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Past Simple of To Be (was, were) – Test 1

A1 Beginner GrammarEnglish

This A1 grammar test practises the past simple of the verb to be: was and were. It covers affirmative sentences, negatives with wasn't and weren't, questions, short answers and common learner errors, and ends with a short reading text. It suits beginner learners and teachers who want a quick classroom check or homework task.

Questions
30
Time
25 min
PDF
4 pages
Answer key
Included
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Choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) for each question. Choose your answers, then press “Check my answers”.

Part 1: Affirmative sentences

Choose the correct word or sentence to complete each item.

  1. I _____ at home yesterday.

  2. My parents _____ in Spain last summer.

  3. The weather _____ very cold last night.

  4. You _____ late for class this morning.

  5. Tom and I _____ at the cinema on Saturday.

  6. It _____ my birthday yesterday.

  7. The children _____ very happy at the party.

  8. Choose the correct sentence.

  9. Yesterday _____ Monday.

  10. We were at the beach _____.

Part 2: Negatives and questions

Choose the correct answer to complete each negative sentence, question or short answer.

  1. I _____ at school yesterday. I was ill.

  2. They _____ at the meeting. They were on holiday.

  3. _____ you at the party last night?

  4. _____ Anna at work on Friday?

  5. Was the film good? — Yes, it _____.

  6. Were your friends at the concert? — No, they _____.

  7. Where _____ you on Sunday morning?

  8. Choose the correct question.

  9. Choose the correct sentence.

  10. How old _____ you in this photo? — I _____ six.

Part 3: Errors and conversations

In questions 21–23, find the part of the sentence that is wrong. In questions 24–25, choose the best question or answer.

  1. Find the mistake: "My brother were at the gym yesterday."

  2. Find the mistake: "We was very tired after the trip."

  3. Find the mistake: "Was you at home last night?"

  4. Where were you yesterday afternoon?

  5. _____? — It was great, thanks!

Part 4: Reading

Read the text. Then choose the correct answer for each question.

Last Saturday was a lovely day. The sun was hot and the sky was blue. My friend Priya and I were at the park in the morning. There were a lot of people there. Priya's little brother, Sam, was with us too. He was very excited because it was his first time on a big slide.

In the afternoon we were at a café. The cakes were delicious, but the coffee wasn't very good. We were at home at six o'clock. We were tired but happy.

  1. The weather on Saturday _____ good.

  2. Where were Priya and the writer in the morning?

  3. Sam _____ very excited.

  4. The coffee _____ very good.

  5. _____ they tired in the evening? — Yes, they _____.

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About this test

This A1 grammar test practises the past simple of the verb to be: was and were. It covers affirmative sentences, negatives with wasn't and weren't, questions, short answers and common learner errors, and ends with a short reading text. It suits beginner learners and teachers who want a quick classroom check or homework task.

Topics covered

was / wereAffirmative sentencesNegatives: wasn't / weren'tYes/No questionsShort answersWh- questionsPast time expressionsError correction

How to use this test

  1. Download the PDF and print it, or take the test online below.
  2. Answer every question without a dictionary or time pressure.
  3. Check your answers and note the topics you need to review.

Notes for teachers

Use this test after introducing was/were with past time expressions such as yesterday and last weekend. It targets typical A1 errors: using 'were' with he/she/it, 'was' with we/you/they, 'didn't be' for negatives, and wrong word order in questions. As a follow-up, ask students to write five sentences about where they were last weekend and interview a partner using 'Where were you...?'.