Exercise 1: Complete the sentences with there was or there were in affirmative, negative or question form.
1. ________________ a new student in your class last week? Yes, ________________.
2. ________________ any students in the library at 3 o'clock yesterday.
3. I think ________________ a boy waiting for you yesterday.
4. ________________ any chicken left when I arrived home at lunchtime.
5. ________________ any water in the fridge last night? I don't think so.
6. ________________ any people at the museum?
Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with was, were, there was or there were.
1. William Shakespeare ________________ a famous poet and playwright.
2. ________________ some people waiting for you at the door.
3. How many apples ________________ in the cupboard?
4. We ________________ very tired when we finished the PE lesson.
5. Your sister ________________ at the cinema with her friends last Friday.
6. How much milk ________________ in the fridge yesterday?
7. Miguel de Cervantes ________________ born in 1920.
8. The police ________________ investigating a crime in my area.
9. ________________ a lot of people at the concert last night.
10. We ________________ happy with the exam results.
Exercise 3: Give the past form of the following verbs.
1. meet â __________
2. do â __________
3. laugh â __________
4. help â __________
5. cry â __________
6. try â __________
7. speak â __________
8. stand â __________
9. tidy â __________
10. live â __________
11. play â __________
12. enjoy â __________
13. write â __________
14. stay â __________
15. plan â __________
16. study â __________
17. ask â __________
18. drive â __________
19. put â __________
20. sing â __________
21. sit â __________
22. stop â __________
23. agree â __________
24. buy â __________
25. run â __________
26. break â __________
27. build â __________
28. begin â __________
29. bring â __________
30. be â __________
Exercise 4: Change the given sentences into affirmative (+), negative (-), and question (?) form.
1. (+) He wrote a book.
(-) ___________________________
(?) ___________________________
2. (+) She was my boss.
(-) ___________________________
(?) ___________________________
3. (+) ___________________________
(-) They didnât build a new house.
(?) ___________________________
4. (+) ___________________________
(-) I wasnât at the concert last Sunday.
(?) ___________________________
5. (+) ___________________________
(-) ___________________________
(?) Did you buy clothes in this clothes shop?
6. (+) ___________________________
(-) ___________________________
(?) Were they born in Korea?
7. (+) He swam in the lake.
(-) ___________________________
(?) ___________________________
8. (+) We were at the gym last week.
(-) ___________________________
(?) ___________________________
9. (+) ___________________________
(-) She didnât go to her office by car.
(?) ___________________________
10. (+) ___________________________
(-) He wasnât a good person.
(?) ___________________________
Exercise 5: Give the past form of the verb in brackets.
1. I knew Sarah was busy, so I (not disturb) ________________ her.
2. I was very tired, so I (leave) ________________ the party.
3. The bed was very uncomfortable. I (not sleep) __________ very well.
4. The window was open and a bird (fly) ________________ into the room.
5. The hotel wasnât expensive. It (not cost) ________________ much.
6. I was in a hurry, so I (not have) ________________ time to phone you.
7. It was hard carrying the bags. They (be) ________________ very heavy.
8. Linda (buy) ________________ that car last week.
9. She (do) ________________ doing gymnastics when she was four.
10. Last winter my family (go) ________________ on a skiing holiday in France.
11. My dad (decide) ________________ to travel around the world after university.
12. I (compete) __________ in a skateboarding competition last week.
13. I havenât got any homework this weekend because I (do) __________ it all last night!
14. There (not be) _______________ any money in my wallet.
15. Jennifer Lawrence (become) ________________ famous after The Hunger Games.
16. Tom Schaar (start) ________________ to skateboard when he was very young.
17. We (win) __________ the school basketball match last year!
18. They (live) __________ in Paris in 2010.
19. Yesterday there (be) __________ a fire in the town centre.
20. There (be not) _______________ any eggs for breakfast this morning.