was and were
The first step into the past — describing yesterday before ever meeting a past-tense verb ending.
From age 7Talking about before →
✏️ The pattern
- Saying it
- I was / they were
- Saying no
- I wasn't / they weren't
- Asking
- Were you…?
- Short answer
- Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.
🗣️ Sentences a child can say
Tap any sentence to hear it. Every one uses words from a topic pack you already have.
🩹 What you will actually hear
The three mistakes that come up in every class, and what is behind each one.
They was tired.They were tired.
More than one takes were. Was belongs to I, he, she and it only.
Yesterday I am at home.Yesterday I was at home.
The time word is not enough on its own — the verb has to move into the past too.
I was went to school.I went to school.
Was is not a helper for a past verb. One past word per sentence.
🎯 How to teach it
- 1
Start with weather and feelings, not actions. "It was rainy. I was tired." needs no verb list at all.
- 2
Use last weekend, not a story. Their own Saturday is the only past they can describe with confidence.
- 3
Two photographs, then and now. The contrast carries the tense without a single grammatical word from you.
- 4
Teach was and were together but drill them apart. Mixed practice too early is where they blur.
🗂️ Topic packs that pair with this
Same structure, words your class already knows — no new vocabulary needed.
💬 Questions teachers ask
Is was and were really before the past simple?
Yes, and it is worth being firm about it. A child can describe a whole holiday with was, were and adjectives — no verb list, no -ed spelling, no irregular forms. It buys real past-tense speaking months early.
When do I add there was and there were?
As soon as was and were are steady, because the pattern is already familiar from there is. Describing a picture of yesterday is the natural task.