When to use were. Whereas was is the singular past tense of to be, were is used for both the third person plural past tense (they and we) and the second person past tense (you).
When to use was or were?
Chances are, you’re familiar with one difference between was and were: that was is the first and third-person singular past tense of the verb to be, while were is the second-person singular past and plural past of to be.
What is an example of were?
For the past indicative second person and all plural forms, use were. “They were in the stadium,” and “You were standing the whole game.” Also use were for the hypothetical or fantastical subjunctive mood for both singular and plural forms, as in “If they were to bring back popcorn, I would eat it.”
Which tense is were?
Meaning – Were is the past tense of the verb are. Look at this example of were used in a sentence. Since were means the same as the past tense of are in this sentence, it is the correct word to use.
Can we say you were?
*yes*, “*you were*” is grammatically correct; that could be an answer to a question such as,..
Is it correct to say where were we?
Where we were and where were we are both correct. Both of them are interrogative (question) clauses, one direct and one indirect: Direct: Where were we yesterday? Indirect: I wonder where we were yesterday.
Can you start a sentence with were?
Yes, we can start an interrogative sentence (question) with was and were.
What type of verb is were?
linking verb
The most common linking verb is the verb to be in all of its forms (am, are, is, was, were, etc.).
Were is singular or plural?
The simple difference by which one can differentiate between the words ‘was’ and ‘were’ is that the former is used if the subject is singular, and the latter is used when the subject is plural. The word ‘was’ is used with a first and third-person singular subject and is the past form of the verb ‘be’.
What does mean by were?
1. Were is the plural and the second person singular of the past tense of be1. 2. Were is sometimes used instead of ‘was’ in certain structures, for example in conditional clauses or after the verb ‘ wish’. [formal]
What is the 3 form of were?
1. Primary helping verbs
| base | 3rd person singular present simple | past simple |
|---|---|---|
| do | does | did |
| have | has | had |
| base | present simple (3 forms) | past simple (2 forms) |
| be | am are is | was were |
Are and were example?
What is the difference between “are” and “were”? “They are” is the present tense and “They were” is the past tense of the verb “to be”. For example: “They are the tastiest apples I have ever eaten” and “They were the tastiest apples I had ever eaten.”
What is were and where?
They look similar, but they are spelled and pronounced differently, and they have very different meanings. So, when should you use each word? The short answer is that were is a past tense form of be, while where means “in a specific place.”
Can you say wish I were?
The grammatically correct form to talk about hypothetical situations that you desire or want to be true is ‘I wish I were…’ It may seem strange, but it is grammatically correct and commonly used by native English speakers. All native English speakers consider this form to be correct and formal.
Why do we say if I were?
Why do you use IF I WERE and not IF I WAS? The reason we use WERE instead of WAS is because the sentence is in the SUBJUNCTIVE mood which is used for hypothetical situations. This is a condition which is contrary to fact or reality (the fact is, I am NOT you).
How do you respond to were?
Short Answers with Was / Were
Yes, you were. No, you weren’t.
Is it correct to say where were you born?
It is not correct. Although a fluent English speaker would understand what you were trying to say, the correct question is as you acknowledged, “Where were you born?”. The only thing that would be similar to what you asked would be “Where did your birth take place?”
Where were you meaning?
Where were you is the question to ask if you want to know where a someone was at a specific point in time, even if that specific point in time is not actually expressed in the question. You can ask: Where were you this morning? Where were you last Saturday?
What’s the difference between We Re and were?
“Were” is simply a plural past-tense form of the verb “are.” To talk about something happening now or in the future, use “we’re”; but to talk about something in the past, use “were.” If you can’t substitute “we are” for the word you’ve written, omit the apostrophe.
Can you replace was with were?
The difference is reflected in the verb. In the past tense, the subjunctive applies only to the verb “be,” and it’s formed by replacing “was” with “were.” “If he were being honest” (which means he wasn’t) versus “If he was being honest” (which means it’s possible).
Were used in a sentence?
[M] [T] They were fighting on the street. [M] [T] They were scolded by the teacher. [M] [T] He speaks as if he were an expert. [M] [T] I wish Beth were here with me now.