Terms for subject Figurative containing were

English	Russian
even if you were a genius	будь ты семи пядей во лбу
I wouldn't hesitate if I were you	на вашем месте я бы не колебался
the peasants were shaking in their shoes	у мужиков поджилки затряслись
these were the brightest moments in my life	это были самые светлые минуты в моей жизни
we were frequently faced with serious problems	перед нами часто вставали серьёзные вопросы