The verb” to be” in the Past Indefinite Tense

Exercise 7. Put in am /is/ are/ was/ were. Some sentences are present and some are past.

1. Last year their son was 26, so he is 27 now. 2. Today the weather _______ nice, but yesterday it ______ cold. 3. I _______ cold. Can I have something hot to drink? 4. I ______ hungry last night, so I had something to eat. 5. Where _______ you at 10 o’clock last Sunday morning? 6. Don’t buy those shoes. They _______ too expensive. 7. Why _______ you so tired yesterday? 8. We must go now. It _______ very late. 9. This time last year I _______ in England. 10. We _______ tired when we arrived home, so we went to bed. 11. Anton Chekhov died in 1904. He ________ a famous Russian writer. 12. “Where _______ the dogs?” – “I don’t know. They ________ in the garden ten minutes ago.”

Exercise 8. Put in was /wasn’t/ were/ weren’t.

1. We didn’t like that house. It was very old and it wasn’t large enough. 2. Helen got married when she ________ 21 years old. 3. I called you yesterday evening but you _______ at home. Where ______ you? 4. My son _______ at work last week because he _______ ill. He’s better now. 5. The shops _______ open yesterday because it _______ a public holiday. 6. “_______ you at home at 9.30?” – “No, I ______. I _______ at work.” 7. We _______ happy with the hotel. Out room ________ very small and it _______ very clean. 8. “Where are my keys?” “I don’t know. They _______ on the table but they’re not there now.” 9. “_______ Sue and Bill at the party?” “Sue _______ there but Bill _______.” 10. The hotel _______ comfortable but it _______ expensive.

Exercise 9. Translate into English.

1. Где они были вчера вечером? 2. Почему ты вчера опоздал? 3. Его вчера не было в институте. 4. Меня вчера там не было. 5. Ты был занят вчера вечером? 6. Её не было дома в 5 часов. 7. Вчера было холодно. 8. Где была Аня вчера? 9. Когда я был ребёнком, я боялся собак. 10. Цветы были такие свежие! 11. Мы были рады вдеть вас. 12. Вчера в это время я была в школе.

“THERE IS (ARE)” CONSTRUCTION

We use “there is (are)” talking about the existence of people, things, etc. These constructions have the meaning “есть”, “имеется”, “находится”, “существует”. The verb “to be” in such constructions can be used in different tense forms:

there is /are

there was /were

there will be

there has / have been

there had been

Word order

The corresponding Russian sentences begin with adverbial modifier.