there was
fixed phr..fixed phr.. You use 'there was' to say that one thing existed somewhere or at some time in the past. For more than one thing, you use 'there were'.
fixed phr.. The past simple form of the existential 'there is', used to introduce the existence or presence of a singular or uncountable noun in the past.
There was a big dog in the park.
I wanted to make a sandwich, but there was no bread left in the kitchen.
In the silence that followed her announcement, there was a palpable sense of shock and disbelief among the board members.
Always followed by a singular or uncountable noun; the plural equivalent is 'there were'.
Contrast 'there was' (existential) with 'it was' (referential); 'There was a storm' introduces the storm's existence, while 'It was a storm' describes a previously mentioned weather event.
There was two cats on the fence.There were two cats on the fence.Use 'there was' for a single item and 'there were' for multiple items.