Verb to be learning path · Step 7 of 8 · Level A2
Was or were: when to use each one
Use was with I, he, she, it and any singular subject, and were with you, we, they and any plural subject. With you it is always were, even when you talk to one person. The most famous exception is the hypothesis: If I were you.
Was or were? In three seconds
The rule for choosing between was and were
The choice depends only on the subject. Ask yourself these questions in order and you will have the correct form in a second, without translating the sentence.
- Is the subject you? Then were: You were late.
- Is it plural, that is, two or more? Then were: My parents were busy.
- Is it one person or thing? Then was: The bus was late.
- Are you imagining something unreal, with if or wish? Then were with everyone: If she were here…
This guide focuses on the choice between the two forms. If you need the complete conjugation with tables, time expressions and meanings, see the complete past of the verb to be.
Was or were according to the subject
Pronouns are easy to memorise. With nouns, replace them in your head with the equivalent pronoun: my sister is she; the children, they.
| Subject | Form | Example | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | was | I was tired. | A state. |
| you | were | You were right. | An opinion. |
| he / she / it | was | It was cold. | The weather. |
| we | were | We were in Rome. | A location. |
| they | were | They were neighbours. | A relationship. |
| my sister | was | My sister was at work. | One person. |
| Ana and Luis | were | Ana and Luis were late. | Two people. |
| nobody | was | Nobody was ready. | An indefinite subject. |
Cases that cause doubts
This is where even advanced students slip. The key is to identify the real head of the subject.
Words like everyone
Everyone, everybody, nobody, someone and anything are singular.
Everyone was there.
All the people.
The police and people
Always plural, even if your language treats them as singular.
People were very friendly.
A group of people.
News and other words in -s
News, maths or physics end in -s but are singular.
The news was good.
A piece of news.
One of…
One decides, not the plural that follows.
One of my friends was ill.
A single friend.
The family or the team
In American English, singular. In British English the plural is also used if you think of the members.
My team was the best.
A group as a unit.
There was or there were
It agrees with what comes after there.
There were three options.
Several options.
If I were you: were with every person
When you talk about something imaginary or contrary to reality, careful English uses were with any subject. It happens above all after if, wish and as if.
| Structure | Example | What it expresses |
|---|---|---|
| If + subject + were | If I were you, I would accept. | Advice. |
| If + subject + were | If she were here, she would help. | An unreal condition. |
| wish + subject + were | I wish it were Friday. | A wish. |
| as if + subject + were | He talks as if he were the boss. | A comparison with something unreal. |
In conversation you hear if I was and it is not considered a serious mistake. In official exams and formal texts, use were. And careful: if the condition is real and in the past, was is used: If I was rude, I apologise.
Questions, negatives and short answers with was and were
The subject rule does not change: only the verb moves or not is added.
| Sentence type | With was | With were |
|---|---|---|
| Negative | She wasn't at home. | They weren't hungry. |
| Question | Was the museum open? | Were you tired? |
| Short answer | Yes, it was.No, it wasn't. | Yes, I was.No, we weren't. |
| Question with a question word | How was your weekend? | Where were you yesterday? |
| Question tag | It was fun, wasn't it? | You were there, weren't you? |
Notice the answer to Were you tired?: you answer with I was, because the question is asked to one person but the answer talks about I. And How was your weekend? is the usual way to ask about someone's weekend.
How was and were are pronounced
In a normal sentence, was and were are almost never stressed and are pronounced in their weak form. The strong form appears at the end of the sentence or when you want to emphasise.
| Word | Weak form | Strong form (British · American) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| was | /wəz/ | /wɒz/ · /wʌz/ | Where was it? |
| were | /wə/ | /wɜː/ · /wɝ/ | They were late. |
| wasn't | — | /ˈwɒznt/ · /ˈwʌznt/ | It wasn't me. |
| weren't | — | /wɜːnt/ · /wɝnt/ | We weren't ready. |
Three words that are often confused when listening: were (/wɜː/), where (/weə/ or /wer/, a place) and we're (/wɪə/ or /wɪr/, we are).
Was or were in 17 seconds
Two piles of cards: the low one represents singular and the tall one plural. Jump to any part from the list.
Captions available. The native speaker uses the weak form of was in I was late.
Read the transcript
- Was or were?
- Look at the subject.
- If it's singular:
- I was late. The bus was late.
- If it's plural, or if it's you:
- They were late. You were late.
- And to imagine something:
- If I were you…
Quick quiz: was or were?
One sentence at a time: choose was or were. Each answer is sorted into its column and we explain why. Try to keep your streak.
Sentence 1 of 10
The children ___ tired after the trip.
The children, after the trip.
The children is plural: it stands for they.
Sentence 2 of 10
My brother ___ at the gym.
My brother, at the gym.
One person: my brother stands for he.
Sentence 3 of 10
You ___ so kind to me.
You, so kind to me.
You always takes were, even for one person.
Sentence 4 of 10
Everyone ___ happy with the results.
Everyone, happy with the results.
Everyone is grammatically singular, like nobody or someone.
Sentence 5 of 10
If I ___ you, I would call her.
A hypothesis: in your place, I would call her.
It is a hypothesis: careful English uses were with every person.
Sentence 6 of 10
The news ___ surprising.
The news, surprising.
News is uncountable and singular, even though it ends in -s.
Sentence 7 of 10
The police ___ very helpful.
The police, very helpful.
The police always takes a plural verb.
Sentence 8 of 10
There ___ two messages for you.
Two messages for you.
With there, what follows decides: two messages is plural.
Sentence 9 of 10
One of my friends ___ in London last year.
One of my friends, in London last year.
The subject is one, not friends: singular.
Sentence 10 of 10
___ your parents at home?
A question about your parents.
In the question, were goes before your parents, which stands for they.
was
were
Want more? Practise was and were with the exercises for the whole path. And if you prefer to start from the foundations, go back to the guide to the verb to be.
Frequently asked questions about was and were
When do you use was and when were?
It depends on the subject: one person or thing takes was (I was, the bus was); two or more, and also you, take were (we were, you were). If you imagine something unreal with if or wish, were works for everyone.
Does I go with was or with were?
With was: I was at home. The only exception is hypotheses: If I were rich…, I wish I were taller. In conversation you also hear if I was, but in exams and formal texts were is better.
Is it you was or you were?
Always you were, whether you are talking to one person or several: You were right. You was is incorrect.
Is it «the family was» or «the family were»?
Both exist. In American English it is treated as singular (My family was happy). In British English the plural is also used when you think of the members (My family were all there). If in doubt, was is always correct.
What do was and were mean?
They are the past of the verb to be, so they describe who, how or where someone or something was: It was cold (weather), They were friends (relationship).
How is were pronounced?
In a sentence it usually sounds weak, /wə/. Stressed, it is /wɜː/ in British English and /wɝ/ in American English. It is not pronounced like where (/weə/, /wer/).
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