was
Had being once
Was serves as the past tense of be for the first and third person singular.
In some dialects it is used as the past for all persons and numbers, but such speech is usually considered uneducated.
Like the present tense forms of be, was begins passive and continuous verb phrases in sentences when the subject is a singular noun or pronoun, such as I, he, she, or it.
Was is never contracted in speech or writing, except in the same dialects in which it is used for all persons.
Plural past existence verb
At one time
- formerlyIn the past
- previouslyBefore the present moment
- earlierAt a prior time
- erstwhilePreviously but not now
sometime · heretofore · hitherto · elapsed · prior · before · ago · then
Had being previously
- livedExisted or dwelt
- occurredTook place in time
- happenedCame into being
- took placeCame to pass
transpired · came to pass · prevailed · persisted · survived · remained · endured · stood
No longer in use
- archaicBelonging to earlier times
- antiquatedOld and outdated
- old-fashionedBelonging to earlier times
- datedOld-fashioned or courted
forgotten · defunct · extinct · superseded · abandoned · discontinued · deprecated · phased out
Ordered historical record
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- epochsDistinct historical stretches
- erasNamed spans of history
ages · artifacts · evolution · genealogy · archaeology · chronology · legacy · annals
Recalling past experiences
- nostalgiaLonging for the past
- recollectionRecalled mental image
- flashbackInvoluntary past memory
- retrospectReflection on past events
yesteryear · evocative · reminiscing · wistfulness · sentimentality · bittersweet · longing · remembrance
were
Plural past existence verb
is · are · be · will · would · could · have · had · might · must
once
At one time
- formerlyIn the past
- previouslyBefore the present moment
- earlierAt a prior time
erstwhile · sometime · heretofore · hitherto · elapsed · prior · before · ago · then · back
existed
Had being previously
took place · transpired · came to pass · prevailed · persisted · survived · remained · endured · stood
outdated
No longer in use
- archaicBelonging to earlier times
- antiquatedOld and outdated
- old-fashionedBelonging to earlier times
dated · forgotten · defunct · extinct · superseded · abandoned · discontinued · deprecated · phased out · retired
chronicle
Ordered historical record
eras · ages · artifacts · evolution · genealogy · archaeology · chronology · legacy · annals · historical
reminiscence
Recalling past experiences
- nostalgiaLonging for the past
- recollectionRecalled mental image
- flashbackInvoluntary past memory
retrospect · yesteryear · evocative · reminiscing · wistfulness · sentimentality · bittersweet · longing · remembrance · memoir
- there wasPast presence indicated
- I was wrongAcknowledging prior error
- was bornCame into existence
- that was itStatement of conclusion
- what was thatRequest for repetition
- was wrongHeld a false belief