Verb to be Past tense

The main difference between the past tense and the present tense is whether the action you are describing occurred now or in the past. Here are some examples of using the verb “to be” in both the past and present tense:

The verb “to be” in the past simple	The verb “to be” in simple present
I was a huge fan.	I am a huge fan.
You were going to college.	You are going to college.
We were happier last year.	We are happier this year.
They were at home.	They are at home.

Which verb to use with each subject

The rules are as follows:

I, he, she, it – was

You, we, they – were

For first-person singular and third-person singular, use the word was. In all other cases, use were.

For example:

•         She was a student.
•         They were doctors.

Practice

Identify the verb “to be” in past from this song

Now I invite you to watch this video of American pop singer Beyoncé, and take note of all the sentences where you hear was/were.

Also, think about what the words mean.

Go to the following link and do the exercises on verb tobe in past tense.  https://agendaweb.org/exercises/verbs/to-be/past-simple-forms