Was and Were ESL Games, Activities and Worksheets
Here is a free was and were speaking activity to help students practice Were you...? questions and short answers. Students begin by reviewing the items on the worksheet and forming a Were you...? question for each one. Next, students go around the class asking the questions to one another, e.g. 'Were you asleep at 6 o'clock this morning?' When a student finds someone who answers 'Yes, I was', they write down that person's name. The student then asks a follow-up question to gain more information (e.g. What time did you wake up?) and notes down the answer. Afterwards, students give feedback by answering questions with Who...?, e.g. 'Who was asleep at 6 o'clock this morning?'
In this engaging was and were game, students practice forming affirmative and negative sentences as well as questions with was and were. The game also helps students practice subject-verb agreement. The first player looks at their cards and makes as many three-card sentences or questions as possible using each card once, e.g. 'They were late.' As the player creates each sentence or question, they lay the corresponding cards out on the table for everyone to see. For each correct sentence or question, the player scores a point. The player then takes the number of cards they used from the pile. Each player should always have nine cards until there are no cards left in the pile. Then, it's the next student's turn to play. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.
In this enjoyable was or were game, students race to form past simple sentences with was and were. In pairs, students line up sentence beginning cards in order and match each one with an ending card. Students then complete the sentences with was or were cards. The first pair to complete all the sentences correctly wins.
This useful was or were worksheet helps students practice the past simple of the verb to be. Students begin with a gap-fill exercise where they complete sentences with was or were. Students then complete sentences by choosing either was or were. Afterwards, students rewrite sentences changing the verb to be into the past simple (was or were).
In this fun was and were board game, students try to make believable past simple affirmative or negative sentences about different subjects. Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their counter along the board. When a player lands on a square, they take a was and wasn't or were and weren't subject card from the corresponding pile. If a player picks up a 'choose a subject' card, the player can choose any subject they like for their sentence. The player then reads out the subject and tries to make a believable affirmative or negative sentence with the past simple of the verb to be shown on the square, e.g. 'Tom wasn't in class yesterday.' If the sentence is perceived or known to be true, the player stays on the square. If not, the other students challenge the player to justify or correct their sentence. If the player is unable to do this, they go back two squares. The first player to reach the finish wins the game.
In this inventive was and were activity, students review the verb to be in the past simple by writing sentences describing a holiday. Students read the first question on the worksheet (How was the journey there?) and complete the sentence, describing the journey. Students then fold the paper as indicated and hand the worksheet to the person on their right. The student on their right reads the next question (What was the weather like?) and writes a complete sentence, describing the weather with the verb to be in the past simple. The student then folds the paper so the sentence is hidden and passes it to the person on their right, and so on. When the last question has been answered, the student passes the worksheet to the person on their right. Tell the students that these sentences are about their last holiday. Students then unfold the worksheet and take turns reading their holiday to the people in their group, who discuss the good and bad points of each holiday and decide whose holiday was the best and worst.
In this productive was and were activity, students use the past simple of the verb to be to complete information about four people who went sightseeing in Washington, D.C. In pairs, students ask and answer questions with was and were in order to complete a chart with information about four people who went sightseeing. Next, students decide if was and were sentences about the four people are true or false. If a sentence is false, students change one word in the sentence to make it true. In the last exercise, students use prompts to write true sentences about the four people with was(n't) or were(n't).
In this free was and were board game, students review the verb to be in the past simple by playing a game where they give true or false answers to questions. Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their counter along the board. When a player lands on a square, they pick up a true or false card and look at it. The player then answers the question on the square using was or were by giving either true or false information as indicated on the card. Next, the other students ask follow-up questions to determine if the player is lying or telling the truth. After a few questions have been answered, the other students guess whether the player's answer is true or false. The player then reveals the answer. Students who guessed correctly each score one point. When a player reaches the finish, the game ends. The student with the most points wins the game.
In this interesting was and were speaking activity, students practice completing, asking and answering was and were conversation questions. First, in two groups, students complete each conversation question with was or were. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking and answering the conversation questions with their partner. Afterwards, students share what they found out about their partner with the class.
In this insightful was and were speaking activity, students interview each other about their whereabouts at certain times in the past using past simple Wh questions with the verb to be. In pairs, students take turns to interviewing each other about where they were at certain times in the past by asking Where were you...? questions from their worksheet, e.g. 'Where were you last night?' Students note down their partner's answers and ask past simple follow-up questions to gain as much information as possible. Afterwards, students write past simple sentences about their partner’s whereabouts at the listed times. When the students have finished, they tell the class what they found out.
In this entertaining was and were game, each student takes on the role of an unnamed famous person in history and tries to establish the identities of other famous people by asking and answering questions with was and were. In groups, students begin by reading the information about their mystery famous person in the 'You were...' section of the worksheet. Students then find out information about the other famous people in their group by asking and answering questions with was and were, e.g. 'Were you born in 1869?' When a group member replies 'Yes, I was', the student writes their letter (e.g. Student B) next to the question in the 'Who was...?' section of the worksheet. Students continue asking and answering questions until all the worksheets are complete. Students then discuss their findings about each student and try to guess the names of the four famous people. Afterwards, each group tells the class their four guesses and the correct answers are revealed. Groups score one point for each correct answer. The group with the most points wins.
