Elementary exercises

Forming the past tense of to be.

Affirmative and negative sentence

Interrogative sentence

I
was
He was not
She
wasnt
at home
It
in hospital yesterday.
You
were
on holiday last week.
We were not in London
They werent
Task 1 - Complete the sentences
with the Past Tense of to be.
1) We ______ in Australia.
2) She ______ in the classroom.
3) It ______ my birthday last
week.
4) The man ______ in the train.
5) It ____ an apple.
6) You _______ in a bookshop.
7) It _______ a doll.
8) I _______ a good pupil.
9) What _______ this?
10)
It ______ a French lesson.
11)It _______ a beautiful city.
12)
He _______ my brother.
13)
I _______ in London today.
14)
We _______ on holiday.
15)
The doctor _______ here.

I
Was he
she at home
it in hospital yesterday.
you on holiday last week.
Were we in London
they

Task 2 - Rewrite the sentences into the Simple Past

Tense. Then write a negative sentence. Look at the
example below.
I am at home. I was at home. I wasnt at home.
1) He is my friend.
________He was my friend. He wasnt my friend Was
he my friend?
________________________________________
2) I am a man.
__________________________________________
_______________________________________
3) It is an umbrella.
__________________________________________
_______________________________________
4) That is a bird.
__________________________________________
_______________________________________
5) These are your pens and pencils.
__________________________________________
_______________________________________
6) They are happy people.
__________________________________________
_______________________________________
7) This is a kitchen.
__________________________________________
_______________________________________
8) Those are two bags, a ruler and a rubber.
__________________________________________
_______________________________________
9) We are in.
__________________________________________
_______________________________________
10) You are my brother.
__________________________________________
_______________________________________

Task 3 - Rewrite the sentences into the

Simple Past. Then write an interrogative
sentence. Look at the example below.
Mr Smith is at home. Mr Smith was at
home. Was Mr Smith at home?

1) I am a good teacher.
______________________________
______________________________
2) Mickey is strong and brave.
______________________________
______________________________
3) My name is Susan.
______________________________
______________________________
4) Peter is a boy.
______________________________
______________________________
5) She is a young woman.
______________________________
______________________________
6) These are my comics.
______________________________
______________________________
7) This is a family.
______________________________
______________________________
8) This pen is blue.
______________________________
______________________________
9) We are from Australia.
______________________________
______________________________
10) You are a stupid girl.
______________________________
______________________________

Task 5 - Change the following

sentences into interrogative then give
short answers according to the sign.
Look at the examples.
Mr Smith was at home. Was Mr
Smith at home? Yes, he was.
Tim and Peter were in the library.

Were Tim and Peter in the library?

No, they werent.
1) I was in the garden.
_______________________________
_______________________________
2) Mum was ill last week.
_______________________________
_______________________________
3) They were on holiday in May.
_______________________________
_______________________________
4) You were tired yesterday.
_______________________________
_______________________________
5) We were in the park at 5 oclock
yesterday.
_______________________________
_______________________________
6) Jack was too fat two years ago.
_______________________________
_______________________________

Task 6 - Look at the calendar for last week and complete the sentences with
was, wasnt, were or werent.

library
football training
dance lesson
the doctors
cinema

Monday Tuesday
Mandy
Lucy

Mandy
Tom

Wednesday

Thursday
Sam

Sam and Kim

Lucy

1) Mandy _______ in the library on Monday.

2) On Thursday Lucy _______ on a dance lesson.
3) Kim _______ in the library last week.
4) Sam _______ on football training on Thursday.
5) Tom _______ ill on Tuesday.
6) Sam and Kim _______ in the cinema on Wednesday.
7) Tom _______ ill on Friday, he _______ on football training.
8) Sam _______ at the doctors.
9) Mandy _______ on a dance lesson on Tuesday.
10)Lucy _______ at the doctors on Friday.
11) Tom and Sam _______ on football training last week.
12)Lucy _______ in the library on Thursday.

Friday
Kim
Tom