Is the word were present or past tense

Asked by: Reinhold Adams

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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.

When to use was or were?

How do you know if its past or present?

The past is used to describe things that have already happened (e.g., earlier in the day, yesterday, last week, three years ago). The present tense is used to describe things that are happening right now, or things that are continuous.

How do we use past tense?

The simple past tense shows that you are talking about something that has already happened. Unlike the past continuous tense, which is used to talk about past events that happened over a period of time, the simple past tense emphasizes that the action is finished.

What is past tense examples?

In grammar, the past tense is the verb form you use to talk about things that happened in the past. When you say, «I joined the circus,» the verb «joined» is in the past tense. When people write or speak using the past tense, they’re describing something that happened earlier, whether it was yesterday or ten years ago.

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What is the difference between was vs were?

The words “was” and “were” are past tense forms of the verb “to be,” a word English speakers use more often than they realize. Whenever we use the terms are, is, am, was, were, be being, or been–– we are using the verb ‘be’ (to be). 

The verb ‘to be’ contains several forms because it’s an auxiliary verb, which means it assists or modifies another verb. Similar auxiliary verbs include do (did, does, doing) or have (had, has, having), and it’s common to see these verbs paired with ‘be,’ as well.

‘To be’ is also an irregular verb, so it doesn’t function the way other verbs do in the English Language. For instance, regular verbs contain past tense forms with the letter “d” or “-ed” at the end (e.g., answered, forced, hunted, etc.). 

In the case of ‘to be,’ the irregular verb is broken down in the following eight tenses: 

• Present tense: am, are, is. 
• Simple past tense: was, were. 
• Present continuous: am being, are being, is being. 
• Present perfect: have been, has been. 
• Future: will be.
• Future perfect: will have been. 
• Past continuous: was being, were being, was being. 
• Past perfect: had been.

What does ‘to be’ mean?

English speakers use the verb ‘to be’ to describe a variety of actions, but the overall meaning is to ‘exist’ or ‘occur’ as something in time and space. Let’s take a look at five general ways to define and write ‘to be’ in a sentence: 

To be equal to something, the same, or to symbolize something. For example,

“Life is good.” 
“If y is 20, let x be 16.” 

To belong to a class or a category of something. 

“That building is a local high school.”
“Learning is your job.” 
“You are a student.”

To exist in reality, to live, or remain undisturbed. 

“I was born.”
“I am alive.”
“Let me be.” 

To occur or exist in a specific location. 

“The coffee is on the table.”
“He is at the park.”
“They were in the car.”
“The event was on Monday.”

To say (informal).

“They were like, ‘you can’t do that.’”
“He was like, ‘no way!’”

Synonyms

Breathe, dwell, exist, happen, inhabit, live, occur, remain, reside, sit, stand, stay, subsist.

Antonyms

Cease, depart, die, discontinue, expire, halt, pass, perish, stop, succumb.

How to use was vs. were in a sentence?

To write was and were in a sentence correctly, we must use them for the simple past tense and pay attention to narrative mood, perspective, and noun count. 

The simple past tense for was vs. were

The simple past tense is the only past tense form we use for were and was because “was” and “were” are the preterite forms of the verb ‘to be.’ There are two other past-tense verb forms, the present perfect and past perfect tenses, but they incorporate the verb’s past participle “been,” instead. For example,

Present perfect: have been, has been. 
Past perfect: had been.

We use the simple past tense to describe past events in a historical manner. Sentences that use the simple past tense contain an adverb or adverb phrase that pertains to time (e.g., yesterday, on Monday, last month, etc.). 

For the simple past tense, we use the verbs was and were in the following ways: 

• I was …
• You were …
• She/he/it was …
• We were …
• They were …

The simple past tense also contains two forms in itself: the progressive tense and the continuous form. The progressive verb tense describes longer, ongoing actions that progress in some fashion before a shorter, interruptive activity. The continuous tense indicates how an action proceeded without interruption or is ongoing. 

All progressive tenses use “-ing” at the end of a verb. In fact, this verb tense typically uses the verb ‘to be’ in front of another verb’s infinitive form with “-ing.” For example,

“They were sleeping.”
“He was talking.” 

For the past continuous or progressive forms, we use the verbs was or were in the following manner: 

• I was being …
• You were being …
• She/he/it was being …
• We were being …
• They were being …

Narrative perspectives: was vs. were

Do you recall how we used the past tense forms of “were” and “was” differently for I, she, we, or they pronouns? That’s because the verbs are affected by the narrative (i.e., the perspective of the storyteller). 

English narrative perspectives:

• The first person (I, we): “I ran a mile.”
• The second person (you): “Did you want to talk about it?”
• The third person (She, he, it, they): “She doesn’t like emojis.”

The use of “was” and “were” depends on the narrative’s point of view. The first person perspective (I, we) uses “was,” while the second person perspective (you) uses “were.” The third-person perspective (she, he, it, they) only uses “were.” 

Narrative mood: was vs. were

The verbs “were” and “was” are additionally affected by the narrative’s mood (i.e., indicative vs. subjunctive). The indicative mood conveys ‘what is’ or ‘is not,’ but the subjunctive mood expresses a hypothetical situation or fantasized reality. 

Subjunctive phrases often include “if I were …” or “if I was …,” but this mood has different grammar rules than the indicative mood “I was …” or “you were …” For the subjunctive mood, avoid using “was” and only use “were” instead.

Subjunctive mood examples for was vs. were

Correct: “If I were a rich man.”
Incorrect: “If I was a rich man.” 

Correct: “I wish I were taller.”
Incorrect: “I wish I was taller.”

Indicative mood examples for was vs. were

Correct: “He was at the store.”
Incorrect: “He were at the store.”

Correct: “They were great last night.”
Incorrect: “They was great last night.”

Correct: “I was like, ‘no way!”
Incorrect: “I were like, ‘no way!”

Singular and plural nouns: was vs. were

Verb forms also depend on the number of nouns that they act upon. In other words, how many nouns involve the act of “being”? If there is one noun, the verb is singular, but if there are more than two nouns, the verb is plural. 

“Was” is a singular verb form and “were” is a plural verb form. This is why we exercise narrative rules for each verb form. “They” or “we” implies multiple nouns (were), while “I” or “you” conveys one noun (was). 

Cheat sheet for remembering was vs. were

We know it seems as though there are a million rules for using was vs. were, but learning how to write the verb correctly becomes easier with practice. Using the grammar rules above, we can summarize the verb’s grammatical rules based on the indicative vs. subjunctive mood tenses:

Was vs. were for the indicative mood

Only use the verb was with the indicative mood and for the following verb forms: 

• The first person singular past tense (I was). 
• The third-person singular past tense (he was, she was, it was). 

Use the verb were for: 

• The second person singular past tense (you were).
• The second person plural past tense (I were, we were).
• The third person plural past tense (they were).

Simple past tense forms of was and were for the indicative mood:

• I/she/he/it was …. 
• I/she/he/it was being …. 
• You/we/they were …
• You/we/they were being …

Was vs. were for the subjunctive mood

For the subjunctive mood, use the verb were for:

• The first person singular subjunctive tense (I were). 
• The second person singular subjunctive tense (you were).
• The third-person singular subjunctive tense (he were, she were, it were).
• The first person plural subjunctive tense (I were, we were). 
• The second person plural subjunctive tense (you were). 
• The third person plural subjunctive tense (they were). 

Simple past tense forms of was and were for the subjunctive mood:

• If (pronoun) were …
• (Pronoun) wish (pronoun) were … (e.g., “I wish we were …”)

FAQ: Related to were vs was

If I use were or was, am I writing in passive voice?

The verbs ‘was’ or ‘were’ do not indicate passive voice by themselves, but we construct passive sentences by pairing a conjugation of ‘to be’ with a past participle of a different verb. For example,

‘To be’ + the past participle of transitive verbs:

“He was found.”
“The child is being found.”

‘To be’ + the present participle in progressive tenses:

“She is sleeping.”
“I have been sleeping.”

‘To be’ + the past participle of certain intransitive verbs (for archaic perfect tenses):

“He is risen.”

‘To be’ + the infinitive and ‘to’ to convey a future arrangement or obligation:

“I am to tend to the garden.”
“She was to become a great gardener.” 

It’s worth noting that while most people believe the passive voice is a grammatical error, the passive voice isn’t technically incorrect. Most grammarians simply prefer the active voice because it emphasizes the sentence subject instead of the object that receives a verb. 

What is the present perfect tense?

The present perfect tense connects the present to the past with an action that began in the past at an unspecified time. We can identify the present perfect tense through the use of “has been” or “have been.” 

What is the past perfect tense?

The past perfect tense describes completed actions that occurred before a different, past event. We can identify past perfect tense through the use of “had been.” 

Are verbs like was or were homophones?

A homophone is a set of words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. The verbs ‘was’ and ‘were’ are not homophones because we pronounce them differently, they are spelled separately, and they share the same verb and meaning. 

Test Yourself!

Think you’re ready to use the verb ‘be’ like a pro? Challenge your grammar know-how with the following multiple-choice questions for was vs. were. 

1. Which verb tense is not a form of the verb ‘to be’?
   a. Are
   b. Was
   c. Have
   d. Being
2. True or false: the verb ‘was’ is the correct choice for the subjunctive mood?
   a. True
   b. False
3. True or false: The indicative mood changes the word choice for was vs. were?
   a. True
   b. False
4. Singular nouns correspond to which verb form of ‘to be’?
   a. Was
   b. Were
   c. Been
   d. Being
5. Past tenses of the verb ‘to be’ do not include ________? 
   a. Were 
   b. Was
   c. Was being
   d. None of the above

Answers

1. D
2. B
3. A
4. A
5. D

Sources

1. “Be.” Lexico, Oxford University Press, 2020.
2. “Be.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., 2020.
3. “Grammar Handbook: Regular and Irregular Verbs.” Center for Writing Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2013. 
4. “Passive Voice.” USC Rossier, University of Southern California, n.d. 
5. “To be.” Reverso Conjugation, Reverso-Softissimo, 2020.
6. “What’s the Difference between progressive and continuous tenses?” Insights To English, TESOL International Association, 7 Aug 2018. 

Differences between where and were

The differences between where and were are the pronunciation, spelling, and meaning. One is always a verb; one is an adverb and part-time subordinating conjunction. They are two different words and have different meanings.

Where definition

Where can be an adverb or, informally, a subordinating conjunction linking dependent and independent clauses.

As an adverb that usually appears after a place or situation. It means in, at, or to which, as with a sentence like “I lived in New York City, where I worked for several years.”

Where in a sentence

Here are sentences using the word «where» to show in, at, or to which:

• “She studied in London, where she became a master art restorer.”

• “To which address is the envelope going? Where are you sending it?”

• “I live at the intersection of Smith and Vine Streets. I live where the two roads cross.”

Where can also be used as a subordinating conjunction as with:

Here the meaning of where is “in which.”

Where as a conjunction can also mean “in the place that,” or “in situations that,” as with these sentences:

• “Where the rubber meets the road, we separate the adults from the children.”

• “Where the desert offers no visible water, animals inventively dig.”

• “We hid our treasure where no other pirates could find it.”

Where is pronounced to rhyme with bear, hair, or there.

Were definition

Were is a verb form of to be, and it is three different verb forms:

1. second-person singular past tense – “You were in line first.”

2. plural past tense – “They were miners.”

3. past subjunctive tense – “If I were in his shoes, I would have done the same thing.”

Were is pronounced to rhyme with burr and stir.

Let’s review the word «were» in its three different verb forms and learn how to use «were» in sentence.

Were in a sentence

The second-person singular past tense refers to using were for the singular second-person pronoun you, or when referring to another person (only one) by name. Here are sample conversation using the past tense of the verb were:

You: “Bettine, were you in the post office yesterday?”

Bettine: “Yes. I was mailing a box of llama chow. Why, were you there too?”

You: “You were in line ahead of me. Were you aware I was there or was I where you could not see me?”

Bettine: “I was not aware. Were you where the line turned around the pillar?”

The plural past tense of to be is were. This plural form is used for all plural noun forms, such as we and they.

You: “Together, we were in the post office an hour.”

Bettine: “My coworkers were wondering where I was.”

You: “The postal workers were sorting and canceling as fast as they could.”

Bettine: “They really were, but I was still late getting back, where my boss was upset.

The past subjunctive tense is reserved for any hypothetical or unreal event in the past, present, or future. If it is unlikely to happen or cannot happen at all, use the past subjunctive tense:

Bettine: “Were I to suddenly sprout wings, I would not be able to get back to the office in time.”

You: “It was as if time were moving backward, standing in that line.”

Bettine: “If I were a less patient person, I would throw a loud tantrum.”

You: “Suppose we were to bring sandwiches and have a picnic in the line next time!”

Bettine: “It would be as if we were completely free for the afternoon.”

When to use where or were

Now that we see that where is an adverb or sometimes a subordinating conjunction, and were is always a verb, we should have no trouble sorting out when to use which word.

We always use were when we need a verb or a helping verb:

• We were happy children.

• They were playing in the snow.

• You were experimenting with buoyancy.

• You and I were floating pennies on saltwater.

• Were I able to turn back time, I would go back to my eighth birthday.

• If I were you, I would review my notes for that test.

We use where to mean location, as with at, in, or to which:

• Where would you like the llama sent?

• Where did you put the llama’s leash?

• The llama goes into the paddock, where she eats alfalfa.

• The actor moved to Los Angeles, where he starred in a llama drama.

• Antarctica is a land where llamas are ill-suited for travel.

We also use where as a conjunction:

• This is the time in the movie where the hero rides a llama.

• Where I go, no llama should follow.

• Where the hard rains fall, there you will find llamas.

Where vs. were examples

See how well you can separate where and were by completing these example sentences.

Put where or were in the correct blanks in these sentences:

1. “There, _______ the river bends to the north, is the best place to cross with the llamas.”

2. “_______ I a honey badger, I could live a life of ease.”

3. “_______ I see hard work and long days ahead, you see the carefree life of a llama farmer.”

4. “When _______ you going to tell us about the llama farm?”

5. “It was as though she _______ going to jump over that fence and escape.”

If we were you, we would try before we looked at the answers.

1. “There, where the river bends to the north, is the best place to cross with the llamas.”

2. “Were I a honey badger, I could live a life of ease.”

3. “Where I see hard work and long days ahead, you see the carefree life of a llama farmer.”

4. “When were you going to tell us about the llama farm?”

5. “It was as though she were going to jump over that fence and escape.”

Were vs. we’re

The word we’re is another English word that gets confused with were. It is pronounced the same way and looks like the word were with an apostrophe.

We’re is the conjunction of the pronoun we and the plural present tense form of the verb to be, are.