FORM
The verb 'be'
AFFIRMATIVE (+)
| Past Simple | Present Perfect | |
| S + was / were | S + have / has + been | |
| I | I was | I have been |
| we | we were | we have been |
| you | you were | you have been |
| they | they were | they have been |
| he | he was | he has been |
| she | she was | she has been |
| it | it was | it has been |
NEGATIVE (-)
| Past Simple | Present Perfect | |
| S + was / were + not | S + have / has + not + been | |
| I | I was not | I have not been |
| we | we were not | you have not been |
| you | you were not | we have not been |
| they | they were not | they have not been |
| he | he was not | he has not been |
| she | she was not | she has not been |
| it | it was not | it has not been |
|
was not = wasn't
were not = weren't
|
has not = hasn't
have not = haven't
|
INTERROGATIVE (?) — General questions (or "Yes/ No") questions
| Past Simple | Present Perfect | |
| was + S … ? | have / has + S + been … ? | |
| I | was I | has I been |
| we | were we | have we been |
| you | were you | have you been |
| they | were they | have they been |
| he | was he | has he been |
| she | was she | has she been |
| it | was it | has it been |
INTERROGATIVE (?) — Special (or "Wh") questions
To make "Wh" questions we usually put a question word (QW) before a construction of "Yes/No" questions:
E.g.
| Past Simple | Past Continuous |
| QW + was / were + S + … ? | QW + have / has + S + been … ? |
| Why were you … ? | How many times have you been … ? |
| Where was he … ? | Where has he been … ? |
SHORT ANSWERS
| Past Simple | Past Continuous | ||
| Yes, S + did. | No, S + didn't. | Yes, S + was / were. | No, S + wasn't. / weren't. |
| Yes, I was. | No, I wasn't. | Yes, I have. | No, I haven't. |
| Yes, we were. | No, we weren't. | Yes, we have. | No, we haven't. |
| Yes, you were. | No, you weren't. | Yes, you have. | No, you haven't. |
| Yes, they were. | No, they weren't. | Yes, they have. | No, they haven't. |
| Yes, he was. | No, he wasn't. | Yes, he has. | No, he hasn't. |
| Yes, she was. | No, she wasn't. | Yes, she has. | No, she hasn't. |
| Yes, it was. | No, it wasn't. | Yes, it has. | No, it hasn't. |
Svarīgi!
NOTE!
In short answers we use pronouns (I, we, you, they, he, she, it).
E.g.
— Has Maria been to London?
— No, she hasn't. (NOT: No, Maria didn't.)
***
S — Subject of the sentence
QW — Question word (E.g. what, when, where, why, who, how)