How to Learn the Past Simple “Be” Verb for Beginner ESL Students
Are you a beginner ESL student struggling with the past simple “be” verb? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Learning a new language can be tough, but with a little bit of humor and creativity, you can make it fun.
Understanding the Basics
First of all, let’s start with the basics. The past simple “be” verb has three forms: “was” for singular subjects (I, he, she, it), and “were” for plural subjects (we, they, you).
| Subject | Verb |
|---|---|
| I | was |
| he | was |
| she | was |
| it | was |
| we | were |
| they | were |
| you | were |
Fun Ways to Remember the “Be” Verb
Now, imagine you’re at a party with your friends, and you want to tell them what you were doing last weekend. You can start by saying, “I was at the beach.” And then, your friend asks, “Were you alone?” And you reply, “No, we were with our friends.”
See how easy that was? Now, let’s take it up a notch.
Imagine you’re a time traveler, and you’re visiting different eras in history. You can say things like, “In the 19th century, people were riding horses instead of cars,” or “In ancient Rome, gladiators were fighting in the Colosseum.”
Or, if you’re a fan of superhero movies, you can use the past simple “be” verb to talk about your favorite characters. For example, “Superman was born on Krypton,” or “Captain America was a soldier in World War II.”
Put Your Knowledge to the Test
Now, let’s put our knowledge to the test with some fill-in-the-blank exercises. Don’t worry; they’re not boring like your high school English class.
- Last night, I ___________ watching a movie. (was/were)
Answer: was - They ___________ playing soccer in the park. (was/were)
Answer: were - Spiderman ___________ bitten by a radioactive spider. (was/were)
Answer: was - We ___________ at the mall yesterday
Conclusion:
Congratulations, you’re now a master of the past simple “be” verb! Learning a new language can be challenging, but with a bit of creativity and humor, it can also be fun. So keep practicing, keep making mistakes, and keep laughing along the way.
Final Thoughts:
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