Question

はやし

What they wereはどういう意味なのかが分かりません。
What節で名詞になることは理解できるのですが、、教えてください😭

6 The college's educational standards are not what they were but
ery best
T. TON
students still apply to go there.
a great deal
3 the great many
yaaisuu
2
a large number of
the number of