The document provides examples of using the simple past tense through was/were constructions in English. It shows how was/were change based on the subject of the sentence, whether it is I/he/she/it or we/you/they. Examples are given of asking about someone's state or location in the past using these verbs. Famous historical figures from different fields like poetry, music composition, science, writing, and art are listed and it is noted they "were" something in the past.