THERE WAS / THERE WERE (Past) (A2 Grammar)

Use there was and there were to say what existed in the past. Use there was for one thing, and there were for more than one.

Quick tip: there was + one thing (or uncountable). there were + more than one. Negative: wasn't/weren't. Question: Was/Were there...?

THERE WAS + singular

Use there was for one thing, or for an uncountable thing.

• There was a cinema on this street.
• There was a big tree in the square.
• There was a lot of noise.
• There was an old café here.

THERE WERE + plural

Use there were for more than one thing.

• There were two bakeries in the old town.
• There were lots of people at the market.
• There were some shops along the river.
• There were many trees here before.

Negatives & Questions

Negative: there wasn't / there weren't. Question: Was there...? / Were there...?

• There wasn't a school here.
• There weren't any cafés nearby.
• Was there a park in your town?
• Were there many shops?

Common mistakes

• Not "There were a cinema here." — say "There was a cinema here.". One cinema (singular) → there was.
• Not "There was lots of people." — say "There were lots of people.". People (plural) → there were.
• Not "There weren't a shop on this street." — say "There wasn't a shop on this street.". One shop (singular) → there wasn't.

Practise it

Describing the past? One thing → there was. More than one → there were. Think about the old town: 'There was a shop, and there were two cafés.'