dictionary.pt
there were
verbgeneral usecommon/o.ˈvɛ.ɾɐ̃w̃/hou·ve·ram
Definition
1Third person plural form of the simple past indicative of the verb 'haver' (to have), used impersonally (to exist, to occur) or as an auxiliary.
Usage examples
“There were several complaints about the service.”
“If there were doubts, nobody expressed them.”