Adults|Grammar|Elementary|16. Past Simple (To be)

Past Simple of «be»

Elementary

Remember «am», «is» and «are»? Find out more about their past forms

Examples

Do you know Coco Chanel?

She was a fashion designer. Coco was born in 1883 in France. Her early years were not glamorous — Coco’s mother was not with her, and her father left her. But she made a revolution in the fashion industry.

Forms

Usage

• To talk about the past states

She was a designer.

Her early years were not glamorous.

— Was he late?
— Yes, he was.

— Were they at the cinema?
— No, they were not at the cinema.

• Use was/were with the following markers

❖ yesterday (We were busy yesterday.)

❖ last week, last month, last year, etc. (Last week I wasn’t home.)

❖ 2 days ago, one week ago, etc. (She was late for work 2 days ago.)

❖ in 2015, in 1867 (The summer was very hot in 2014.)

Common mistakes