was
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
How often you will meet it
Rank 10 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 2,738,609 times across 175,160 chapters — 1.302% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 100 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
auxiliary verb
- the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
was in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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But the pain, whatever it was, was only momentary.
Christian's Mistake · Dinah Maria Mulock Craik · Chapter 1
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And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1
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The dim roar of London was like the bourdon note of a distant organ.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1
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She gave a subdued squeal of joy, but the boy's face was calm as a star.
The Heart of the Hills · John, Jr. Fox · Chapter 1
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Brant was a senior and a "Bones" man, and so had a leading part to play in the afternoon's drama.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1