There was and there were are past tense forms of there is and there are. We use these expressions to talk about the existence or presence of things in the past.
Form
- Singular: There was + singular noun
- Plural: There were + plural noun
When to Use “There Was” and “There Were”
- There Was Use
there was with singular nouns or uncountable nouns:
- There was a book on the table.
- There was an old castle in the village.
- There was some water in the bottle.
- There Were Use
there were with plural nouns:
- There were three students in the classroom.
- There were many trees in the park.
- There were some books on the shelf.
Negative Forms
To make negative sentences, add “not” after “was” or “were”:
- Singular:
There was not (wasn’t) + singular noun
- There wasn’t a restaurant in the town.
- There was not any coffee left.
- Plural:
There were not (weren’t) + plural noun
- There weren’t any people at the beach.
- There were not many cars in the parking lot.
Question Forms
To form questions, switch the positions of “there” and “was/were”:
- Singular:
Was there + singular noun + ?
- Was there a doctor in the hospital?
- Was there any food in the refrigerator?
- Plural:
Were there + plural noun + ?
- Were there any children at the party?
- Were there many tourists in the museum?
Common Time Expressions Used with “There Was/Were”
When talking about the past, we often use specific time expressions:
- Yesterday
- Last week
- Last month
- Last year
- In 2010
- When I was young
- A long time ago
Examples in Context
- When I visited Paris last year, there was a beautiful exhibition at the Louvre Museum.
- There were many people at the concert last night.
- Was there a swimming pool at the hotel where you stayed?
- There wasn’t enough time to finish the exam.
- Fifty years ago, there weren’t any smartphones.
- Were there any problems during your trip?
The Difference Between “There Was/Were” and “Was/Were”
- There was a boy in the park. (Focuses on existence/presence)
- The boy was in the park. (Focuses on the subject “the boy”)
- There were two cats on the roof. (Focuses on existence/presence)
- The cats were on the roof. (Focuses on the subject “the cats”)
Summary
- Use there was with singular and uncountable nouns
- Use there were with plural nouns
- Negative forms: there wasn’t and there weren’t
- Question forms: Was there? and Were there?
- We use these structures to talk about the existence of things in the past
Now, practice what you’ve learned with the exercises below!
Practice Games
Lesson Practice
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