Using was and were write five sentences each
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THE USAGE OF ‘WAS’ AND ‘WERE’ WITH EXAMPLES
Let’s start from the beginning.
These are the past simple forms of the verb ‘to be’. Generally, ‘was’ is used with singular pronouns (one subject), and ‘were’ is used with plural pronouns (more than one subject), but the pronoun ‘you’ is an exception!
WAS is usually used with the pronouns ‘I’, ‘she’, ‘he’, and ‘it’.
WERE is usually used with pronouns ‘you’, ‘we’, and ‘they’.
(See the information just before and after ‘USE 2’ below, for more information about the use of the pronouns ‘you’ and ‘I’.)
[Tweet “WAS is usually used with the pronouns ‘I’, ‘she’, ‘he’, and ‘it’. “]
USE 1:
PAST SIMPLE
Some basic sentence examples:
I was married for 5 years.
She was unwell last week.
It was not my fault!
We were worried about the test results.
They were busy working all day yesterday.
You were supposed to help me.
However, there are exceptions to this rule!
Firstly, as I mentioned before, even though ‘you’ is a singular pronoun it is used with WERE.
You were asleep when he rang.
Where were you yesterday?
Whom were you talking to?
[Tweet “WERE is usually used with pronouns ‘you’, ‘we’, and ‘they’.”]
USE 2:
PAST SUBJUNCTIVE AS A CONDITIONAL
Secondly, the pronoun ‘I’ can be used with WERE as a conditional as well as with WAS. WERE is the past subjunctive of the present verb ‘to be’, meaning it expresses hope, possibility or supposition rather than stating a fact.
If I were you, I wouldn’t touch that.
(I’m not you, it’s hypothetical – used for the present or future)
If I were a multi-billionaire, I would rid the world of poverty.
(I’m not a multi-billionaire, it’s hypothetical – used for the present or future)
If I were in his shoes, I would accept their offer.
(I’m not him or in his position, it’s hypothetical – used for the present and future)
If I was rude to you yesterday, I’m very sorry.
(The condition is unclear, but it is presumed to have been true in the past)
If I was annoying you last night, I’m sorry. I was in a bad mood.
(The condition is unclear, but it is presumed to have been true in the past)
If I was healthier, I probably would have been able to win the race.
(The condition is unclear, but it is presumed to have been a possibility of being true in the past)
Let’s start from the beginning.
These are the past simple forms of the verb ‘to be’. Generally, ‘was’ is used with singular pronouns (one subject), and ‘were’ is used with plural pronouns (more than one subject), but the pronoun ‘you’ is an exception!
WAS is usually used with the pronouns ‘I’, ‘she’, ‘he’, and ‘it’.
WERE is usually used with pronouns ‘you’, ‘we’, and ‘they’.
(See the information just before and after ‘USE 2’ below, for more information about the use of the pronouns ‘you’ and ‘I’.)
[Tweet “WAS is usually used with the pronouns ‘I’, ‘she’, ‘he’, and ‘it’. “]
USE 1:
PAST SIMPLE
Some basic sentence examples:
I was married for 5 years.
She was unwell last week.
It was not my fault!
We were worried about the test results.
They were busy working all day yesterday.
You were supposed to help me.
However, there are exceptions to this rule!
Firstly, as I mentioned before, even though ‘you’ is a singular pronoun it is used with WERE.
You were asleep when he rang.
Where were you yesterday?
Whom were you talking to?
[Tweet “WERE is usually used with pronouns ‘you’, ‘we’, and ‘they’.”]
USE 2:
PAST SUBJUNCTIVE AS A CONDITIONAL
Secondly, the pronoun ‘I’ can be used with WERE as a conditional as well as with WAS. WERE is the past subjunctive of the present verb ‘to be’, meaning it expresses hope, possibility or supposition rather than stating a fact.
If I were you, I wouldn’t touch that.
(I’m not you, it’s hypothetical – used for the present or future)
If I were a multi-billionaire, I would rid the world of poverty.
(I’m not a multi-billionaire, it’s hypothetical – used for the present or future)
If I were in his shoes, I would accept their offer.
(I’m not him or in his position, it’s hypothetical – used for the present and future)
If I was rude to you yesterday, I’m very sorry.
(The condition is unclear, but it is presumed to have been true in the past)
If I was annoying you last night, I’m sorry. I was in a bad mood.
(The condition is unclear, but it is presumed to have been true in the past)
If I was healthier, I probably would have been able to win the race.
(The condition is unclear, but it is presumed to have been a possibility of being true in the past)
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