother's house yesterday.

She was with her friends last Saturday.
We were happy yesterday.

AFFIRMATIVE

I was hungry this morning.

You were in the garden yesterday.
It was sunny yesterday.
They were at the beach last weekend.

NEGATIVE

I was not late for school this morning. = I wasn't late for school
this morning.
He was not at home last Saturday. = He wasn't at home last
Saturday.
We were not cold yesterday. = We weren't cold yesterday.

INTERROGATIVE

1. Forming yes/no questions with WAS / WERE

To make a question we change the position of 'was / were' and the subject.
You were here. Were you here?

She was sick. Was she sick?

'Yes / No' Questions with 'Be'

Was I sleepy? Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.
Were you late? Yes, You were. / No, You weren’t.
Was he at the cinema? Yes, he was. / No, he wasn’t.
Was she kind? Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
Was it hot? Yes, it was. / No, it wasn’t.
Were we hungry? Yes, we were. / No, we weren’t.
Were they at work? Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.
 2. Forming WH- questions with WAS / WERE

And the 'wh' questions with 'be' (the question word just goes at the beginning,
everything else is the same):

The store was closed. Was the store closed? Why was the store closed?

They were wolves. Were they wolves? Where were they wolves?

'Wh' Questions with 'Be'

Why was I sleepy?
Where were you?
When was he at the cinema?
How was she?
How was it?
Why were we hungry?
When were they at work?