Basic English 2

Agenda

Activity 1: Warm up video and questions

Activity 2: Introduction to the topic

Activity 3: Speaking activity

Activity 4: Writing activity

Activity 5: Wrap-up

VERB BE IN SIMPLE PAST - POSITIVE, NEGATIVE AND QUESTIONS. Video

By Roxana Flores

Fill in the Blanks

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct simple past(affirmative) of the verb TO BE for the noun: My family and I...

• are

• is

• am

• am not

Theory

When should we use the verb to be in the simple past?

To describe past states and conditions
Example: The children were happy yesterday.
To talk about events in the past
I was busy this morning.
To discuss past existence
He was born in 1254.

Let's practice

Right now, you will go to 5 of your classmates and ask them the following question: were you here on monday, this week?

Affirmative form

structure / Verb BE - was or were

Subjects: I / He/ She/ It + was

Subjects: You / They/ We + were

NOTE
After the verb TO BE we can add a NOUN, ADJECTIVE, PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE or a PAST PART.

eXAMPLES

• I left the city when I was a child.

• Hayden and Shea were at work last weekend.

Multiple Choice

Susan and Michael ___ at school last week.

• were

• weren't

• was

• wasent

I wasn't
She wasn't
He wasn't
It wasn't
We weren't
You weren't
They weren't

contracted

I was not
She was not
He was not
It was not
We were not
You were not
They were not

Structure: Subjects: I/ He/ She/ It + was not (wasn’t)

Subjects: You/ They/ We + were not (weren’t)

NEGATIVE FORM

Not contracted

Examples

She wasn't at school.
My family was not the best.
My classmates and I weren't really noisy.

Multiple Choice

Was this kid angry?

• No, he was not. He was angry.

• No, he wasn't. He was happy.

• No, he is not.

• No, he not was.

Interrogative

Structure: Yes/No Questions
Was + I/ he/ she/ it …?

Were + you/ they/ we …?

• Examples:
  Were you at home last weekend? No, I wasn’t.

  Was your mother in Costa Rica two years ago? Yes, she was.

Multiple Choice

___your family a good example? (Affirmative)

• Wasn't

• Was not

• Was

• Were

Let's practice more!

Read each directions and do your best.

Multiple Choice

My son were/was short in school, but now he am/is/are tall.

• were/is

• was/is

• was/are

• was/am

Multiple Choice

Was/Were you at the stadium yesterday?' 'Yes, I was/'s/were.

• Were/were

• Was/were

• Were/'s

• Were/was

Multiple Choice

Sara and I ____ at home that night, and you ____ with us.

• were/was

• was/was

• were/were

• was/were

Multiple Choice

Arrange the following sentence to the simple past: born / she / when/?

• Whe is she born?

• Will she be born?

• Whe was she born?

• Was she born?

Multiple Choice

Complete the following sentence with was/were or wasn’t/weren’t: Where ___ you last night? I called but you _______ at home.

• were, weren't
• wasn't, were
• were, was
• was, was

Last activity

Work in groups to create a story in which you include as many sentences with the verb TO BE in the simple past as you can. The story must have at least 6 sentences, and it has to make sense.
You have 10 minutes.