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過去形

be動詞の過去形

was / were

説明

was / were は、過去の「〜でした」「〜にいました / ありました」を表します。

「私は学生でした」「彼らは家にいました」のように、現在形 am / is / are で言ったことを過去にずらしたいときに使います。

主語に合わせて was と were を使い分けます。am / is → was、are → were に変わります。

過去の状態・立場・場所には was / were を使います。「行った」「食べた」のような動作には一般動詞の過去形を使います。

否定は was not / were not、短縮形では wasn't / weren't を使います。疑問は was / were を文頭に出します。

was / were で押さえること
確認項目要点例
主語
I / he / she / it は was、you / we / they は were
I was / They were
文の内容
過去の状態・立場・場所を表す
She was busy.
否定
was / were の後ろに not を置く
She wasn't busy.
疑問
was / were を文頭に出す
Were they at home?
存在
後ろの名詞の数で there was / were を選ぶ
There were many people.
今の状態だけでなく、過去の状態・立場・場所を話せる
現在過去変わる部分
I am busy now.
I was busy yesterday.
am → was
She is a student now.
She was a student then.
is → was
They are at home now.
They were at home last night.
are → were

今回のゴール

  • be動詞の過去形を使って、過去の状態・場所・立場が言えるようになる
  • be動詞の過去の否定文で「〜ではなかった」が言えるようになる
  • be動詞の過去の疑問文で過去の状態・場所・立場を尋ねられるようになる
  • There was / There were の構文で過去の存在が言えるようになる
  • 疑問詞 + was / were で過去のことを尋ねられるようになる

was / were の肯定文

ゴール

be動詞の過去形を使って、過去の状態・場所・立場が言えるようになる

現在形が「〜です/〜にいる」を表すのに対して、過去形は「〜でした/〜にいた」と過去の状態を表します。yesterday / last week / when I was a child のような過去を示す語と一緒によく使います。

肯定文の形
主語 + was / were + 名詞のまとまり / 形容詞 / 場所
現在形と過去形の対応
主語現在形過去形
I
am
was
he / she / it / 単数名詞
is
was
you / we / they / 複数名詞
are
were
過去の状態・場所と動作の違い
伝えたいこと例使う形
過去の状態
I was tired.
was / were + 形容詞
過去の場所
I was at home.
was / were + 場所
過去の動作
I went home.
一般動詞の過去形

主語に合わせて was / were を選ぶ

I + was

I was tired yesterday.

私は昨日疲れていました。
解説
I の過去形は was を使います。yesterday が過去を示す手がかりです。
She + was

She was busy yesterday.

彼女は昨日忙しかったです。
解説
三人称単数(he・she・it)の過去形も was です。
They + were

They were in the park.

彼らは公園にいました。
解説
複数の主語(they / we)には were を使います。
was / were の後ろに動詞を置くとき
I was go. のように動詞の原形をそのまま続けることはできません。I went. なら「行った」、I was going. なら「行っているところだった」という過去進行形になり、意味が変わります。

よくある間違い

I were tired.

基本の形

I was tired.

普通の過去の文では、I / he / she / it / 単数名詞には was、you / we / they / 複数名詞には were を使います。If I were ... は仮定法です。

よくある間違い

I was go to the park.

基本の形

I went to the park.

「〜に行った」のように動作を表すときは、was / were を足さず、一般動詞の過去形 went だけを使います。

理解度チェック

「They ___ at the park yesterday.」の空欄に入るのは何ですか。

was / were の否定文

ゴール

be動詞の過去の否定文で「〜ではなかった」が言えるようになる

was / were の否定文で、過去の状態を打ち消します。作り方は、was と were の直後にnot を置くだけです。短縮形は wasn't / weren't です。

否定文の形
主語 + was / were + not + 名詞のまとまり / 形容詞 / 場所

not と短縮形で過去を否定する

was not:短縮しない形

I was not hungry.

私はお腹が空いていませんでした。
解説
was の直後に not を置きます。I wasn't hungry. と短縮することもできます。
weren't:were not の短縮形

They weren't at home.

彼らは家にいませんでした。
解説
weren't は were not の短縮形です。

よくある間違い

She not was busy.

基本の形

She was not busy. / She wasn't busy.

否定文では was / were の直後に not を置きます。not を主語の前に置く形は使えません。

理解度チェック

「was not」の短縮形は何ですか。

was / were の疑問文

ゴール

be動詞の過去の疑問文で過去の状態・場所・立場を尋ねられるようになる

was / were の疑問文で、過去のことを確認します。作り方は、was と were を文頭に出すだけです。答え方は Yes / No + was / were です。

Was / Were で始める疑問文
Was / Were + 主語 + 名詞のまとまり / 形容詞 / 場所?
Was / Were ...? への短い答え
肯定
Yes, 主語 + was / were.
否定
No, 主語 + wasn't / weren't.

主語に合わせて Was / Were を選ぶ

Was + he

Was he busy yesterday?

彼は昨日忙しかったですか?
解説
Was を文頭に出します。答え方: Yes, he was. / No, he wasn't.
Were + you

Were you at school?

あなたは学校にいましたか?
解説
you には Were を使います。答え方: Yes, I was. / No, I wasn't.
理解度チェック

「Was she happy?」に「いいえ」と答えるとどうなりますか。

There was / were の文

ゴール

There was / There were の構文で過去の存在が言えるようになる

There was / There were は、過去に「〜があった/いた」と存在を伝える形です。後ろの名詞が単数名詞・不可算名詞なら There was、複数名詞なら There were を使います。

There was / There were の基本の形
単数名詞・不可算名詞
There was + 名詞
複数名詞
There were + 複数名詞
否定
There wasn't / weren't + 名詞
疑問
Was / Were there + 名詞?
現在形と過去形の対応
現在形過去形使う名詞
There is
There was
単数名詞・不可算名詞
There are
There were
複数名詞

名詞の数に合わせて過去の存在を表す

There was + 単数名詞

There was a concert in the park yesterday.

昨日、公園でコンサートがありました。
解説
a concert は単数名詞なので There was を使います。yesterday が過去を示す手がかりです。
There were + 複数名詞

There were many students in the classroom.

教室にはたくさんの生徒がいました。
解説
many students は複数名詞なので There were を使います。
There wasn't + 不可算名詞

There wasn't any milk in the fridge.

冷蔵庫には牛乳がありませんでした。
解説
milk は不可算名詞なので There wasn't を使います。否定文では any を一緒に使うことが多いです。
Was there ...?

Was there a concert in the park?

公園でコンサートがありましたか?
解説
There was の was を文頭に出して疑問文を作ります。Yes, there was. / No, there wasn't. と答えます。

よくある間違い

There was many people at the park.

基本の形

There were many people at the park.

There was / There were は後ろの名詞の数で使い分けます。many people のような複数名詞には were を使います。

理解度チェック

「公園に多くの子供たちがいた」の英語はどうなりますか。

疑問詞 + was / were

ゴール

疑問詞 + was / were で過去のことを尋ねられるようになる

「どこに」「どうだったか」のように、過去の状態や場所をくわしく尋ねたいときは、疑問詞 + was / were + 主語の語順にします。Was / Were の疑問文の前に where / how / when などを足すだけです。

疑問詞 + was / were の形
疑問詞 + was / were + 主語 ...?

場所・様子・時を尋ねる

where + were:場所

Where were you yesterday?

昨日どこにいましたか?
解説
where を文頭に置き、you には were を使います。答え方: I was at home.
how + was:様子

How was your weekend?

週末はどうでしたか?
解説
how で様子を尋ねます。your weekend は単数なので was を使います。 答え方: It was great.
when + was:時

When was the meeting?

会議はいつでしたか?
解説
when で時を尋ねます。the meeting は単数なので was を使います。答え方: It was yesterday.
理解度チェック

「How was your weekend?」はどういう意味ですか。

まとめ

  • be動詞の過去形を使って、過去の状態・場所・立場が言えるようになる
  • be動詞の過去の否定文で「〜ではなかった」が言えるようになる
  • be動詞の過去の疑問文で過去の状態・場所・立場を尋ねられるようになる
  • There was / There were の構文で過去の存在が言えるようになる
  • 疑問詞 + was / were で過去のことを尋ねられるようになる