The verb to be · Conjugation
Past Simple of be
The answer: was / were
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to be is was / were.
Example: I was at school. They were tired.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | was |
| You | were |
| He / She / It | was |
| We | were |
| You (pl.) | were |
| They | were |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. You was ❌
You always takes were, even when it means only one person: You were right, never you was right.
2. We was / They was ❌
All plurals (we, they, my friends, the children…) take were. The rule is simple: was only goes with I, he, she, it and singular nouns.
3. If I was you ❌
To give advice or to imagine something that is not true, careful English prefers were with every person: If I were you, I would study more. If I was you is common in speech, but it is informal: in a test, write If I were you.
Practice quiz
Going further
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of be?+
The Past Simple of be has two forms: was with I, he, she and it (I was, he was), and were with you, we and they (you were, we were). It is the only English verb whose Past Simple changes with the person.
Is it was or were?+
Use was with I and the third person singular: I was, he was, she was, it was, the cat was. Use were with you, we, they and all plurals: you were, we were, the cats were. Be careful: you always takes were, even for one person.
What is the past of I am?+
The past of I am is I was: I was at school yesterday. You use was to describe a situation in the past (I was tired after the match) and to talk about a finished event (I was in Spain last summer).
How do you make questions and negatives with was and were?+
Like in the present, be needs no did. Negative: I was not (wasn't), they were not (weren't). Question: put the verb before the subject: Were you tired? Was she here?
Can you say if I were you?+
Yes. For an imagined situation, careful English uses were with every person: If I were you, I would call her. This form is called the subjunctive. In everyday speech, people also say If I was you, but it is more informal.
Related pages: be Past Simple
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/be/past-simple
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
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More forms of the verb to be are coming soon.