Past Tense - Be

Past Tense of the Verb “Be”

The verb “be” has two past tense forms in English:
Was (used with singular subjects: I, he, she, it)
Were (used with plural subjects: you, we, they)

The following diagram gives the present tense and past tense of the irregular verb “be”. Scroll down the page for more examples and solutions.

 

“To Be” - Past & Present Tense - Affirmative Sentences
This is an introduction to using “To Be” (was and were) in the past tense.
Examples are given in affirmative sentences (no negatives or questions).
Examples of simple time expressions such as:
Present: now, right now, and at the moment
Past: yesterday, last night, last week, last month, last year
How to join sentences in the Past with sentences in the Present tense with the conjunction “but”?
“But” is used to contrast or show a difference or change in what has already been mentioned.
e.g. They were noisy last night, but they are quiet now.

be - past tense
This video shows how to use the verb “be” in the past tense

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** The verb “be” in the past tense**
This video shows how to conjugate the verb be in the affirmative and the negative

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The Verb “Be” - Present and Past Tense
This video shows the difference between the verb “be” in the past and the present tense.

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** The Verb “Be” – Past Tense Questions and Answers**
A teacher shows how to make yes-no questions and answers in the past tense using the verb “be.”

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Using “be” and “do” in the past tense
A teacher shows the differences between “be” and “do” in the past tense when making statements, negatives, and questions.

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Special Case: The Subjunctive Mood
One important exception where “were” is used even with singular subjects (I, he, she, it) is in the subjunctive mood. This mood is used for hypothetical, unreal, or contrary-to-fact situations, often after “if” or “wish."
If I were a bird, I would fly. (It’s hypothetical, I am not a bird)
I wish she were here. (She is not here, it’s a wish)
If it were easy, everyone would do it.

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