was, were and will be

1The past: was and were

• I / he / she / it / one thing → was: I was sick yesterday. The road was wet.
• We / you / they / many → were: They were at the beach last Sunday.

Time words for the past: yesterday, last week, last year, two days ago.

2Negatives and questions in the past

• He was not (wasn't) at school.
• We were not (weren't) tired.
• Was it cold? Yes, it was.
• Were they happy? No, they weren't.

3The future: will be

For the future, every subject takes will be.

• I will be twelve next year.
• It will be sunny tomorrow.
• They will be here at six.

• Negative: will not be (won't be): She won't be late.
• Question: Will you be at home tomorrow? Yes, I will.

4Yesterday, today, tomorrow

• Yesterday I was at home.
• Today I am at school.
• Tomorrow I will be at my grandmother's house.

Look for the time word first. It tells you which form to use.