VERBONKSPlay freeBe past tense and past participlebe · was · been
The past participle (the 3rd form) of be is been and the past simple is was / were. The three forms are be, was / were, been.
Be in a sentence
I was tired. We were hungry.
| Tense | Example |
|---|---|
| Present simple | I am · you are · she is |
| Present continuous | I am being · they are being |
| Past simple | I was · you were · she was · we were |
| Past simple, negative | I wasn't · you weren't |
| Past simple, question | Were you…? · Was she…? |
| Present perfect | I have been · she has been |
| Past perfect | I had been |
| Future | I will be |
Common mistakes with be
✗ I beed✓ I was / I have been✗ I didn't was✓ I wasn't✗ I have was✓ I have been
After didn't and in questions with did, use the base form. After have / has / had, use the past participle.
❓ Test yourself: 10-question quizEn español
be significa ser, estar. Pasado: was / were. Participio: been.
😎 be runs with The Rebel Bosses
no rules, just vibes
The Rebel Bosses ran this town before the rules were even written. They are the oldest families in English, and people use them every single day, so nobody ever forced them to fit in. Rumour says go stole its past, went, from a forgotten verb called "wend" and never gave it back. And be? It has two pasts, was and were, and nobody knows where it hid the loot.
🔎 How to spot one: No pattern at all. They are the most used verbs in English, so learn each one by heart.
This gang has no pattern: each verb has its own forms, so learn them one by one:
| Base | Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | gone |
| be | was / were | been |
| do | did | done |
| see | saw | seen |
| get | got | got / gotten |
Questions about be
What is the past tense of be?
The past simple of "be" is "was / were". Example: I was tired. We were hungry.
What is the past participle of be?
The past participle (3rd form, V3) of "be" is "been", as in "I have been".
What are the 3 forms of be?
V1 be, V2 was / were, V3 been.
Is be a regular or an irregular verb?
"be" is an irregular verb.
¿Cuál es el pasado y el participio de be?
"be" significa "ser, estar". Pasado: was / were. Participio: been.