WAS / WERE - Questions with Short Answers | Past Tense of TO BE | Learn English Grammar

Summary

This video tutorial explains how to form questions using the past tense of the verb 'to be,' specifically 'was' and 'were.' It demonstrates how to convert affirmative sentences like 'They were happy' into questions such as 'Were they happy?' with simple subject-verb inversion. The video also shows how to respond with short answers like 'Yes, they were' or 'No, they weren't.' Practical exercises are included for viewers to practice forming questions and giving short responses based on everyday situations, helping learners master this essential grammar structure.

Takeaways

• 😀 Questions with 'was' and 'were' are formed by changing the order of the subject and the verb.
• 😀 For example, 'They were happy' becomes 'Were they happy?'
• 😀 Short answers are commonly used to respond to 'was' and 'were' questions, such as 'Yes, they were' or 'No, they weren't'.
• 😀 To form a question with 'was,' invert the subject and verb, like 'Was she busy?'
• 😀 Similarly, to form a question with 'were,' invert the subject and verb, like 'Were they confused?'
• 😀 When answering questions, short responses are sufficient, and you do not need to repeat the subject or the adjective.
• 😀 Practicing questions and short answers helps reinforce the usage of 'was' and 'were' in different contexts.
• 😀 The exercise includes various real-life examples like 'Was it hot yesterday?' and 'Were you busy yesterday?'
• 😀 Using 'was' and 'were' in questions is a simple and effective way to inquire about past actions or states.
• 😀 The script also includes a set of practice questions about one's own life, encouraging interactive participation.
• 😀 Key responses include affirmatives like 'Yes, I was' and negatives like 'No, I wasn't', which are easy to remember and apply.

Q & A

How do we form a question using the past tense of 'to be' with 'were'?

To form a question, simply change the order of the subject and the verb. For example, 'They were happy' becomes 'Were they happy?'

What are typical short answers to a question formed with 'were'?

Typical short answers are 'Yes, they were' or 'No, they weren't.' The word 'happy' does not need to be repeated in the answer.

How do we form a question with 'was' in the past tense?

To form a question with 'was,' change the order of the subject and the verb. For example, 'She was busy' becomes 'Was she busy?'

What are typical short answers to a question formed with 'was'?

Typical short answers are 'Yes, she was' or 'No, she wasn't.' The word 'busy' does not need to be repeated in the answer.

How would you turn 'He was nervous' into a question?

The question is 'Was he nervous?' and the short answers could be 'Yes, he was' or 'No, he wasn't.'

How would you turn 'We were in a hurry' into a question?

The question is 'Were we in a hurry?' and the short answers could be 'Yes, we were' or 'No, we weren't.'

What is the meaning of 'in a hurry'?

'In a hurry' means to be in a rush or to do things more quickly than normal.

What is the correct question form for 'The dog was hungry'?

The correct question form is 'Was the dog hungry?' with possible short answers 'Yes, it was' or 'No, it wasn't.'

How should you answer the question 'Were you and Mike clean?'?

The answer would be 'No, we weren't.'

What is the correct question form for 'Your dog was sick last week'?

The correct question form is 'Was your dog sick last week?' and the answer could be 'Yes, it was.'