Episode 12: Yesterday’s Hero

was/were — Rosa Parks, 1955 (A1-A2)

Grammar Box

Meaning: We use was and were to talk about the past. They are the past form of am, is, and are.

Form: I/he/she/it + was / you/we/they + were

Example 1: I was tired yesterday. (past)

Example 2: They were at school. (past)

Common mistake: Wrong: I were happy yesterday. Better: I was happy yesterday.

The Question

Luna looked at her diary. “Today I am tired. Yesterday I am tired too?” She frowned. The watch glowed softly. Professor Wisdom appeared. “The past is different, Luna. When we talk about yesterday, the words change. Come. Let’s meet a woman who was tired but stayed strong. Her courage was extraordinary.”

The Journey

The world shifted. Luna stood on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. December 1, 1955. Evening. The bus was crowded. Rosa Parks sat in the middle section. She was forty-two years old. She was a seamstress. She worked hard every day. Her feet hurt. Her back ached. She was exhausted.

But Rosa was more than tired. She was angry. She was disappointed. For years, Black people in Montgomery had faced unfair laws. They had to sit at the back of buses. If white passengers needed seats, Black passengers had to stand. It was humiliating. It was wrong.

The bus driver looked at Rosa. “Give up your seat,” he said. White passengers were standing. Rosa stayed in her seat. “No,” she said quietly.

People had tried to protest before. They were arrested. They were scared. They were silenced. But Rosa was different that day. She wasn’t planning a protest. She was simply refusing to accept injustice anymore.

“I said move!” the driver shouted. Rosa didn’t move. She was calm. She was determined. She was ready for whatever came next.

The police arrived. They arrested her. At that moment, she was just one woman. But her action was powerful. Her courage was contagious.

The next day, the Montgomery Bus Boycott began. Fifty thousand Black citizens refused to ride buses. They walked to work. They walked to school. For 381 days, the buses were nearly empty. Finally, the law changed.

Luna watched Rosa’s quiet strength. The bus was hot. The tension was thick. Rosa’s hands were folded calmly. Her dignity was unshakable.

The Insight

“Listen to how we talk about that day,” the Professor said. “‘Rosa was tired.’ ‘She was brave.’ ‘The buses were unfair.’ We use was and were to talk about the past.”

He continued, “In the present, we say ‘I am’ and ‘you are.’ But in the past, we say ‘I was’ and ‘you were.’ For he, she, it, we use was. For you, we, they, we use were.”

“It’s simple. Was and were help us tell stories. They help us remember history. They help us honor people like Rosa Parks.”

Practice Zone

More Examples:

1. “The day was cold and rainy.” — Weather in the past.
2. “We were in London last summer.” — Past location.
3. “She was only twelve years old then.” — Past age.
4. “They were very happy together.” — Past feelings.
5. “I was at home yesterday evening.” — Past place and time.
6. “The movie was excellent last night.” — Past opinion.

Exercises:

1. Fill in the blank: Yesterday, I _____ (be) very busy at work.

2. Choose the correct:
   a) Last week, we was on vacation.
   b) Last week, we were on vacation.

3. Complete with was or were:
   – He _ tired after the long walk.
   – They ___ in the library this morning.

4. Make it past: “I am happy today.” → “Yesterday, I _____ happy.”

5. Your turn: Write a sentence about yesterday using was or were.

Answer Key:

1. was
2. b) Last week, we were on vacation
3. He was tired / They were in the library
4. Yesterday, I was happy
5. Check: Did you use was with I/he/she/it? Did you use were with you/we/they? Examples: “I was at school yesterday.” “My friends were late for class.”

The Lesson

They returned to Luna’s room. She wrote in her diary: “Yesterday I was tired, but I finished my work.” She smiled. “Was and were help me tell my story.” The Professor nodded. “Yes. And like Rosa Parks, your small actions matter. What you were yesterday helped make who you are today.”