WAS = Present Continuous, used when a single subject is currently doing something while another simple past (completed) action occurs. The word when is used to join the two clauses.
WERE = Present Continuous, used when a plural subject (we, they) or “you” is doing something and another action occurs. [subject 1] + WAS [verb+ing] + WHEN [subject 2] + [SP Verb]… WAS:
WERE = Present Continuous, used when a plural subject (we, they) or “you” is doing something and another action occurs. [subject 1] + WAS [verb+ing] + WHEN [subject 2] + [SP Verb]… WAS:
- I was shopping when someone grabbed my purse.
- He was thinking about her when she walked into the classroom.
- The child was eating lots of chocolate when his tooth began to hurt.
WERE:
- We were shopping when the fire broke out.
- They were getting ready to leave when the teacher arrived late.
- The children were eating lots of cookies when their mother caught them.
Also used to show the reaction of a subject towards a noun. Prepositions “by” and “at” are more commonly used than “with”. [subject 1] +WAS + [adjective] + [at | by | with] + [noun] WAS:
- He was flabbergasted at the news of his wife’s adultery.
- She was shocked by the perfect score she got on her exam.
- They were surprised with the amount of people that lived in Tokyo.
WERE:
- They were horrified at the violence in the movie “Kill Bill”.
· You should have seen the look on your face! You were terrified! Used also to describe the state of a noun at a particular time in the past. [subject 1] + [was | were] + [time period]
- I was only 18 when I joined my first rock band.
- Why were they so cruel to me last week?!
- I was just a paperboy before I became CEO of the New York Times.
