Past tense of BE
English Grammar
The past tense of BE is WAS or WERE.
What is the difference between WAS and WERE? It depends on the subject (or who is talking)
- I was / He was / She was / It was
- We were / You were / They were
Pronunciation of WAS
UK: / wɒz / --- US: / wʌz /
You can hear the pronunciation in the video.
Pronunciation of WERE
UK: / wɜː(r) / --- US: / wɜːr /
You can hear the pronunciation in the video.
Example sentences with WAS
- The boy was tired.
- I was busy when you called me.
- How was your date?
Example sentences with WERE
- They were happy.
- We were ready for the test.
- Why were you angry?
Next learning activities
See our List of past tense irregular verbs in English.
Watch our video about 101 Irregular Past Tense Verbs in English.
English Language Resource
We also have all of these verbs available as flash cards / charts that can be used in the ESL / ELA classroom. These can be purchased here: 101 Irregular Verbs - Past Tense in English - Flash Cards / Charts
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