(The subject is dog, a singular noun.) Was / Were Games. We can as well say ‘If I was good, then select me’.Use ‘if I was’ for real situations that are in indicative mood.If I wereUsed in a subjunctive mood, ‘if I were’ indicates an unreal situation. Good that she left the party, if she ____ not well. You can see more example sentences using Was and Were here: To Be in Past Tense. STANDS4 LLC, 2020. If you see either of these words, there is a good chance you will need to use the subjunctive. Were vs Was. If I were a wealthy man, I wouldn’t have to work hard. The answer, however, has to do with the subjunctive mood. "If I Was vs. Please note: comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. Was and Were both past tense but, was is the singular past tense. Improve your grammar, vocabulary, and writing -- and it's FREE! Were is used in the second person singular and plural (you, your, yours) and first and third person plural (we, they). Play our Games. Learn Grammar. But they keep saying: I was, you was, he was she was it was, we was, you was, they was. After reading this post, you shouldn’t have any trouble correctly choosing between was or were in your future writing. – X (wrong)The situation was not taken care of, so clearly the statement is not true. That’s because it has an ‘if’ clause. If you found this English Grammar Game about Was vs Were fun or useful, let others know about it: Grammar Notes. You often use this form when you are being wishful. Was and Were … DifferenceBetween.net. If I were a better cook, I could entertain more. Six doughnuts were eaten. … Was is used as the first person singular and 3rd-person singular number past form of the past tense. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. I wish I could correct them. Alternatively, you can use the passive sentence form in the sentence as follows: “The players were slammed against the boards during the hockey game.”. 2. "Difference Between Were and Was." Tense. Many of us, in everyday speech, tend to mix up these words in the passive tense, only because we have turned toward listening for English correction versus looking for grammatical correction via actual English rules. Thanks for the short, to the point reminder. Keep this rule in mind when trying to decide whether to use was, were or some other form of the verb to be. It’s easy to confuse the two phrases. In this post, I want to go over the grammar behind was vs. were, when it’s correct to use which one, and give you a few tips to keep track of them both. Something that can never happen. I use the subjunctive "were" in a phrase that describes a situation that I know or presume to be contrary to fact. And the fifth and sixth sentences are examples of unreal statements. Two good clues for the subjunctive mood are the words if and wish. If it were, there wouldn’t be a need to explain the 20 most confusing grammar rules. The basic difference is rather obvious when used in context. . Excellent article!!! While some people get mixed up on what we’ve covered above, most of the confusion with these two words centers on the use of the subjunctive mood and specifically the two phrases if I was vs. if I were. Passive plural use expresses terms for multiple subjects. Noa A. Try these exercises to figure it out –. The words if and wish usually indicate the subjunctive mood. In the first two sentences, I am talking about things I wish would happen. Grammar.com. Was/were worksheets English Lessons for Kids - Videos, Printables, Games, Online Tests Teach kids with an engaging blended English program. and updated on June 8, 2016, Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects, Difference Between Transitive and Intransitive Verbs, Difference Between Have Been and Has Been, Differences Between Intelligence and Wisdom, Difference Between Free Speech and Call to Action, Difference Between Conformity and Nonconformity, Difference Between Quarantine and Self Isolation, Difference Between Unimodal and Bimodal Distribution, Difference Between Vitamin D and Vitamin D3, Difference Between LCD and LED Televisions, Difference Between Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, Difference Between Civil War and Revolution. Were is used in the second person singular and plural and first and third person plural. 5. A variety of English grammar notes and rules including charts and examples for beginner to advanced level students. “They were late for the party because the car had a flat tire.”, Alternatively, we use the word ‘was’ when we are referring to a single party or entity. There were is used when you refer to more than one thing or person. – X (wrong)If I Was vs. There is a difference between were and was, and when you’re writing, or trying to master the English language, it is imperative that you understand how to correctly use each word. It is used for statements of fact. 6. There is a difference between were and was, and when you’re writing, or trying to master the English language, it is imperative that you understand how to correctly use each word. For example. We use the word ‘were’ when we are referring to numerous parties or entities. For instance, the passive form in context with the subject in the following sentence: “The driving test was failed by at least 15 of the 20 students this week,” refers to the subject, not the verb. We can also use the word ‘were’ as the past subjunctive for the present ‘to be’. Patients: What’s the Difference? Check your text and writing for style, spelling and grammar problems everywhere on the web! Remember, these are hypothetical situations. • Categorized under Grammar,Language | Difference Between Were and Was. If the noun is singular, you use was. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail, Written by : Noa A. Try our interactive games to practice To Be in the past tense: Was and Were (simple affirmative sentences), Was and Were in Short Answers. Peek vs. Pique: What’s the Difference? Was is used in the first and third person singular past. Wellbeing or Well-Being – Which is Correct? If John were a rich man, he could drive a fancy car. Here are a couple examples: I was going to tell you, but I couldn’t. In general, use If I were + noun + wouldSome confusing sentencesIf I was present, I would have taken care of the situation. You are imagining a situation, that isn’t true yet or cannot be true. Take a tour now! For example: There was a dog in the road. Thank you so much. Since were is used for statements that do not describe reality, was is just the opposite. If the situation has happened, the result will follow. If I Were." You need to choose the correct alternative of WAS or WERE to complete the sentence. If I were is used to express an imaginary situation in the present. In the song, “If I were a rich man,” the character Tevye sings about how different his life would be and all the things he would do if he were rich. Passive singular use expresses terms for the subject. We have a new chart for you: Was and Were – To Be in the past tense. There are many different topics and levels. High Quality ESL Lesson Plans - Free Samples - $26 Membership Be a better teacher! After all, most communication takes place in reports, emails, and instant messages. The basic difference is rather obvious when used in context. He isn’t rich now; he’s just imagining it, so we need to use the subjective “If I were,” not “If I was.”, The correct answer for the example above, therefore, is, “If I were a better cook, I could entertain more.”. A good rule to remember is when a sentence begins with there, the subject is found after the verb.

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