Para decir que una cosa existía en el pasado, usa There was.
There was = uno
There was a cinema on this street.
There was a big tree in the square.
There was an old café here.
Pruébalo: ___ a cinema on this street years ago. (There was / There were / There is) Respuesta: There was — One cinema en el pasado → There was. "There were" es para más de uno, y "There is" es para ahora, no para el pasado.
There were = más de uno
Para decir que dos o más cosas existían en el pasado, usa There were.
There were two bakeries in the old town.
There were lots of people at the market.
There were many trees here before.
Pruébalo: ___ two bakeries in the old town. (There were / There was / There are) Respuesta: There were — Two bakeries = más de uno, así que usa There were. "There was" es para uno, y "There are" es para el ahora, no el pasado.
¿Uno o más de uno?
Primero cuenta. Una cosa → There was (There was a cat.). Dos o más → There were (There were three cats.). Las cosas que no puedes contar, como traffic, water, food, noise, también usan There was, porque las tratas como una sola cantidad, no como muchas.
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 es una cantidad que no se cuenta, así que lleva was; pero three cats son muchos y llevan were.
Pruébalo: ___ lots of people at the market last Saturday. (There were / There was / There be) Respuesta: There were — Lots of people = más de uno, así que usa There were. Recuerda que "people" es muchos, aunque no termine en -s: There were lots of people.
Pruébalo: ___ a lot of traffic in the city centre. (There was / There were / There are) Respuesta: There was — No puedes contar el traffic, así que trátalo como una sola cantidad y usa There was, no There were. "There are" es para el ahora, no el pasado.
There wasn't = uno
Para una cosa que no existía, usa 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.
Pruébalo: ___ a shop on this street back then. (There wasn't / There weren't / There no was) Respuesta: There wasn't — A shop es una cosa, así que usa There wasn't (no "There weren't", que es para más de uno). En negativo también cuentas primero: uno → wasn't.
There weren't = más de uno
Para más de una cosa que no existía, usa 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.
Pruébalo: ___ any cafés nearby back then. (There weren't / There wasn't / There no were) Respuesta: There weren't — Cafés es más de uno, así que usa There weren't (no "There wasn't", que es para una cosa). En negativo también cuentas primero: más de uno → weren't.
Was there / Were there
Para preguntar, pon was / were primero: Was there...? para uno, Were there...? para más de uno.
Was there a park in your town?
Were there many shops?
Was there a lot of traffic?
Pruébalo: ___ many shops in the old town? (Were there / There were / Was there) Respuesta: Were there — Para preguntar, were va primero: Were there many shops? "There were" cuenta, no pregunta. Y many shops = más de uno, así que were, no was.
Pruébalo: ___ a market in the square, and ___ lots of stalls. (There was … there were / There were … there was / There was … there was) Respuesta: There was … there were — One market → there was. Lots of stalls (más de uno) → there were. Cada parte sigue a su propio sustantivo: uno lleva was, muchos llevan were.