Inter American University of Puerto Rico Guayama Campus

1. Inter American University of Puerto RicoGuayama Campus Title V Cooperative Project Verb To BE Past Tense Module Prof. Marisol Piazza Aguirre

2. Instructions Use the following buttons to navigate through this module: Use this button to move to the next slide. Use this button to move to the previous slide. Use this button to move to the last viewed slide. Use this button to view the answer to the exercise.

3. Purpose This module proposes to expand the basic teaching-learning activities of English included in the Title V Cooperative Project: “Improving Academic Outcomes Through a Teaching-Based Consortium Program for the Core Curriculum”. The project is integrated by the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce from where it is directed, the Arecibo, Mayagüez and Guayama Campuses, the School of Plastic Arts of Puerto Rico and Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Guayama Campus.

4. Introduction One of the most important verbs an ESL (English as a Second Language) student should master to communicate effectively in English orally as well as in written form is the Verb To BE in the Past Tense. This module has been designed for all college students but specially for you students who are registered in the basic English as a Second Language I, GEEN 1101 course. In this module you will study and review the rules of how to use the Verb To BE in the Past Tense correctly.

5. Objectives General Objective: By the end of this module, the student will develop confidence and demonstrate knowledge using the Verb To BE in the Past Tense in oral and written form to express state of being, location, feelings health, time, weather, and other factual information in the past. Specific Objective: At the end of this module, the student will learn how to use affirmative and negative sentences, direct questions, short yes/no answers, wh-questions (information questions) and answers giving pertinent information using the Verb To BE in the Past Tense.

6. Pre-Test (Affirmative Sentences) Select the best answer. __ 1. My family and I ___ in Mexico last summer. (A) were (B) are (C) was __ 2. The office door ___ closed this morning. (A) is (B) were (C) was __ 3. Teresa ___ absent to work yesterday. (A) is (B) was (C) were __ 4. We ___ very tired after our long walk in the country. (A) are (B) was (C) were __ 5. Pedro and Susan ___ at the cinema last night. (A) was (B) were (C) are

7. Pre-Test (Negative Sentences) __ 6. The weather ___ pleasant yesterday. It was raining all day. (A) wasn’t (B) isn’t (C) weren’t __ 7. You ___ at the meeting this morning. What happened? (A) aren’t (B) weren’t (C) wasn’t __ 8. Endangered animals ___ as important many years ago as they are today. (A) wasn’t (B) aren’t (C) weren’t __ 9. E-mail communication ___ common ten years ago. (A) aren’t (B) weren’t (C) wasn’t __10. I ___ at home this past weekend. I was visiting my family. (A) am not (B) wasn’t (C) weren’t

8. Pre-Test (Yes/No Questions) __ 11. ___ Kenneth sick two days ago? (A) Is (B) Were (C) Was __ 12. ___ Alex and Joseph on a basketball team last year? (A) Were (B) Are (C) Was __ 13. ___ your car at the mechanic last week? (A) Was (B) Is (C) Were __ 14. ___ the Taíno Indians intelligent and hardworking? (A) Was (B) Were (C) Are __ 15. ___you born in the United States? (A) Are (B) Was (C) Were

9. Pre-Test (Information Questions) __ 16. Why ___ the policemen at your house last night? (A) was (B) are (C) were __ 17. When ___ your grandfather in the US Army? (A) were (B) was (C) is __ 18. Where ___ the boys last weekend? (A) are (B) were (C) was __ 19. Who ___ Martin Luther King, Jr.? (A) was (B) is (C) were __ 20. What ___ your favorite game when you were a child? (A) is (B) were (C) was

10. Pre-Test Answer Key 1. A 11. C 2. C 12. A 3. B 13. A 4. C 14. B 5. B 15. C 6. A 16. C 7. B 17. B 8. C 18. B 9. C 19. A 10. B 20. C

11. Pre-Test Evaluation Total Correct Answers: 20 Excellent: Go to the Post Test. 19 Very Good: Review the incorrect answer and go to the Post Test. 18-12 Good: Review the incorrect answers, study the rules presented in this module, do the practice exercises and then go to the Post Test. 11 or You Need More Practice: Study the module, review the less rules carefully and do the practice exercises. When you improve your score, you may go to the Post Test.

12. Verb To BE Past Tense The Verb To BE is used to express: state of being? ( I was an excellent student in high school.) location ? ( We were in Costa Rica last summer.) feelings ? ( The child was sad when he lost his toy.) descriptions ? ( The flowers were fresh and vivid a week ago.) health ? ( Danny was sick with the flu last month.) conditions ? ( The buildings were modern, now they are old.) weather ? ( Yesterday was a windy day.) time ? ( It was 3:00 AM when the party ended.) nationality ? ( Celia Cruz was a great Cuban singer.) colors ? ( My hair was blonde when I was a child.) sizes ? ( Ten years ago, I was size 10, now I’m size 16.) dates ? ( Puerto Rico was discovered on November 19,1493.) moods ? ( Laura was angry when her friends played a trick on her.) prices ? ( Lands and houses were less expensive ten years ago.) etc…

13. Verb To BE Past Tense The Verb To BE has two forms in the Past Tense: was were

14. Verb To BE Past Tense

15. Verb To BE Past Tense

16. Verb To BE Past Tense

17. Verb To BE Past Tense Time Expressions

18. Verb To BE Past Tense Time Expressions

19. Verb To BE Past Tense Affirmative Sentences

20. Verb To BE Past Tense Affirmative Sentences

21. Affirmative Sentences More Examples: 1. Mary was nine years old when she moved to the USA. 2. We were at the airport yesterday morning. 3. Last summer, Fred and Gina were in Italy. 4. The concert was cancelled because of bad weather. 5. The phone was busy when I called you last night. 6. The children were sick last week. 7. I was very shy when I was a teenager. 8. Record players were popular thirty years ago. 9. My dog was trained to protect the house. 10. Years ago, carbon and wood were used for cooking.

22. Verb To BE Past Tense Negative Sentences

23. Verb To BE Past Tense Negative Sentences

24. Negative Sentences More Examples: 1. Mary was not nine years old when she moved to the USA, she was five. 2. We were not at the airport yesterday morning. 3. Last Summer, Fred and Gina were not in Italy. 4. The concert was not cancelled because of bad weather. 5. The phone was not in service when I called you last night. 6. The children were not sick last week. 7. I was not very talkative when I was a teenager. 8. CD players were not popular thirty years ago. 9. My dog was not trained to save lives. 10. Years ago, stoves were not used for cooking because they weren’t invented.

25. Verb To BE Contractions in the Past Tense Contractions: A contraction is the combination of two words into one. In contractions, letters are replaced with an apostrophe (’).

26. Verb To BE Contractions in the Past Tense Important: You cannot make contractions in Affirmative Sentences in the Past Tense, but you can make contractions in Negative Sentences.

27. Language Notes We cannot make a contraction with the subject pronoun + was or were. Examples: No Contraction? He was at the Mall yesterday. No Contraction? They were silent during class. We cannot make a contraction with there + was or there + were. Examples: No Contraction? There was a fire in the store last month. No Contraction? There were two great movies on TV last night.

28. Language Notes We can make a contraction with the negative form of was and were. Examples: (1) I was not a hyperactive child. (was not) I wasn’t a hyperactive child. (contraction? wasn’t) (2) We were not nervous at the job interview. (were not) We weren’t nervous at the job interview. (contraction? weren’t)

29. Verb To BE Contractions in Negative Sentences

30. Verb To BE Contractions in Negative Sentences 1. I was not nervous on the first day of class. 2. You (usted) were not well dressed for the job interview yesterday. 3. Janet was not in the same school as her brother last year. 4. Joseph was not ready for his oral report last Tuesday. 1. I wasn’t nervous on the first day of class. 2. You weren’t well dressed for the job interview yesterday. 3. Janet wasn’t in the same school as her brother last year. 4. Joseph wasn’t ready for his oral report last Tuesday.

31. Verb To BE Contractions in Negative Sentences 5. The Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) in the university was not in service yesterday afternoon. 6. You (ustedes) were not in the library when I went by this morning. 7. Ralph and I were not satisfied with the final decision. 8. The exercises in the last English lesson were not difficult. 5. The Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) in the university wasn’t in service yesterday afternoon. 6. You weren’t in the library when I went by this morning. 7. Ralph and I weren’t satisfied with the final decision. 8. The exercises in the last English lesson weren’t difficult.

32. Verb To BE Yes / No Questions

33. Verb To BE Yes / No Short Answers

34. Yes/No Questions and Short Answers More Examples: 1. Were you (tú/usted) upset after waiting several hours for the doctor? Yes, I was. / No, I was not. / No, I wasn’t. 2. Was the strange looking man near the bank at noon? Yes, he was. / No, he was not. / No, he wasn’t. 3. Were all the jeans on sale at JC Penny last weekend? Yes, they were. / No, they were not. / No, they weren’t. 4. Was the food ready when the guests arrived to the cocktail? Yes, it was. / No, it was not. / No, it wasn’t.

35. Yes/No Questions and Short Answers 5. Was Frida Kahlo a Mexican painter? Yes, she was. / No, she was not. / No, she wasn’t. 6. Were you and your friends at the Luis Fonsi concert last Friday? Yes, we were. / No, we were not. / No, we weren’t. 7. Was I on the Student Nominee List for a scholarship? Yes, you were. / No, you were not. / No, you weren’t. 8. Were Jerry and Diana responsible students in high school? Yes, they were. / No, they were not. / No, they weren’t.

36. Wh-Questions (Information Questions)

37. Wh-Questions (Information Questions) More Examples: 1. (Q) When was Daniel promoted to sales manager? (A) He was promoted last month. 2. (Q) Where were you and your friends last Saturday? (A) We were in Old San Juan taking photos for our History class. 3. (Q) Who were you with at the jazz festival? (A) I was with my nephews and nieces.

38. Wh-Questions (Information Questions) 4. (Q) How was the English exam yesterday? (A) It was easy but too long. 5. (Q) Why were the airports in Chicago and New York closed last week? (A) They were closed because of the snow storms and the terrible weather. 6. (Q) What was the problem with your car? (A) It was a problem with the air conditioning system.

39. Practice Exercises (Affirmative Sentences) Select the best answer. __ 1. Francine and Jacob ___ in Italy last Christmas. (A) are (B) were (C) was __ 2. My mother ___ a model when she was young. (A) were (B) is (C) was __ 3. We ___ very busy at home this past weekend. (A) were (B) was (C) are __ 4. Our dog ___ at the veterinarian yesterday afternoon. (A) was (B) is (C) were __ 5. Many homes ___ destroyed when the hurricane passed through the city. (A) are (B) was (C) were

40. Practice Exercises (Negative Sentences) __ 6. Cell phones ____ invented when my parents were teenagers. (A) aren’t (B) weren’t (C) wasn’t __ 7. The hotel we stayed in ____ near public transportation. (A) isn’t (B) wasn’t (C) weren’t __ 8. Mr. Huertas ____ alone when the accident occurred. (A) isn’t (B) aren’t (C) wasn’t __ 9. Years ago, women ____ permitted to vote until the 1950s. (A) weren’t (B) wasn’t (C) aren’t __10. The Internet service ____ available last night. (A) wasn’t (B) isn’t (C) aren’t

41. Practice Exercises (Yes/No Questions) __ 11. ____ the certified letter received on time? (A) Is (B) Was (C) Were __ 12. ____ the toll way costs in Puerto Rico raised last year? (A) Were (B) Are (C) Was __ 13. ____ your first grade teacher nice? (A) Is (B) Was (C) Were __ 14. ____ your old friends in the past class reunion? (A) Was (B) Are (C) Were __ 15. ____ a college education difficult to obtain fifty years ago? (A) Were (B) Is (C) Was

42. Practice Exercises (Information Questions) __ 16. A: How ____ your past weekend? B: It was wonderful. (A) were (B) is (C) was __ 17. A: What ____ the conference about ? B: It was about “Studying Habits”. (A) is (B) was (C) were __ 18. A: Where ____ the criminals captured? B: They were captured in the park. (A) are (B) were (C) was __ 19. A: Who ____ Elvis Presley? B: He was the king of Rock and Roll. (A) was (B) is (C) are __ 20. A: Why ____ Paul and Patricia in trouble with the police? B: They were in trouble because they didn’t have a driver’s license. (A) are (B) were (C) was

43. Practice Exercise Answer Key B 11. B C 12. A A 13. B A 14. C C 15. C B 16. C B 17. B C 18. B A 19. A A 20. B

44. Practice Exercise Evaluation Total Correct Answers: 20 Excellent: Go to the Post Test. 19 Very Good: Review the incorrect answer and go to the Post Test. 18-12 Good: Review the incorrect answers, consult the module again and then go to the Post Test. 11 or You Need More Practice: Study the module, review the less rules carefully and do the practice exercises again. When you understand the rules and improve your score, you may go to the Post Test.

45. Post Test (Affirmative Sentences) Select the best answer. __ 1. My family and I ___ in Mexico last summer. (A) were (B) are (C) was __ 2. The office door ___ closed this morning. (A) is (B) were (C) was __ 3. Teresa ___ absent to work yesterday. (A) is (B) was (C) were __ 4. We ___ very tired after our long walk in the country. (A) are (B) was (C) were __ 5. Pedro and Susan ___ at the cinema last night. (A) was (B) were (C) are

46. Post Test (Negative Sentences) __ 6. The weather ___ pleasant yesterday. It was raining all day. (A) wasn’t (B) isn’t (C) weren’t __ 7. You ___ at the meeting this morning. What happened? (A) aren’t (B) weren’t (C) wasn’t __ 8. Endangered animals ___ as important many years ago as they are today. (A) wasn’t (B) aren’t (C) weren’t __ 9. E-mail communication ___ common ten years ago. (A) aren’t (B) weren’t (C) wasn’t __10. I ___ at home this past weekend. I was visiting my family. (A) am not (B) wasn’t (C) weren’t

47. Post Test (Yes/No Questions) __ 11. ___ Kenneth sick two days ago? (A) Is (B) Were (C) Was __ 12. ___ Alex and Joseph on a basketball team last year? (A) Were (B) Are (C) Was __ 13. ___ your car at the mechanic last week? (A) Was (B) Is (C) Were __ 14. ___ the Taíno Indians intelligent and hardworking? (A) Was (B) Were (C) Are __ 15. ___you born in the United States? (A) Are (B) Was (C) Were

48. Post Test (Information Questions) __ 16. Why ___ the policemen at your house last night? (A) was (B) are (C) were __ 17. When ___ your grandfather in the US Army? (A) were (B) was (C) is __ 18. Where ___ the boys last weekend? (A) are (B) were (C) was __ 19. Who ___ Martin Luther King Jr.? (A) was (B) is (C) were __ 20. What ___ your favorite game when you were a child? (A) is (B) were (C) was

49. Post Test Answer Key 1. A 11. C 2. C 12. A 3. B 13. A 4. C 14. B 5. B 15. C 6. A 16. C 7. B 17. B 8. C 18. B 9. C 19. A 10. B 20. C

50. Post Test Evaluation Total Correct Answers: 20 Excellent: Congratulations! You have successfully completed this module. You may work with a different module if necessary. 19 Very Good: Review the incorrect answer. You may work with a different module if necessary. 18-12 Good: Review the incorrect answers, review the areas of difficulty and take the Post Test again. 11 or You Need More Practice: I recommend that you review less the complete module and take the Post Test again.

51. Letter to the Student Congratulations ! You have completed the module Verb BE in the Past Tense. If you really understand all of the rules and examples presented, you can work with a different module depending on your needs. However, if you still have some questions concerning the rules, I advise you to review this module again or visit the Language Laboratory, Room B-6 and ask for help before studying a different module. Remember you learn by practicing, therefore use the Verb To BE in the Past Tense in your daily conversations and written work.