мне/тебе/ему etc. [x]" constructions tend to use было in the past tense regardless of whether or not there is an agent of the verb
someone told me this and i still quite understand it i was given this as an example sentence:
а в Англию приехала учиться в институте, когда ей было 22 года.
i don't quite get why it is было and when to know there is an exception like this?
i have been having a hard time with these exceptions and was just looking for some advice on this stuff aswell. Should i just memorize these as they are well these types of irregularities pop up?