Lesson 24: Past Simple
Irregular Verbs
Passado irregular
Today's Goal
- •Talk about the past using irregular verbs
- •Use was and were correctly
- •Ask and answer simple past questions
Quick Review: To Be (Present)
| Sujeito | Verbo | Exemplo |
|---|---|---|
| I | am | I am ready. |
| You | are | You are here. |
| He/She/It | is | She is happy. |
| We/They | are | They are late. |
To Be in the Past: Was / Were
Only two forms in the past:
was → for I, he, she, it (singular)
were → for you, we, they (plural + you)
were → for you, we, they (plural + you)
Was – Singular Subjects
| I was tired yesterday. | Eu estava cansado ontem. |
| He was at school. | Ele estava na escola. |
| She was a teacher. | Ela era professora. |
| It was cold. | Estava frio. |
Were – Plural & You
| You were late. | Você estava atrasado. |
| We were happy. | Nós estávamos felizes. |
| They were doctors. | Eles eram médicos. |
| You were right. | Você tinha razão. |
Negative Forms
was not = wasn't
were not = weren't
were not = weren't
Pronunciation: /ˈwɒzənt/, /ˈwɛrənt/
Negative Examples
| I wasn't at home. | Eu não estava em casa. |
| She wasn't happy. | Ela não estava feliz. |
| We weren't late. | Nós não estávamos atrasados. |
| They weren't ready. | Eles não estavam prontos. |
Questions: Invert Subject and Verb
Was + subject?
Were + subject?
Were + subject?
Not: Did you was? ✗
Correct: Were you...? ✓
Yes/No Questions
| Was he tired? | Ele estava cansado? |
| Were you at work? | Você estava no trabalho? |
| Was it easy? | Foi fácil? |
| Were they ready? | Eles estavam prontos? |
Short Answers
| Yes, I was. | Sim, eu estava. |
| No, I wasn't. | Não, eu não estava. |
| Yes, she was. | Sim, ela estava. |
| No, they weren't. | Não, eles não estavam. |
There Was / There Were
Used to say something existed or happened in the past.
There was → singular
There were → plural
There were → plural
Examples: There Was/Were
| There was a problem. | Houve um problema. / Tinha um problema. |
| There was a party. | Tinha uma festa. / Houve uma festa. |
| There were many people. | Havia muitas pessoas. |
| There were two cars. | Tinham dois carros. (errado!) |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Avoid | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You was tired. | You were tired. | 'You' always uses 'were'. |
| Did you be at home? | Were you at home? | No auxiliary 'did' with 'to be'. |
| Yesterday, had a party. | Yesterday, there was a party. | Use 'there was/were' for 'teve/tinha'. |
| We wasn't late. | We weren't late. | We → plural → use 'were'. |
Practice: Fill in the Blank
- I ___ at school yesterday. (was/were)
- They ___ happy with the test. (wasn’t/weren’t)
- ___ she a student? (Was/Were)
- There ___ three books on the table. (was/were)
Answers
- I was at school yesterday.
- They weren't happy with the test.
- Was she a student?
- There were three books on the table.
Pair Work: Ask & Answer
Ask your partner:
- Were you at home last night?
- Was your phone on the table?
- Were your friends at school?
Answer with full short answers:
- Yes, I was. / No, I wasn’t.
- Yes, it was. / No, it wasn’t.
- Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.
Mini Writing Task
Write 4 sentences about yesterday:
- •One with was
- •One with were
- •One negative sentence
- •One question
Wrap-Up
- •was → I, he, she, it
- •were → you, we, they
- •
Negatives: wasn't / weren't
Questions: Was/Were + subject?
Existence: There was / There were
Next lesson: More irregular verbs (go, eat, see…)
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