You was or you were grammar

In the sentence above, which makes sense grammatically. A verb is in the subjunctive mood if it expresses an action or state that is not reality. As you can see, the word is practically always going to be singular as i think it is in your sentence, where a series of tests is one thing, so you want a singular verb, was, to go with it. The words were, we re, and where are easily confused because they have similar sounds and spellings. You imagine yourself in their position or situation and what you would do or how you would react.

More simplyand less redundantthe word where means at what location, so where are you at is the equivalent of at what location are you at. Diese seite ubersetzen four commonly misued linking verbs are is,are,was and were. I was you singular were he was she was it was we were you plural were they were but, in the. If you find yourself debating whether to use was or were in a sentence, its likely that youre dealing with an unreal conditional sentence. If i were you, i would continue working until it is done.

This grammar rule may seem complicated at first, but if you remember this simple trick, you ll always be right. However, peter shors answer to that question mentions contemporary usage. The words were, were, and where are easily confused because they have similar sounds and spellings. Normally we use the verb to be to show the status or characteristics of something or someone as a stative verb. If you want to learn english grammar or grow your vocabulary then these resources will help you with your studies. Our english lessons and english language resources are for. Would english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary.

This can be in past tense or in a conditional present. Were is the plural past tense, but it also applies to the singular when used with you. But there are people who say that this phrase is incorrect and would never use it mainly americans. This means that the action of running was done in the past the dogs were no longer running around the backyard when the statement was made. I used the phrase where its at in an episode a few years ago, and a listener called me on it. Was and were are both past tense versions of the verb be, and knowing which one to use depends on the person and number of the noun doing the action. Difference between are and were difference between. The other grammatical situation which may be confusing when deciding.

For example, i was going to the market and we were going to the market. They are not homophoneswords that have the same sounds or spellingsand their meanings and uses are quite different. Includes helpful articles, a glossary, quizzes, and a large language reference. Was or were are the past tenses of the verb to be and its important to be careful when choosing the correct verb for the subject of a sentence.

If you want to state something that has already been completed, you say. It is also used with select first and third person plural pronouns such as we, they. The verb be is a tricky one because it is an irregular verb and one that we find ourselves using with great frequency, so it is that much more important that we choose the correct verb for our sentences in this post, i want to go over the grammar behind was vs. In spoken as well as written english, youll find that just about everyone from plumbers to presidents is guilty of. Oh and i was wondering what was more correct to say, i was or i were. Where vs were where is used to ask questions about places whereas were is a past tense of be.

If you mean is the clause is you were correct grammar. Feel free to use this service as often as you would like for both personal and business purposes. Making sure that a subject and verb are in agreement means to. Difference between where and were compare the difference. I said to someone that they was rude for no good reason and then that same rude person called me a dumb sh1t for saying you was instead of you were because its bad grammar to say you was.

Were and was are both past tense versions of the verb to be. I learned in english grammar that the correct is this. She is an inductee in the podcasting hall of fame, and the show is a fivetime winner of best education podcast in the podcast awards. Grammatical errors make you look bad and hurts your effectiveness as a writer. Clear explanations of natural written and spoken english. It says what i am, what you are or what something is. If i were to have no friends, who would i spend my time with. For example, we know where to use was and were in general, but if we are to use them with specific phrases, it might get confusing. As a refresher, an unreal conditional sentence expresses events that are hypothetical or improbable. We will examine how to use was or were, and look at some examples of the use of the. In this post, i want to go over the grammar behind was vs. In order to use these terms correctly, you must identify the subject of the sentence and make sure that the subject and verb are in agreement.

I were is not correct in general, but it may be correct if it is after if. However, i stumbled across a similar case again today. If you were going to bet on that horse, if you were here 10 minutes ago, the use of were can get more complicated,the sentences below use the were to clause to indicate an element of uncertainty to the actions and outcomes referenced. This grammar rule may seem complicated at first, but if you remember this simple trick, youll always be right. Practice using was and were in sentences and questions. Grammarly can save you from misspellings, grammatical and punctuation mistakes, and other writing. Learn how and when to use the past tense of the verb to be with this simple, clear lesson. If nathan were to be my boss, this job would be intolerable.

But there are people who say that this phrase is incorrect and would never use it. If i were many times we encounter situations where we fall short of correct words. When you ask students writing in english as an additional language what they would like to work on, they will often say that theyd like you to check their grammar. I lived in a tiny country town for a long time, and one of the hardest things for me to keep my mouth shut over was sentences like, wasnt you going to borrow me a pencil. I was seeing this movie when one of the characters said you was and i thought it was wrong. The word were in the phrase if i were you is special form. In this question, the modal verb could is another way of saying if you were able to, or if you had the ability to, or if it were possible to. The verb were is used to denote past actions or past conditions. Here you are giving an example of what decision you would do given the circumstances. The first situation is when using the phrases there were or there was. 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. Grammar girl here, and today im going to tell you where its at.

Were is used in the second person singular and plural you, your, yours and first and. If you had taken the trouble to write your question more clearly, you would have helped the people who you hoped. If you were to go home now, you might have a surprise waiting. Notice that the subjunctive if i were you is currently going to be out of favour in modern english and has become obsolete for most people. Was and were are both past tenses of the verb to be. The use of were vs was can get a little murky in a few situations. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing. So, weve assembled the 15 most egregious grammar goofs into one helpful infographic. It is known as the subjunctive mood from the grammatical point of view.

And if both makes sense then what is the difference between ending that sentence with were you. It is used to refer to something that took place in the past. But were is usually used in relation to second person singular and plural pronouns such as you, your, yours. Which term is grammatically correct, you was or you were. You were going to talk to michael, were youwerent you. I corrected him and said were, he argues that that time we were talking was equivalent to you barely being awake and that he was comparing the two values.

In english sentence or sentences, plural verb is only used or can only goes. You should select the correct verb form from the following. Checking the grammar can feel uncomfortably close to proofreading and editing students papers for themwhich writing coaches know is. We use was, on the other hand, when were using the first person singular pronoun i or. You was is ungrammatical and wrong but you were is conventionally grammatical. Were is a verb that is a past tense of the verb be. Keep your copy clean with our latest grammar happy postlearn how to correctly use the past subjunctive mood its a common mistake to say i was when you mean to say i were, the past subjunctive verb. If she were to be rich, she would be horribly obnoxious. For example, it might be hypothetical, wished for, or conditional. Or, more simply, four world series were won by the yankees in the early fifties. Were rhymes with fur is a past form of the verb to be.