There was and There were in English (A1)
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There was and there were describe things that existed in the past. This lesson shows when to use each form with singular and plural nouns, so you can describe past places and situations clearly.
There was and there were are how English says that something existed or was present at a past time. They are the past forms of there is and there are, and they let you describe a scene: There was a small café on the corner. There were people waiting outside. Almost every story, description or account of a past event uses them.
The word there in this structure has no meaning of place at all. It is a grammatical placeholder — English needs a subject in every sentence, and there fills that slot so the real subject can come afterwards. This is why There was a problem is correct while Was a problem is not.
The only choice you have to make is between was and were, and it depends entirely on the noun that follows, not on anything before it. A singular or uncountable noun takes was; a plural noun takes were. Get that agreement right and the structure is fully under your control.
How to form There was and There were
| Form | Used with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| There was | singular noun | There was a letter for you. |
| There was | uncountable noun | There was a lot of snow. |
| There were | plural noun | There were two cars outside. |
| There wasn't | singular / uncountable | There wasn't any milk. |
| There weren't | plural | There weren't many people. |
| Was there? / Were there? | questions | Was there a problem? Were there any messages? |
There was and There were: the key rules
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There was describes one thing that existed in the past; there were describes several.
There was a castle here. There were hundreds of visitors.
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Negatives: there wasn't / there weren't (often with any).
There wasn't any coffee left. There weren't any seats.
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Questions: Was there…? / Were there…?
Was there a problem? Were there many people?
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Uncountable nouns always take there was.
There was music and there was great food.
When to use There was and There were
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Describing a past place
Listing what a room, street or town contained — the backbone of any description.
There was a fireplace in the corner and there were books everywhere.
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Telling a story
Setting the scene before the action begins, which is why so many stories open this way.
There was once a fisherman who lived by the sea.
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Reporting events and problems
Saying that something happened or existed, without naming who was responsible.
There was an accident on the motorway. There were delays all morning.
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Talking about quantity in the past
Combining with a lot of, many, much, some and any to describe past amounts.
There weren't many shops, but there was a good market.
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Later on: if there was or if there were?
When if introduces something imaginary, careful English uses were even before a singular or uncountable noun, and everyday speech often uses was. When if is about a real past situation, the normal rule stays: was for one thing, were for more.
If there were more time, we would stay longer. If there was a problem, nobody told me.
there was/were vs. it was
Both start a sentence with a placeholder, but they do different jobs. There introduces something new; it refers to something already known.
there was / were — introduces existence
Tells the listener that something existed, usually for the first time. A noun follows.
There was a dog in the garden.
it was — describes something known
Comments on something already identified, or on weather, time and distance. An adjective usually follows.
It was a big dog. It was cold yesterday.
There was and There were in example sentences
- There was a good film on television last night.Singular noun, so was.
- There were a lot of tourists in the square.Plural noun, so were.
- There was too much noise to sleep.Uncountable noun takes was.
- There wasn't anywhere to sit.Negative with a singular idea.
- There weren't any tickets left.Negative with a plural noun and any.
- Was there a message for me?Question by inverting there and was.
- Were there many people at the meeting?Plural question form.
- There was a table, two chairs and a lamp.With a list, English matches the first item.
There was and There were in a real conversation
Every was and were here is chosen by the noun immediately after it — check each one.
Guide:Was there much traffic on the way?
Tomas:There were roadworks near the bridge, but it was fine.
Guide:Good. Were there any problems finding the hotel?
Tomas:No, but there wasn't a sign at the entrance.
Guide:I know. There were complaints about that last month.
Tomas:It's not a problem. There was a helpful man at the desk.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
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There was many students in the class.
There were many students in the class.
Many students is plural, so use were.
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There were a lot of noise.
There was a lot of noise.
Noise is uncountable — the verb stays singular regardless of a lot of.
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It was a party at Anna's house on Saturday.
There was a party at Anna's house on Saturday.
To say something existed or happened, English uses there was, not it was.
Check yourself: 10 There was and There were questions
Answer these and see the reason for each one. They are 10 of the 60 exercises in the full There was and There were practice set.
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___ a small café on this corner ten years ago.
- There is
- There were
- It was
- There was
Show answer
There was — A café is singular, so the verb after there is was.
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___ any milk in the fridge this morning.
- There wasn't
- There didn't
- It wasn't there
- There weren't
Show answer
There wasn't — Milk is uncountable and singular, so the negative is there wasn't.
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Which sentence is correct?
- It were a problem with the booking.
- There was a problem with the booking.
- There have a problem with the booking.
- There were a problem with the booking.
Show answer
There was a problem with the booking. — A problem is one singular thing, so the verb is was.
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___ enough chairs for everybody?
- Was there
- Did there
- Were there
- There was
Show answer
Were there — Chairs is a countable plural, so the question begins with were there.
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___ any snow last winter?
- Did there
- There was
- Were there
- Was there
Show answer
Was there — Snow is uncountable and singular, so the question begins with was there.
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___ any problems with the delivery?
- Were there
- There was
- Was there
- Did there
Show answer
Were there — Problems is a countable plural, so the question takes were there.
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There ___ a bakery on this street in my grandmother's day.
Show answer
was — A bakery is one singular thing, so the verb after there is singular too.
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___ there a message for me at reception?
Show answer
Was — A message is singular, and the verb moves in front of there to form a question.
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There ___ a queue right round the block.
Show answer
was — A queue is one singular thing.
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There ___ four of us in the team at the beginning.
Show answer
were — Four of us is plural, so the verb is were.
Practise There was and There were today
This structure is learned best by describing real places you remember.
- Describe your childhood bedroom in six sentences using there was and there were.
- Write about a place you visited last year: three things there were, three there weren't.
- Complete these: There ___ two windows. — There ___ a lot of rain. — ___ there any food?
- Tell a short story that opens with There was once.
There was and There were: frequently asked questions
Why does English need the word there at all?
Because every English sentence requires a grammatical subject, and in sentences about existence there is no natural one. There fills the subject position so the real noun can appear after the verb, which is where English prefers to place new information. Languages such as Spanish and Russian manage without it, which is why learners often omit it and produce Was a problem instead of There was a problem.
Which form do I use before a list of things?
In practice English matches the verb to the first item in the list, so There was a sofa, two chairs and a table sounds natural even though the list as a whole is plural. If the first item is plural, use were: There were two chairs and a table. Some careful writers avoid the issue by reordering the list so the plural comes first.
What is the difference between there was and it was?
There was introduces something into the conversation for the first time and is followed by a noun: There was a car outside. It was refers back to something already known and is usually followed by an adjective: It was red. A typical sequence uses both in order — There was a noise upstairs. It was very strange. Using it to introduce something new is a common error.
How do I say this in the negative with any?
Use there wasn't or there weren't followed by any: There wasn't any bread and There weren't any shops nearby. You can also use no with a positive verb for slightly more emphasis: There was no bread. Both are standard. Avoid combining them, as There wasn't no bread is a double negative and is not accepted in standard English.