Past Simple Questions with Was and Were

Questions with was and were follow a different pattern from other past simple questions. Instead of using "did," you simply move "was" or "were" before the subject: "Was she at the party?" "Were they happy?" For information questions, add a question word first: "Where was he yesterday?" "Why were you late?" This is because "be" is a special verb that does not need a helper verb — it acts as its own helper.

Use was with I, he, she, and it: "Was it cold outside?" Use were with you, we, and they: "Were you at home last night?" Short answers follow the same pattern: "Was he tired?" — "Yes, he was" or "No, he wasn't." A common mistake is mixing "did" with "was/were": never say "Did you be happy?" — the correct form is "Were you happy?" Practising these questions is especially useful for talking about past states, feelings, locations, and descriptions, which come up regularly in everyday English and in Cambridge A2 Key and B1 Preliminary speaking exams.