Чтобы сказать, что в прошлом существовал один предмет, используй There was.
There was = один
There was a cinema on this street.
There was a big tree in the square.
There was an old café here.
Попробуйте: ___ a cinema on this street years ago. (There was / There were / There is) Ответ: There was — Один кинотеатр в прошлом → There was. "There were" — для больше чем одного, а "There is" — про настоящее, не прошлое.
There were = больше одного
Чтобы сказать, что в прошлом существовало два или больше предметов, используй There were.
There were two bakeries in the old town.
There were lots of people at the market.
There were many trees here before.
Попробуйте: ___ two bakeries in the old town. (There were / There was / There are) Ответ: There were — Две пекарни = больше одной, поэтому используем There were. "There was" — для одного предмета, а "There are" — про настоящее, не прошлое.
Один или больше одного?
Сначала посчитай. Один предмет → There was (There was a cat.). Два или больше → There were (There were three cats.). То, что нельзя посчитать, — например traffic, water, food, noise — тоже берёт There was, потому что ты воспринимаешь это как одно количество, а не много.
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 — это одно неисчисляемое количество, поэтому берёт was, а three cats — много, поэтому were.
Попробуйте: ___ lots of people at the market last Saturday. (There were / There was / There be) Ответ: There were — Lots of people = больше одного, поэтому используем There were. Помни: "people" — это много, хотя слово и не заканчивается на -s: There were lots of people.
Попробуйте: ___ a lot of traffic in the city centre. (There was / There were / There are) Ответ: There was — Traffic посчитать нельзя, поэтому воспринимай его как одно количество и используй There was, а не There were. "There are" — про настоящее, не про прошлое.
There wasn't = один
Для одного предмета, который не существовал, используй 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.
Попробуйте: ___ a shop on this street back then. (There wasn't / There weren't / There no was) Ответ: There wasn't — Магазин — это один предмет, поэтому используем There wasn't (не "There weren't" — это для больше одного). Отрицание всё так же зависит от одного или нескольких: один → wasn't.
There weren't = больше одного
Для нескольких предметов, которые не существовали, используй 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.
Попробуйте: ___ any cafés nearby back then. (There weren't / There wasn't / There no were) Ответ: There weren't — Cafés — больше одного, поэтому используем There weren't (не "There wasn't" — это для одного предмета). Отрицание всё так же зависит от одного или нескольких: больше одного → weren't.
Was there / Were there
Чтобы спросить, ставь was / were в начало: Was there...? для одного, Were there...? для больше одного.
Was there a park in your town?
Were there many shops?
Was there a lot of traffic?
Попробуйте: ___ many shops in the old town? (Were there / There were / Was there) Ответ: Were there — Чтобы спросить, were идёт первым: Were there many shops? "There were" — это утверждение, а не вопрос. И many shops = больше одного, поэтому were, а не was.
Попробуйте: ___ a market in the square, and ___ lots of stalls. (There was … there were / There were … there was / There was … there was) Ответ: There was … there were — Один рынок → there was. Lots of stalls (больше одного) → there were. Каждая часть зависит от своего существительного: один берёт was, много берёт were.