Question
Updated on
4 February
- English (US)
-
English (US)
-
French (France)
Question about English (US)
how can I use was and were ?
how can I use was and were ?
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- English (US)
There was fifteen cats but now there are only two
There were fifteen cats but now there are only two
There was fifteen cats but now there are only two
There were fifteen cats but now there are only two
1
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- English (US)
- English (US)
was is the first and third-person singular past tense of the verb to be, while were is the second-person singular past and plural past of to be. @strawberry01
- English (US)
Was is used for a singular subject:
My mother was mad at me.
Were is used for a plural subject:
My parents were made at me.
"Were" can also be used for hypothetical situations: (this is called subjunctive voice)
If I were in charge, then we would have won.
but many dialects don't have subjunctive voice so
If I were in charge..
OR
If I was in charge...
are both understood and used interchangeably 😅
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