How do you use the word "was" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "was": That was an evil bunny. I was in the mountains.

Was Meaning

/wəz/

Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

verbfirst-person singular simple past indicative of be.

verbthird-person singular simple past indicative of be.

Sentence Examples

That was an evil bunny.

I was in the mountains.

He was absent from work for two weeks.

CEFR Practice Quiz

The missing key ____ in the drawer all along, hidden from view.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

The movie ____ very interesting, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who likes several historical stories today.

Word Origin & History

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes- Proto-Germanic *was Old English wæs Middle English was English was From Middle English was, from Old English wæs, from Proto-Germanic *was, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂we-h₂wós-e from *h₂wes- (“to reside”), whence also vestal. See also Scots was, West Frisian was (dated, wie is generally preferred today), Dutch was, Low German was, German war, Swedish var); also Kamkata-viri vos-, Sanskrit उवास (uvā́sa). The paradigm of “to be” has been since the time of Proto-Germanic a synthesis of three originally distinct verb stems. The infinitive form be is from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to become”). The forms is and are are both derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- (“to be”). Lastly, the past forms starting with w- such as was and were are from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes- (“to reside”).

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"I killed my poor father, Tuesday was a week, for doing the like of that." — 1915, John Millington Synge, The Playboy of the Western World, section I:

"He saw it clear enough, now that the lordling had pointed it out. “They couldn't have froze. Not if the Wall was weeping. It wasn't cold enough."" — 1996 August 1, George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire; 1), HarperCollins, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 16:

"And in the vppermoſt baſket there was of all maner of †bake-meats foꝛ Pharaoh,and the birds did eat them out of the baſket vpon my head." — 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Gen 40:17:

"You was pleased to cast a favourable eye upon me." — 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XXXIII”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC:

""Was you outside the Bank of England, sir?"" — 1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, “(please specify the page)”, in The Poison Belt […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

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