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Home » [NEW] “Was” vs. “Were”: Use Cases And Examples | past simple was were – NATAVIGUIDES

[NEW] “Was” vs. “Were”: Use Cases And Examples | past simple was were – NATAVIGUIDES

past simple was were: นี่คือโพสต์ที่เกี่ยวข้องกับหัวข้อนี้

There are plenty of questions associated with the verb to be. “To be or not to be,” for one. On a less existential note, there’s the question of how to use to be in the grammatically correct way. I am, you are, he was, they were—the forms of the verb to be, among many other things, are messy in English.

You might find yourself puzzling out a sentence such as: If she was unhappy, she should have said so. Is this sentence correct? Or should If she was switch to the phrase If she were?

Was vs. were, what’s the difference?

Much of the confusion lies in when to use was versus were, which are the past tense forms of to be. The answer all depends on two factors: 1) is your verb using first, second, or third person? And, 2) is your verb in past indicative or past subjunctive tense? Past indicative is used for ordinary objective statements or questions, and past subjunctive is used for imaginary or hypothetical statements or questions.

Were is always correct in the past subjunctive:

 

  • I were
  • You were
  • He/she/it were
  • We were
  • You were
  • They were

If this looks a little odd, remember that these constructions are often accompanied by a word like if, as if, and though. You might say, “If I were a rich man …”

Don’t we all wish we were rich … so would you say “wish I was” or “wish I were”?

To conjugate to be in the past indicative, however, using was or were depends on the subject:

 

  • I was
  • You were
  • He/she/it was
  • We were
  • You were
  • They were

It’s possible to get mixed up even with this straight conjugation in mind. But there are some tips and tricks to remember to make sure you use the correct verb form every time.

When to use was

Was is a past tense indicative form of be, meaning “to exist or live,” and is used in the first person singular (I) and the third person singular (he/she/it).

You use the past indicative when you’re talking about reality and known facts. If you went to the store, for example, then you would say, “I was at the store” because it is something that definitely happened. The same is true if you’re talking about someone else in the third person (or if you make the choice to talk about yourself in the third person). You would say, “Sarah was at the store,” for example, or “She was at the store.”

Another way to use was is as an auxiliary verb with a singular subject in the past continuous tense. An auxiliary verb is used with another verb that follows it in the sentence to express different tenses, aspects, moods, etc., and the past continuous tense refers to something that was ongoing in the past.

If you were to modify the previous example (I was at the store) with an auxiliary verb, you would say, “I was searching for spices at the store.” Was is the auxiliary verb (or helping verb) used to talk about what you were doing in the past (searching).

Examples of was in a sentence

So to recap, if you’re talking about something real that happened in the past, use the past tense indicative: I was or he/she/it was. (Were is used with the other pronouns.) Here are some example sentences:

 

  • I was sick last night.
  • He had an amazing imagination when he was a child.
  • We turned down the music because it was too loud.

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).

In the past indicative, were acts similar to was. “They were at the store,” you could say, for example. It also acts similar as an auxiliary verb, as in “They were searching for spices at the store.”

Things get a little more complicated with were, though, and it’s all thanks to this thing called the subjunctive mood.

The subjunctive mood is the opposite of indicative, and it’s all about things that are unreal or conditional. When you’re talking about your hopes and dreams, you’re using the subjunctive mood. The same goes for talking about something you intend or want to do, as well as for things you know will never be true or are no longer true.

A telltale sign that you’re working with the subjunctive mood is the word if, because this suggests a hypothetical. “If I were to go shopping, I could search for spices,” for example. It doesn’t matter if the subject is singular or plural, or if it’s first, second, or third person. If you’re using the subjunctive mood, the grammatically correct past tense of to be is were.

Speech is always evolving, and the subjunctive mood is used far less extensively than it was in the past. And what’s more, much of the way we talk and write in everyday English isn’t what our old schoolteachers would wag the ruler at us as “grammatically correct.” But if you want to conform with those standards, use were when it comes to the past tense of to be.

Examples of were in a sentence

If you’re discussing things that are unreal or conditional, then use were: I were and he/she/it were. Here are some example sentences:

 

  • If I were in better shape, I would run in the race.
  • She took over the meeting as if she were the boss.
  • His father talked to him as though he were a child.

When to use was vs. were

To sum it all up, always use was for the past indicative first and third person singular. That goes for whether it’s a simple verb or auxiliary. “I was ready to watch the Auburn Tigers win the game,” and “He was watching number two score the winning touchdown.”

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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.”

There was vs. there were

Was and were are also used in some instances with the pronoun there. This pronoun introduces a sentence or clause in which the verb comes before its subject (or those instances where the verb has no complement). When the subject that follows is singular, use was: When I opened the fridge, I found there was no more milk left. When the subject that follows is plural, use were: When I opened the fridge, I found there were no more eggs left.

In the end, yes, you were technically correct when you noted that the class lyric “I wish I was a little bit taller” should have been “I wish I were a little bit taller.” But don’t fret if you get it technically wrong at times. Were may be formally correct, but because the subjunctive mood has largely fallen out of common use, was may slip into yours and others’ speech at times.

[NEW] Was vs. Were? | past simple was were – NATAVIGUIDES

The key to understanding when to use was or were in a sentence is determining whether you need to use the subjunctive mood or not. A verb is in the subjunctive mood if it expresses an action or state that is not reality. For example, it might be hypothetical, wished for, or conditional.

“Was” and “Were” as Past and Subjunctive Verb Tenses

To better see what we are up against when deciding when to use was or were, let’s compare the past and subjunctive conjugations of to be side by side.

past and subjunctive verb tenses

Our chart reveals something delightful. You can’t go wrong choosing were with the second person (you), the first person plural (we), the second person plural (you), or the third person plural (they). We only need to make a choice about when to use was or were with the first person singular (I) and the third person singular (he, she, or it). Isn’t that great news?

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Is It “If I Was” or “If I Were”?

Use were if the state of being you are describing is in no way the current reality. This is true whenever a hypothetical situation is expressed, for example.

were
to find all the Horcruxes in time, we would not be forced to submit to Voldemort’s evil will.

If Harryto find all the Horcruxes in time, we would not be forced to submit to Voldemort’s evil will.

Would you invite me over if I were
more polite at the dinner table?

The first sentence can be described as an unreal conditional clause. These hypotheticals are easy to spot because they are often introduced by an if and are related to another clause containing a would or could.

Another type of unreal conditional sentence that uses the same construction demanding the subjunctive were is the impossible or improbable type.

If it were
possible to solve the puzzle, I would have done it.

Here the speaker implies that the puzzle is unsolvable. Therefore, solving the puzzle is not a likely reality, and the subjunctive were is used instead of the past tense was.

That does not mean that every clause beginning with if I requires the use of if I was rather than if I were.

If I was wrong about Felicity’s love of puppies, I can take this one back to the shelter.

In this sentence, the speaker acknowledges that it is possible he or she may have incorrectly thought that Felicity loves puppies and has given her a puppy in error. The fact that it is possible the speaker is describing reality makes this an indicative sentence, not a subjunctive one. Therefore, we use was instead of were.

Use “Were,” Not “Was,” for Wishful Thinking

A sure sign that you should use the subjunctive is when the word wish is used. A wish is the desire or hope for something that cannot or probably will not happen.

I wish I were
the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

He wishes his grammar were
better.

I wish the stories about me were
true, but I am not really the master of the universe.

She wishes she were
at least five inches taller.

Here’s a tip: These phrases are never correct: I wish I was, I wish it was, he wishes he was, she wishes she was.

Always remember this rule about the usage of was and were: use were with expressions that are hypothetical, wishful, imagined, desired, doubtful, and otherwise contrary to fact—that is to say, not real.


[Past tense] What did you do? We went to the park. – Easy Dialogue


https://www.youtube.com/user/englishsingsing9
What did you do? We went to the park. (Easy Dialogue) English video for Kids English Sing sing
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Title: What did you do?
Good morning, Sally. How are you?
I’m great. What did you do yesterday?
We went to the park.
What did you do in the park?
We flew kites. His kites flew high.
Wow! You’re good.
What did you do yesterday, Sally?
I read books.
Let’s go to the classroom.
What did you do yesterday?
I watched a science movie.
What did you do yesterday, Mike?
I made bulgogi with my dad.
How was it?
It was very delicious. We had a bulgogi party.
I made cookies yesterday. I brought cookies for you.
Thanks! Mm, delicious!

Thanks for checking out the \”English Singsing\”.
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นอกจากการดูบทความนี้แล้ว คุณยังสามารถดูข้อมูลที่เป็นประโยชน์อื่นๆ อีกมากมายที่เราให้ไว้ที่นี่: ดูเพิ่มเติม

[Past tense] What did you do? We went to the park. - Easy Dialogue

What were you doing? – Past Continuous


Learn how to use Past Continuous/Progressive through a short story in this video. We use this tense 1. for a continuous action in the past which was interrupted by another action \”I was reading the label, when the jar slipped out of my hands\”; 2. to describe the atmosphere \”The sun was shining\”; 3. for two actions which happened in the same time in the past \”I was sitting in the living room and she was taking a shower\”

What were you doing? - Past Continuous

Tập 73: Lời Khuyên Nho Nhỏ…Was/Were


Hello các bạn! Trong kinh nghiệm mình giúp các bạn học tiếnng Anh mình gặp nhiều bạn chưa quen dùng \”was\” vói \”were\” thay cho vói \”am, is, are\” khi diển tã quá khứ. Đó là một trong những lý do tiếng Anh của các bạn vẩn chưa sành điệu lắm. Các bạn nhớ để ý đến \”was\” và \”were\” nhe. Nếu các bạn nắm vững 2 chữ này tiếng Anh của bạn sẽ nghe chuẩn hơn.

Tập 73: Lời Khuyên Nho Nhỏ...Was/Were

Simple Past


In this video, students learn when to use the simple past verb tense. They also learn the difference between regular and irregular past verbs. For more videos and lessons, visit us at https://esllibrary.com.
Link to lesson: https://esllibrary.com/courses/88/lessons/1594
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Simple Past

korki 4 free – Past Simple – was / were


Notatka do tego filmu:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16jyIjHy_bsvvum4GESIrYHIbOistof9/view?usp=sharing

korki 4 free - Past Simple - was / were

นอกจากการดูบทความนี้แล้ว คุณยังสามารถดูข้อมูลที่เป็นประโยชน์อื่นๆ อีกมากมายที่เราให้ไว้ที่นี่: ดูบทความเพิ่มเติมในหมวดหมู่MAKE MONEY ONLINE

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