Um zu sagen, dass es früher eine Sache gab, nimmst du There was.
There was = eins
There was a cinema on this street.
There was a big tree in the square.
There was an old café here.
Probier es: ___ a cinema on this street years ago. (There was / There were / There is) Antwort: There was — Ein Kino in der Vergangenheit → There was. "There were" gilt für mehrere, und "There is" ist Gegenwart, nicht Vergangenheit.
There were = mehrere
Um zu sagen, dass es früher zwei oder mehr Dinge gab, nimmst du There were.
There were two bakeries in the old town.
There were lots of people at the market.
There were many trees here before.
Probier es: ___ two bakeries in the old town. (There were / There was / There are) Antwort: There were — Zwei Bäckereien = mehr als eins, also There were. "There was" ist für Einzahl und "There are" ist Gegenwart, nicht Vergangenheit.
Eins oder mehrere?
Zähle zuerst nach. Eine Sache → There was (There was a cat.). Zwei oder mehr → There were (There were three cats.). Dinge, die man nicht zählen kann — wie traffic, water, food, noise — nehmen ebenfalls There was, weil man sie als eine Gesamtmenge ansieht.
There was a cat. (one)
There were three cats. (more than one)
There was a lot of traffic. (can't count → was)
Not "There were a lot of traffic." — say "There was a lot of traffic.". Traffic ist eine nicht zählbare Menge und nimmt was — drei Katzen sind viele und nehmen were.
Probier es: ___ lots of people at the market last Saturday. (There were / There was / There be) Antwort: There were — Viele Leute = Mehrzahl, also There were. Denk daran: "people" bedeutet viele, auch wenn kein -s am Ende steht: There were lots of people.
Probier es: ___ a lot of traffic in the city centre. (There was / There were / There are) Antwort: There was — Traffic kann man nicht zählen, behandle es also als eine Menge und nimm There was, nicht There were. "There are" ist Gegenwart, nicht Vergangenheit.
There wasn't = eins
Wenn es eine Sache nicht gab, nimmst du There wasn't (= there was not).
There wasn't a school here.
There wasn't a single car on the road.
There wasn't anyone at the door.
Probier es: ___ a shop on this street back then. (There wasn't / There weren't / There no was) Antwort: There wasn't — A shop ist eine Sache, also There wasn't (nicht "There weren't", das für Mehrzahl steht). Auch bei der Verneinung gilt: eins → wasn't.
There weren't = mehrere
Wenn es mehrere Dinge nicht gab, nimmst du There weren't (= there were not).
There weren't any cafés nearby.
There weren't many people at the park.
There weren't any buses after midnight.
Probier es: ___ any cafés nearby back then. (There weren't / There wasn't / There no were) Antwort: There weren't — Cafés ist Mehrzahl, also There weren't (nicht "There wasn't", das für eine Sache steht). Auch bei der Verneinung gilt: mehr als eins → weren't.
Was there / Were there
Für Fragen stellst du was / were an den Anfang: Was there...? für eins, Were there...? für mehrere.
Was there a park in your town?
Were there many shops?
Was there a lot of traffic?
Probier es: ___ many shops in the old town? (Were there / There were / Was there) Antwort: Were there — In Fragen kommt were zuerst: Were there many shops? "There were" ist ein Aussagesatz, keine Frage. Und many shops ist Mehrzahl, also were, nicht was.
Probier es: ___ a market in the square, and ___ lots of stalls. (There was … there were / There were … there was / There was … there was) Antwort: There was … there were — Ein Markt → there was. Viele Stände (mehrere) → there were. Jeder Teil richtet sich nach seinem Nomen: eins nimmt was, viele nehmen were.