56 Be (past simple) FORMA FORMA NEGATIVA FORMA AFFERMATIVA INTERA soggetto+was/were soggetto+was/were/not soggetto+wasn't/weren't I was I was not I wasn t you were you were not you weren t he/she/it was he/she/it was not he/she/it wasn t we were we were not we weren t you were you were not you weren t they were they were not they weren t FORMA INTERROGATIVA CONTRATTA FORMA INTERROGATIVO-NEGATIVA was/were+soggetto wasn t/weren t+soggetto was I? wasn t I? were you? weren t you? wa she/she/it? wasn t he/she/it? were we? weren t we? were you? weren t you? were they? weren t they? They were at work yesterday. Erano al lavoro ieri. They were/weren't not at work yesterday. Non erano al lavoro ieri. Were they at work yesterday? Erano al lavoro ieri? Weren t they at work yesterday? Non erano al lavoro ieri? Le risposte brevi sono: Yes, I/he/she/it was. No, I/he/she/it wasn t. Yes, you/we/they were. No, you/we/they weren t. USO Il past simple di be esprime le stesse situazioni viste per il present simple, ma riferite al passato, a un periodo di tempo del tutto trascorso. 47 Be, Present simple Robert was in London last week. Robert era a Londra la scorsa settimana. She wasn t with me yesterday. Non era con me ieri. grammarintranslation Il passato del verbo nascere in inglese è was/were born. When was your son born? Quando è nato tuo figlio? I was born on 11th May, 1992. Sono nato l 11 maggio 1992. La forma non contratta (Were they not at work yesterday?) è raramente usata. 86 206 Domande senza wh-word