Was and were are the past simple forms of the verb to be. Use was with I, he, she, and it, and were with you, we, and they, as in I was tired yesterday or they were at the park. The negative forms are wasn’t and weren’t.
Grammar Rule
The verb to be in the past has two forms, used to talk about past states and situations.
Was vs Were: Forms and Examples
| Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I / He / She / It | was | I was tired yesterday. Was he at school yesterday? |
| You / We / They | were | They were at the park. We weren’t ready for the test. |
| Negative | wasn’t / weren’t | She wasn’t at home last night. |
Remember: was with I/he/she/it, were with you/we/they.
Practice Test
Instructions
Answer each question in the test below using was or were correctly. You will get a new random set of questions every time you retake the test, plus a downloadable results summary with your name and score at the end.
Past Simple – Verb «To Be» (Was / Were)
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Frequently Asked Questions
When do you use was?
Use was with I, he, she, and it, as in I was tired yesterday.
When do you use were?
Use were with you, we, and they, as in they were at the park.
What is the negative form of was?
The negative form of was is wasn’t, as in she wasn’t at home last night.
What is the negative form of were?
The negative form of were is weren’t, as in we weren’t ready for the test.