The verbs was and were are some of the most common words in the English language. It is almost impossible to avoid their use. They act not only as independent verbs, but also participate in the formation of other constructions.
Understanding when was and when were is used is necessary for everyone who learns English. The rules for their use are simple, but they may depend on the role of the verb in the sentence.
The verbs was and were are used in different constructions and act in different capacities. Cases of their use can be divided into 5 types: as the verb “to be”, in the coordination of tenses, to form the Past Continuous, in passive constructions, in conditional sentences with if.
1. Verb "to be"
Was and were in English are two forms of the verb to be in the past tense. They differ in persons and numbers: in the form was the verb is used in the singular, except for the second person (the pronoun you), were - in the plural and in the second person singular.
The rule was / were according to the conjugation table for the verb to be in the past tense:
The cases of using verbs in the meaning of “to be” are very similar to sentences in Russian. The use of was / were is typical when describing location, qualities, type of activity and other cases:
The key was in the car – The key was in the car
George was tall and thin – George was tall and thin
I was a dancer – I was a dancer
Her name was Margaret - Her name was Margaret
In negation with the particle not, verbs can take the abbreviated form wasn’t, weren’t. The particle not in this case is adjacent to the verb and loses its vowel “o”:
The key wasn’t in the car - The key was not in the car
They weren’t at home yesterday - Yesterday they weren’t at home
For the verbs was or were, the rule for forming an interrogative sentence does not require the use of an additional verb to do (did in the past tense).
To turn an affirmative sentence into a question, just move was / were to the first place in the phrase. Whereas for all other verbs you need to resort to to do and put it in first place. Let's compare the following examples:
He was in the library (He was in the library) – Was he in the library? (Was he in the library?)
He went to the library (He went to the library) – Did he go to the library? (Did he go to the library?)
You cannot use both verbs to form an interrogative sentence. A sentence like “Did he be in the library?” will be grammatically incorrect.
The verb to be is actively used in a variety of constructions. For example, in the phrases there was / there were. Such constructions indicate the fact of the existence of objects. The rule for when to use was / were depends only on the number of objects referred to in the sentence:
There were six apples in the box – There were 6 apples in the box
There was a very old house at the end of the street - At the end of the street there was a very old house
There are also various set expressions with the verb “to be”. This verb is actively used in constructions that describe a state, characteristic or a certain quality. Such phrases include to be interested in (to be interested in something), to be in hurry a (hurry), to be fond of (get carried away by something), to be good at (to understand well, be able to), to be mistaken ( be mistaken) and many others. In sentences with these constructions, different persons of the verb can be used, so here for was were the same rules from the conjugation table are used:
Michel was incredibly fond of dancing – Michael was crazy about dancing
I thought you were in a hurry - I thought you were in a hurry
I could rely on them because they were good at that job - I could rely on them because they did their job well
2. Coordination of times
We must not forget about the rules for coordinating tenses in English: in indirect speech, the time of the subordinate clause depends on the main one. If the main part is spoken in the past tense, then in the subordinate clause the form of the verb to be changes to was / were. There is no tense agreement in Russian, so the verb does not require a past tense form.
Betty said that you were thinking about buying a new house - Betty said that you were thinking about buying a new house
3. Auxiliary verb for Past Continuous
Another role of the verbs was and were is to serve as a means of forming the Past Continuous. All Continuous tenses are formed using the verb “to be” and a participle ending in ing. The auxiliary verb here does not carry an independent meaning, but only takes on a grammatical function in order to form the desired form. In the past tense, the verb to be looks like was/were, so the formula for forming the Past Continuous looks like was/were + V-ing.
In distinguishing between themselves for were or was, the rule remains the same as described above, and depends on the number and person according to the conjugation table of the verb to be.
I was packing my suitcases at this time - At this time I was packing my suitcases
They were walking together in the park – They walked together in the park
You were studying in your room when Mr. Gray arrived – You were studying in your room when Mr. Gray arrived
4. Passive constructions (formation of the passive voice)
The use of was / were in English is typical for creating passive constructions in the past tense. Such phrases are formed through the verb to be and the past participle, which is the semantic verb. For the past tense, the formula for the formation of the passive is built as was/were + V3.
The passive (or passive voice) is derived from the active form of the sentence and is used in situations where the role of the subject of the original sentence is not so important. In the active voice, the subject describes the actor in the situation and is the most important member of the sentence. In the passive voice, the new subject is the object that experiences the action on itself.
The problem was solved - The problem was solved
Children were separated from their parents - Children were separated from their parents
The examples show that the person and number of this new subject determine whether we use was or were. It doesn't matter which phrase the passive sentence is derived from: the form of the verb is determined by the subject of the phrase.
After converting a sentence into a passive, the original subject may completely disappear from the sentence or appear in a less significant position (for example, in the function of an object). Let's illustrate both cases with examples:
He wrote a letter (He wrote a letter) – The letter was written (The letter was written): the subject he (he) from the first sentence completely disappears in the second.
The President approved this law two months ago (The President approved this law two months ago) – This law was approved by the President two months ago (This law was approved by the President two months ago): the subject of the first sentence, the President, does not disappear, but ceases to be the main member and turns from a subject into an object.
If the active participant in the action remains in the sentence, he can be indicated through the preposition by. The preposition with may also appear in a sentence: it refers to inanimate objects and denotes the instrument with which the action was performed.
This house was chosen by my mother - This house was chosen by my mother
The bread was cut with a knife - The bread was cut with a knife
5. Conditional sentences
Conditional sentences are divided into different types. The second type, in which the atypical use of the verb were, appears, is built according to the scheme if + Past + should/would + Vinf.
Such conditional sentences describe an unrealistic situation that will most likely never come true. By using this construction, the speaker expresses obvious doubts that the situation is possible in reality.
In conditional sentences for the verbs was and were, the rules differ from all the examples discussed earlier: in all numbers and persons, only the form were is used. The verb were appears in the subordinate clause of a sentence if the semantic verb to be is to be used in the construction. Was is not used in English in this type of conditional construction.
If I were a king I wouldn't need such a pompous palace - If I were a king, I wouldn't need such a pompous palace.
The peculiarity of conditional constructions with if is also that the verb were appears in them when the indicated situation refers to the present or future tense, and not the past.
If we were in Paris now I would show you the Eiffel Tower - If we were in Paris now, I would show you the Eiffel Tower.
The verb be (to be) in the past simple tense has two forms: was(was/was) and were(were):was- used with nounssingular ;
were - with nounsin plural .
Please note that the pronoun you is plural in English and therefore always agrees with plural verbs!
Table of inflections of the verb to be in the past simple tense:
| I I /He he /She she /It it | was | (not) | ill last week. |
| We we /You you /They they | were |
To form a negative you need to put a negative particle not after the verbs was or were.
I was ill. I was
n"t at school yesterday.
I was ill. I wasn't at school yesterday.
When my children were little they were afraid of the dark.
When my children were little, they were afraid of the dark. (afraid - adjective)
It was sunny but the sea was
n"t warm enough to swim.
It was sunny, but the sea was not warm enough to swim.
There were a lot of black clouds in the sky, but there was no wind .*
There were a lot of black clouds in the sky, but there was no wind (at all).
*When choosing there was or there were look at the noun that stands after these structures.
For that, to ask a question, Verbs was And were need to be delivered before the subject. (In a declarative sentence, the verbs was and were come after the subject):
| Was | I/he/she/it | ill? | Yes, I was./No, I wasn't. |
| Were | we/you/they | Yes, we were./No, we weren't. |
You were not at work last week. Where were you?
You weren't at work last week. Where have you been?
I was on holiday. My family and I were in Turkey.
I was on vacation. My family and I were in Turkey.
How was your job interview? Were are you nervous?
How did your job interview (go)? Did you worry?
No, I was n"t. But there was a question I couldn't answer.
No. But there was a question that I could not answer.
Was the last episode of "The Walking Dead" good?
Was the last episode of The Walking Dead good?
Yes, it was. There were a lot of intense moments and the ending was very emotional.
Yes. There were many tense moments and the ending was very emotional.
Use of the verbs was and were:
Was and were are past forms of the verb to be. As in , was/were is a linking verb and is necessary in a sentence if it lacks a semantic verb (read, cook, laugh...) Verb be in English it is needed in order to connect different parts of speech in meaning (two nouns, a pronoun and a noun, a noun and an adjective...).
What were your favorite cartoons when you were a child?
What were your favorite cartoons when you were a child?
When I was a child, my favorite cartoon was"Tom and Jerry".
When I was a child, my favorite cartoon was Tom and Jerry.
It was 10 p.m. We were lost, cold and hungry.
It was 10 pm. We were lost, cold and hungry. (lost - adjective)
We couldn't make a phone call because the signal was too weak.
We couldn't call because the signal was too weak.
I'm sure you were not at home last night.
I'm sure you weren't home last night.
The lights were out and all the windows were closed.
The lights were off and all the windows were closed.
You've probably come across the verb to be more than once in the form being. To be honest, at first this word “being” bothered me terribly. There is already too much that is incomprehensible in the English language, and now there is this. Although, if you think about it, every verb has four forms: present tense, past tense, past participle and continuous form. Therefore everything is logical.
Be- present tense form. Past tense - was, were. Past participle - been(for the formation of perfect tenses). And the long-term form is being. Now all that remains is to figure out exactly when we use being .
Let's take the easiest to understand examples - descriptions of people.
Use being And be: feel the difference
The boy is naughty. This boy is naughty. (This is a trait of his character, he always behaves like this).
The boy is being naughty. (In this particular situation, this boy is behaving badly.)
You are rude. You are rude. (This is your character trait, you always treat people rudely).
You are being rude. (In this situation, you behaved rudely and impolitely. Although, perhaps, you are a completely well-mannered person).
I was careful when I drove. (I am an attentive person, I try to be attentive when I drive a car).
I was being careful when I drove. (I'm not usually that attentive on the road, but maybe I saw a traffic police officer on the road and that changed my behavior).
Jack is stupid. Jack is stupid.
Jack is being stupid. (Jack is smart enough, but he did one stupid thing)
Stacy is lazy. Stacy is lazy.
Stacy is being lazy. (Stacy may be a workaholic and loves to work, but on this day (moment) she was tired and decided to do nothing).
Thus, being + adjective characterizes someone's behavior or actions. A few more examples:
Why are you being so silly? Why are you acting so stupid?
You are being cruel when you hurt others with your words or actions.
Of course, being can be used not only in the present tense with am, are or is, but also in the past tense with was, were.
When I said that dress doesn’t look good on you, I was just being honest. When I said the dress didn't suit you, I was just being honest (with you).
Note that when adjectives describe feelings and emotional states, the continuous form is not used:
I was upset when I heard that I had failed the test. (Not"I was being upset")
I am delighted to hear that you have won the first prize. (Not"I am being delighted")
Use being to form the passive voice
Being is also used with the past participle to form the passive form:
My sister is cooking dinner. (Assets)
Dinner is being cooked by my sister. (Passive)
I’m quite sure that somebody is following me. (Assets)
I’m quite sure that I am being followed. (Passive)
My car is being repaired. My car is being repaired.
Other uses being
Besides, being used with verbs followed by a gerund (verb + ing):
I love being with my family. I love spending time (being) with my family.
I hate being alone.
Stop being lazy and help me wash the dishes.
And we also put being after prepositions, such as here:
I was in the hospital for a month after being in a car accident. I was in the hospital for a month after a car accident.
That’s the problem with being late all the time – people stop trusting you. This is the problem with constant lateness - people stop believing you.
The best part of being a teacher is interacting with the students. The best thing about being a teacher is interacting with students.
She got an award for being the best salesperson in the company. She received an award for being the best salesperson in the company.
Don’t even think about using be or been in such cases! Just being!
Finally you can meet being in complex sentences as part of a subordinate clause, when being replaces unions because/as/since.
These were all the cases and uses of being. Hopefully you now understand the difference between be and being and can use them correctly in your sentences.
If you came to our blog to find out the was, were rule in English, then you have come to exactly the right place. We will look at how and when these forms of the verb “to be” are used and why our life is impossible without this knowledge.
First and most important:
was, were in English - past form of the verb “to be” !Past forms are used without the particle “to”, because are not infinitive forms of the verb!
The use of was, were in English, the rule:
1. To the singular subject we add “was”
I, He, She, It- singular persons who are friends only with “was”!
2. To the plural subject we add “were”
We, You, They- plural persons who are friends only with “were”! For example:
P.S. Do you know why “You” is plural? After all, at school we were taught that this translates as the pronoun “you”. All wrong!
In fact, Americans are so well-mannered that they always address each other exclusively as “you.” This is precisely why this pronoun is considered plural.
But even in Russian, we always use the pronoun “You” only in the plural, even when addressing one person (but in a respectful form). For example:
Second and also important rule:
The use of was, were in English does not use the Past Continuous. This tense speaks of an extended activity (process) that occurred in the past. You will never confuse it with the regular Past Simple because:
1. Continuous- it's always a process.
2. IN Past Continuous we see certain time indications of the process:
When you called I was making a cake for my brother.
As you can see, the exact time is not necessary here; there should be a hint at the moment at which the process lasted.
3. was, were in English they are always basic auxiliary verbs.
There are no differences in the use of our verbs was, were in comparison with the first paragraph. There is only a peculiarity: the predicate will be able to have the ending “ing” (Always only this ending and no other changes to the verb. You don’t need to learn the table of irregular verbs to express your thought in the Past Continuous. Just add the ending “ing” to the main verb.).
Also, it is impossible not to say that was, were in English is used in the passive voice and in a number of laws and rules of a foreign language, but we revealed the most striking functions of these verbs in our article.
If you have an addition to our story about was, were in English, the rules of their use and features, then feel free to write your thoughts in the comments and we will discuss your ideas.
Many people get confused when using the past tense of various verb forms of to be. These verbs refer to a tense called Past Indefinite. They are completely unrelated and each form is used in strictly defined types of sentences.
Let's look at the basic rules for writing was and were. Was is used with the following pronouns: I, he, she, it. Were is written with the following pronouns: we, you, they.
When to write was and when to use were?
The verb was is used when the sentence talks about the singular number, that is, about a person or thing in one quantity. For example:
- He was hungry - He was hungry. ((past tense Past Indefinite, was is a linking verb)
- Was he hungry? – Was he hungry? (past tense Past Indefinite, was is a linking verb)
The verb were should be used when talking about the plural, that is, about a person or thing in more than one quantity. For example:
They were hungry - They were hungry.
What do you need to remember about writing was\were verbs?
There are several nuances that you should pay attention to when writing the verb was.
1. Everybody was there - Everyone was there
Everyone translates to " All”, which means plural, but the verb was written correctly. The pronouns everyone and everybody refer to each person from the group individually, therefore the singular verb is used correctly.
2. Many mistakes can be made with the pronouns none\each. For example:
- Each of us was red-heard - Each of us was red.
- None of them was red-heard - None of them were red.
- With these pronouns the verb was is always used.
3. Pronoun all is used in relation to the entire group of persons or objects, which means the plural, therefore the verb were is always used with this pronoun.
All of them were hungry- They were all hungry.
4. There are situations when were is not used with the pronoun all. The easiest way to remember is this: if the nouns in a sentence are countable, put were. If the noun is uncountable and singular, it is written as was. Eg:
All the water was over- All the water is gone.
It is worth paying attention to another example of writing was and all:
The work was failed by all the workers- All the workers failed.
It seems that all is used in relation to all students in general, but the verb was is used. This is because was here does not refer to workers, but to the word work, which is singular. When writing the plural - works, the verb were would be used.
Exceptions to the spelling was\were in English grammar
Each rule must be remembered, but it is also necessary to remember that there are exceptions to the rules, and when writing was\were it is worth remembering a number of exceptions when with pronouns in the singular it is written were, together was. Exceptions apply to the following offers:
- Where is the if construct.
- In conditional sentences and sentences of the second type.
- In individual cases with the verb wish.
- In this construction of the sentence: If I were you - if I were in your place.
In a sentence written in time Past Indefinite You cannot use the verbs was and did at the same time. There are certain cases in which the pronoun I is used with were. For example:
- If I were you, I would love the cat - If I were you, I would love the cat.
- Sentences with the construction I wish to denote the desired unrealistic. Often such sentences begin with the expression: it’s a pity that or I would really like that...
- I wish I were tall – It’s a pity that I’m not tall
- I wish I were in the school - How I would like to be at school.
In conditional sentences of the secondary type in the subordinate part, for example:
- If I were there I would read a book - if I were there, I would read a book.
- Sentences that are built using the as if construction. Sentences of this type use the past tense to make the action seem unreal. In such cases, the forms of to be in Past Indefinite can be was and were.
- You look at me as if I were a superstar - You look at me as if I were a superstar (in reality, I’m not a superstar).