Contents
Как использовать WAS & WERE в английском языке?
“Was” и “were” — это глаголы, которые мы используем в прошедшем времени. В этой статье мы освоим 3 различных варианта использования was и were и разницу между was и were.
Different usages of ‘was’ and ‘were‘
WAS и WERE используются в прошедшем времени в трех разных ситуациях. Вот следующие ситуации:
- To describe a person or a thing in the PAST
- To name/rename a person or a thing in the PAST
- To say what someone WAS doing in the PAST
Advanced usages of ‘was’ and ‘were’
- To talk about what was done to something or somebody in the past at some time (past indefinite tense, passive voice)
- Was and were in subjunctive mood
Antes de ver estas situaciones por separado, comprendamos con qué usar ‘was’ y ‘were’.
WAS vs WERE
- WAS = I, he, she, it & all singular noun names (singular subject)
- WERE = we, you, they & all plural noun names (plural subject)
Singular noun names: Archit, Tom, Jyoti, doctor, singer, mother, car, bus, table, etc.
Plural noun names: students, parents, teachers, sisters, brothers, cars, buses, tables, etc.
WAS and WERE usages
1. Чтобы описать человека или вещь в прошлом
Первая форма использования was или were используется для описания неживого человека или чего-либо в прошлом. Здесь мы используем прилагательное или прилагательную фразу после was или were.
Structure: Subject + was/were + adjective
Examples:
- I was smart.
- He was naughty in school.
- She was careless last year.
- She was close to me in college.
- It was beautiful.
- The movie was motivating.
- Your family was really supportive.
- Rahul was very arrogant in his childhood.
- Jyoti was really cute.
- I was in Mumbai last week.
- I was about to cry.
- You were hardworking.
- They were very beautiful.
- We were good at singing.
- My friends were stupid.
- We were with the right people.
- The buses were in the wrong side.
- Jon and I were amazing at acting. (Compound subject = Jon and I)
Note que estamos usando was y were para describir el sujeto en el pasado; estamos hablando de cómo era o era el sujeto en el pasado usando un adjetivo o una frase adjetiva.
2. Чтобы назвать/переименовать человека или вещь в прошлом
Второе употребление глаголов was и were — это название человека или предмета в прошлом. Здесь мы говорим о том, чем предмет был или был в прошлом. Мы используем существительное или именную группу после was или were.
Structure: Subject + was/were + noun
Examples:
- I was a teacher.
- He was an amazing singer.
- She was my love.
- It was a crazy idea.
- Jyoti was an artist.
- Conor was an unbeatable fighter back in the days.
- My father was a cook for some years.
- You were my best friend.
- We were friends.
- They were terrible human beings.
- My parents were my friends.
Note que estamos usando was y were para decir cuál fue o fue el sujeto en el pasado.
3. Чтобы сказать, что кто-то делал в прошлом
Третий вариант использования was и were – это действие, которое происходило в прошлом в определенное время. Здесь мы говорим о том, что субъект делал или делал в прошлом.
Structure: Subject + was/were + V1+ing
Examples:
- He was sleeping.
- I was talking to her last night.
- She was taking a class in the morning.
- It was running fast.
- Jacob was fighting yesterday.
- The company was going through a bad time last year.
- You were eating when I called.
- They were not studying properly.
- We were partying last night.
- My neighbors were playing loud music.
- Some people were fighting in the morning.
In the first two cases, was and were function as a linking verb (main verb), but here, was/were function as a helping verb (auxiliary verb).
Обратите внимание, что мы используем was и were для обозначения действия, которое происходило в какой-то момент в прошлом. Если время действия уже понятно или неизвестно, не упоминайте его. В противном случае важно говорить о сроках действия. Эти предложения стоят в прошедшем продолженном времени.
БЫЛО или БЫЛО
Мы уже видели, что довольно легко выбрать тему, которую мы используем, с использованием was или were.
Примечание. Когда речь идет о любом из этих трех случаев, когда в качестве подлежащего используются неопределенные местоимения, используйте «was», поскольку в английском языке они считаются единственным числом. Вот некоторые из наиболее распространенных неопределенных местоимений:
someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, something, anything, everything, nothing, somewhere, anywhere, everywhere, nowhere
Examples:
- Everyone was nice to me. ✅
- Everyone were nice to me. ❌
- Someone was following me last night. ✅
- Someone were following me last night. ❌
- Everything was beautiful. ✅
- Everything were beautiful. ❌
- Nobody was speaking in the class. ✅
- Nobody were speaking in the class. ❌
Advanced usages of ‘was’ and ‘were‘
1. Чтобы рассказать о том, что было сделано с чем-то или кем-то (прошедшее неопределенное время, страдательный залог)
Здесь мы используем was и were, чтобы рассказать о том, что было сделано в прошлом. Предложения здесь написаны в пассивном залоге, и основное внимание уделяется тому, на кого или что было совершено действие, а не исполнителю действия.
Structure: Subject + was/were + V3 + (by object)
Active: He called a meeting.
Passive: A meeting was called (by him).
Active: Someone stole my cars last night.
Passive: My cars were stolen last night.
More examples:
- Some people were arrested last week.
- Your mother was taken to the hospital in the morning.
- The meeting was called off before I could reach there.
- This song was written last year.
- Many people were fired because of the pandemic.
2. If I was or If I were
Esta es una situación más en la que las personas se confunden sobre qué usar: was o were.
Если вы пишете предложение в сослагательном наклонении, мы используем глагол «were» с подлежащим в единственном и множественном числе. Were в сослагательном наклонении говорит о воображаемой или нереальной ситуации.
Examples:
Обратите внимание, что все эти предложения относятся к невозможным или нереальным ситуациям. В этом случае мы не следуем согласованию между подлежащим и глаголом. Если бы вы использовали «было» с подлежащим в единственном числе, это не было бы совершенно неправильно; однако это было бы грамматически неверно.
Однако в неформальной беседе мы можем использовать глагол was с подлежащим в единственном числе в сослагательном наклонении.
- If I was rich, I wouldn’t live here.
- If he was good at speaking, he would get selected.
- If she was my girlfriend, I would never leave her.
More WAS and WERE examples
- I was in hurry when you called.
- She was furious last night.
- Jonny was about to cry when he was given the award.
- Most of my family members were present there.
- If I were a magician, I would pull a pigeon out of my pocket.
- He was in Rome last year.
- Nobody was listening to me in the meeting.
- Everyone was treated well in the party.
¡Prueba el siguiente ejercicio para comprobar tu comprensión del tema!
Practice set!
- He __ looking for you last night.
- She ___ upset with you.
- I wish she __ my girlfriend.
- If he __ my friend, I would not let him hang out with those guys.
- Let’s suppose I __ with you right now. What would you do?
- You brag about your home as if it __ a paradise.
- Everything __ done properly.
- I __ called out by a professional fighter.
- You __ amazing last night.
- Most people __ not taught about earning money.
Answers:
- was
- was
- were
- were
- were
- were
- was
- was
- were
- were