Complete the sentences with was or were.
Read about the famous people and complete
the questions and write short answers.

This worksheet is about the use of the past tense with was and were. Students read and write. The paper has an answer key.
* Download This English Worksheet: “Simple past tense with was and were printable worksheets”.

Mastering the Simple Past Tense with “Was” and “Were”

1. “Was” and “Were”: The Basics

Both words are the past tense forms of the verb “to be.” 

• “Was” dances gracefully with I, he, she, and it.
• “Were” waltzes merrily with you, we, and they.

2. “Was” and “Were”: Affirmative Sentences

Affirmative:

Subject	Verb	Example
I	was	I was at home yesterday.
She	was	She was excited about the party.
We	were	We were tired after the excursion.

3. “Was” and “Were”: Negative

We can also use them for negative incantations:

Subject	Negative Form	Example
You	weren’t	You weren’t late at the meeting.
It	wasn’t	It wasn’t sunny yesterday.
They	weren’t	They weren’t at the conference.

4. “Was” and “Were”: Question

Subject	Question Form	Example
Were	Were you	Were you at the beach last Sunday?
Was	Was she	Was she with her friends last Saturday?

5. “Was” and “Were”: Omitting the Noun

We can omit the noun from the question to avoid sounding repetitive:

• A: I would like to buy some cheese.
• B: How much (cheese) would you like?

See? The noun cheese is like a secret handshake—we both know what we’re talking about! 🧀

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