Use of Verb - To be - Was/Were

Use of Verb 'To be' - होना क्रिया
Past form - was/were

पहचान - वाक्य के अंत में था, थे, थी, होता था, होते थे, होती थी आदि ।

नोट- ऐसे वाक्यों में Subject, Verb (to be), और Compliment होता है । ऐसा इसलिए क्योंकि इन वाक्यों में Subject और Object (अर्थात Compliment) एक ही व्यक्ति या वस्तु की ओर संकेत करता है । इसलिए इन वाक्यों में Object के स्थान पर प्रयुक्त शब्दों या शब्द समूहों को Object ना कह कर Compliment कहा जाता है ।

Affirmative Sentence
Rule:- S + Was/Were + O/C + R.

Use of Was – With 1st person ( I - मैं ) & 3rd person singular number. (He, She, It & singular name)
Use of Were – With 1st person plural (we) 2nd person (you) & 3rd person plural number.(They, Cows, Boys, Girls etc.)

Example :-
मैं एक व्यापारी था ।
I was a businessman.
वह एक डॉक्टर था ।
He was a doctor.

Negative Sentence
Rule:- S + Was/Were + Not + O + R.

Example :-
मैं एक क्रिकेट खिलाड़ी नहीं था ।
I was not a cricketer.
तुम एक बुरे नागरिक नहीं थे ।
You were not a bad citizen.

Yes/No Interrogative
Rule:- Was/Were + S + O + R + ?

Example :-
क्या तुम एक अच्छे छात्र थे ?
Were you a good student ?
क्या वह एक ईमानदार नेता था ?
Was he an honest leader ?

Yes/No Interrogative Negative
Rule:- Was/Were + S + Not + O + R + ?

Example :-
क्या मैं एक अच्छा खिलाड़ी नहीं था ?
Was I not a good player ?
क्या वह एक ईमानदार नेता नहीं था ?
Was he not an honest leader ?

‘Wh’ Interrogative Sentence
Rule:- Q.Word + Was/Were + S + O + R + ?

Example :-
तुम कैसे एक नेता थे ?
How were you a leader ?
तुम्हारा काम क्या था ?
What was your work ?

‘Wh’ Interrogative Sentence Negative
Rule:- Q.Word + Was/Were + S + Not + O + R + ?

Example :-
मैं क्यों एक अच्छा नेता नहीं था ?
Why was I not a good leader ?
वे लोग कैसे अच्छे खिलाड़ी नहीं थे ?
How were they not good players ?

By Chandan Kumar Singh