Was is the past tense of the verb “be” for singular subjects. When you talk about something that existed, happened, or felt true in the past, you often use was.

If your friend is sick today, you say “She is sick.” If she was sick yesterday, you say “She was sick.” If the weather is sunny now, you say “It is sunny.” If it was sunny this morning, you say “It was sunny.”

You use was with I, he, she, it, and singular nouns: “I was happy,” “The dog was barking,” “Lincoln was president.” For plural subjects like we, they, or multiple people, you use were instead: “We were happy,” “The dogs were barking.”

Was helps you tell stories and explain what happened before now. Without it, you couldn't say “The movie was exciting” or “I was seven when we moved” or “That was the best birthday ever.” It's one of the most common words in English because we're constantly talking about the past, sharing memories, and describing how things used to be.