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There was and There were in English (A1)

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

The form of be agrees with the noun that comes after it.
FormUsed withExample
There wassingular nounThere was a letter for you.
There wasuncountable nounThere was a lot of snow.
There wereplural nounThere were two cars outside.
There wasn'tsingular / uncountableThere wasn't any milk.
There weren'tpluralThere weren't many people.
Was there? / Were there?questionsWas there a problem? Were there any messages?

There was and There were: the key rules

  1. There was describes one thing that existed in the past; there were describes several.

    There was a castle here. There were hundreds of visitors.

  2. Negatives: there wasn't / there weren't (often with any).

    There wasn't any coffee left. There weren't any seats.

  3. Questions: Was there…? / Were there…?

    Was there a problem? Were there many people?

  4. Uncountable nouns always take there was.

    There was music and there was great food.

When to use There was and There were

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 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)

Practice questions

  1. ___ a big supermarket on this street twenty years ago.
    There wasThere wereThere is
  2. ___ many trees in the park before they cut them down.
    There wasThere wereThere are
  3. ___ not any food left in the fridge this morning.
    There wasThere wereThere is

Practise There was and There were today

This structure is learned best by describing real places you remember.

  1. Describe your childhood bedroom in six sentences using there was and there were.
  2. Write about a place you visited last year: three things there were, three there weren't.
  3. Complete these: There ___ two windows. — There ___ a lot of rain. — ___ there any food?
  4. 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.

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