English Language Arts
Grade 1
15 min
To be: use the correct past tense form
To be: use the correct past tense form
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify 'was' and 'were' as past tense words.
Explain that 'was' is used for one person or thing.
Explain that 'were' is used for more than one person or thing.
Correctly choose 'was' or 'were' to complete a simple sentence.
Write a simple sentence using 'was' to describe something in the past.
Write a simple sentence using 'were' to describe something in the past.
Identify the correct use of 'was' and 'were' in sentences about the past.
What did you eat for breakfast yesterday? 🥞 Let's learn words to talk about the past!
Today, we will learn two special words: 'was' and 'were'. These words help us tell stories about things tha...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Past TenseWords that tell us something already happened, like yesterday. 🗓️Yesterday, I played with my puppy.
To BeA special verb that tells us what something is or is like.The apple is red.
WasA past tense 'to be' word we use for just ONE person or thing. 🧍The cat was sleepy.
WereA past tense 'to be' word we use for MORE than one person or thing. 🧍🧍♀️The cats were sleepy.
SingularThis means there is only one of something. 🍎One dog, one book, one friend.
PluralThis means there is more than one of something. 🍎🍎🍎Two dogs, many books, three friends.
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Key Rules & Conventions
The 'Was' Rule (for one)
Use 'was' for one person or thing.
If you are talking about one cat, one boy, or just yourself (I), use 'was'.
The 'Were' Rule (for more than one)
Use 'were' for more than one person or thing.
If you are talking about two cats, three boys, or a group (we, they), use 'were'.
The Special 'You' Rule
Always use 'were' with the word 'you'.
Even if 'you' means one person, it always gets the special word 'were'. It's a rule breaker! ✨
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Challenging
Read the story: "Yesterday was fun. My friends came over. We played outside. The games ___ exciting." What word fits the blank?
A.was
B.were
C.is
D.are
Challenging
Look at these sentences: 1. The girl were happy. 2. The boys was loud. Which is true?
A.Only sentence 1 is correct.
B.Only sentence 2 is correct.
C.Both sentences are wrong.
D.Both sentences are correct.
Challenging
Why is this sentence wrong? "You was my partner."
A.'You' is always more than one person.
B.'You' always uses 'were' in the past.
C.'Was' is for things that will happen tomorrow.
D.'Partner' needs an 's' at the end.
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