過去形：was / were

Was と were は、be動詞 to be の過去形（Past Simple）です。過去に物事がどうだったか——どこにいたか、どう感じていたか、天気はどうだったか、誰かが何歳だったか——を表すときに使います。英語でもっともよく使われる語のひとつなので、正しく使えると大きな違いになります。

うれしいことに、覚えるのは2つの形だけ。そのどちらを使うかは、主語だけで決まります。

was と were はいつ使う？

was と were は、過去の人・物・場所・状況・状態について話すときに使います。ひとことで言えば、主要な動詞が to be のときです。

• 場所: I was at home yesterday.
• 気持ち: She was really happy.
• 年齢: She was five years old then.
• 天気: It was cold last night.
• 描写: The film was boring.

was と were、どちら？ 主語で選ぶ

基本ルールはシンプルです。単数の主語には was、複数の主語には were を使います。

例外は1つだけ。you は、1人でも複数でも、つねに were を使います——現在形でつねに are を使うのと同じです（you are → you were）。

書き出すと、I, he, she, it → was、そして you, we, they → were です。

日本語との比較： 日本語の「です」に「でした」、「ある・いる」に「あった・いた」があるように、英語の be 動詞にも過去形 was / were があります。ただし英語では、主語が単数か複数かで形が変わります。

否定文の作り方

否定文は、was または were のあとに not を置くだけです。日常の英語では、ほとんどの場合、短縮形の wasn't と weren't を使います。

• I wasn't hungry. (was not)
• They weren't at school. (were not)
• It wasn't easy.
• We weren't ready.

疑問文の作り方

疑問文では、was または were を主語の前に置きます。

• Was she at the party?
• Were you tired?
• Where were they last night?
• Why was he late?

短い受け答えでは、was または were を繰り返します。

• "Were you happy?" — "Yes, I was." / "No, I wasn't."
• "Was it good?" — "Yes, it was." / "No, it wasn't."

There was と there were

1つのもの（単数）には there was、複数には there were を使います。

• There was a problem with the car.（問題が1つ）
• There were lots of people there.（たくさんの人）
• There wasn't any milk in the fridge.
• There weren't any tickets left.

water、traffic、money のような数えられない名詞も、量が多くても was を使います。

• There was some water on the floor.
• There was a lot of traffic this morning.

くだけた話し言葉では There was lots of people … と複数で言うのを耳にすることもありますが、きちんとした英語では複数には There were を使いましょう。

よく使う過去の時間表現

was と were は、終わった時を示す語とよく一緒に使われます。

yesterday · last night · last week · last year · two days ago · when I was a child

• I was busy yesterday.
• They were here last week.
• She was shy when she was a child.

よくある間違い

• ❌ You was late. → ✅ You were late.（you はつねに were）
• ❌ We was happy. → ✅ We were happy.
• ❌ There were a car outside. → ✅ There was a car outside.（車が1台 → was）
• ❌ Was you at home? → ✅ Were you at home?

ミニテスト

was か were を選びましょう。

1. The weather ____ beautiful yesterday.
2. My parents ____ born in Italy.
3. ____ you at the meeting?
4. There ____ three messages for you.

ポイントのまとめ

• was と were は to be の過去形。過去の人・物・場所・状況・状態について話すときに使います。
• I / he / she / it → was、you / we / they → were。
• 否定は wasn't と weren't。疑問では was / were を先頭に置きます。
• 1つのものには there was、複数には there were。