Was vs. Were - The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation (2024)

While some of our articles focus on minor grammar points or innocent, common mistakes, here we want to tackle a bigger issue. Some people may struggle with the difference between was and were. Because these are both frequent words that might be used throughout the day, understanding how and when to apply each one can greatly improve your communication skills in American English.

Was and Were: Similarities and Differences

Both of these words come from the verb “to be.” Obviously, being is a big part of life, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that different forms of the verb are so often used (e.g., am, is, are).

In this case, both was and were are in the past tense. A main difference is that one (was) is singular, and the other (were) is often plural.

If was is past-tense singular, then it refers to one person or object being in a previous moment or time.

Examples
Karen was tired, so she took a nap. (She felt tired at a time before the present.)
I was looking for my cat all day, and when I finally found her, she was asleep under a blanket. (I was seeking the cat and it was sleeping at a time before the present.)
That sandwich was the best I ever had. (The sandwich had been eaten at a former time.)

These are all singular subjects in a past-tense situation.

Were is past tense as well, but it works with plural subjects in the third person.

Examples
I looked all over, but my papers were nowhere to be found.
All the kids at the park were on their phones even though we rented a bouncing castle.
The suitcases were three days late in arriving at our vacation hotel.

Wereis also the past-tense form ofto be for the second person singular (you) and plural (we).

Examples
You were Barbara’s favorite teacher in grade school.
Wewere the first people in line for the Dave Matthews Band concert tickets.

The past-tense verbwereis used with the subjunctive mood as well. Learn more

Pop Quiz

Using what you’ve learned in this article, choose the right verb for each sentence.

I heard there [was / were] several hundred runners at the race.
The barista [was / were] very helpful in making me a new latte after I dropped my first one.
That old car [was / were] rusty, but I loved the way the engine sounded.
It turned out those coins I found on the beach [was / were] worth a fortune.
My left shoe [was / were] ruined during my dog’s temper tantrum.

Pop Quiz Answers

I heard there were several hundred runners at the race.
The barista was very helpful in making me a new latte after I dropped my first one.
That old car was rusty, but I loved the way the engine sounded.
It turned out those coins I found on the beach were worth a fortune.
My left shoe was ruined during my dog’s temper tantrum.

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Good grammar is vital to clear communication. Visit our blog often to keep your skills sharp and strong. If you have a question or comment about this topic, simply leave it in the box below.

If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.

52 responses to “Was vs. Were”

Augustine says:

October 24, 2021, at 2:17 am

Is it right to say “wish I were young again”?
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  October 25, 2021, at 10:49 am
  
  Your example indicates a wishful thought. Therefore, the subjunctive mood were is used. The complete sentence is written “I wish I were young again.” See our post Subjunctive Mood: What Is the Subjunctive Mood?
Catherine Sperando says:

October 29, 2021, at 9:18 am

In a document is it correct to say the Minutes of a meeting was read since “Minutes” is the name of a document, or should it be the Minutes of a meeting were read?
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  November 1, 2021, at 5:47 pm
  
  In the sentence “The minutes of the meeting were read,” the subject is “minutes.” The noun minutes referring to the official record of the proceedings of a meeting is plural. Therefore, the plural verb were is used.
Valerie B says:

November 8, 2021, at 7:43 pm

So were the couch and rug, or so was the couch and rug.
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  November 11, 2021, at 10:12 am
  
  Since you are referring to two objects, use the plural verb were.
John Schmidt says:

November 18, 2021, at 7:55 am

If I was a competent videographer…

If I were a competent videographer….

Which is correct?
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  November 18, 2021, at 10:57 am
  
  The verb use would depend on whether the given scenario is possible or impossible. Could you be a videographer? Perhaps. (Conversely, could you turn into a book with pages?) In this context, you would use the declarative “was.” If the prospect has little or no chance of becoming true (such as turning into a book), you would use the subjunctive “were.” You can explore this subject further in our article Subjunctive Mood: What Is the Subjunctive Mood?
sharris says:

November 27, 2021, at 9:44 am

Is it “the pair was seen” or “were seen”?
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  November 30, 2021, at 6:34 am
  
  Write “the pair was seen.”
  See Also
  Where, Wear, Were, and We’re: Meanings & Examples 🆚What is the difference between "nogmaals" and "weer" and "alweer" and "opnieuw" ? "nogmaals" vs "weer" vs "alweer" vs "opnieuw" ?Wear vs Weer - What's the difference?Best Weather Apps for 2024
Mary says:

January 17, 2022, at 9:15 am

Is not “were” used to denote the future as in “If I were a rich man…”
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  January 20, 2022, at 10:45 am
  
  You are referring to an example of the subjunctive mood, which refers to the expression of a hypothetical, wishful, imaginary, or factually contradictory thought. You will find more information in our posts Subjunctive Mood: What Is the Subjunctive Mood? and The Subjunctive Mood.
Uzziel says:

January 24, 2022, at 10:45 am

In this example, shall I use was or were?
As a result, the issue about “cherry-picking” of cases was resolved, as no one could do manual selection.
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  January 24, 2022, at 2:08 pm
  
  The singular subject “issue” agrees with was.
  …the issue… was resolved…
Uzziel says:

January 24, 2022, at 3:11 pm

Thank you very much. I thought so but Google docs recommended “were.”
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  January 31, 2022, at 12:50 pm
  
  The spell-check features of programs such as Microsoft Word and Google Docs can be useful, but they can still raise questions as well. If ever in doubt about a grammatical prompt, follow your instincts and consult a supporting grammar resource to be sure.
Anita says:

January 31, 2022, at 9:00 am

Was or were:
For the Septicemia DRGs 871 and 872, 37.2% of the errors was attributed to “no documentation.”
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  January 31, 2022, at 11:45 am
  
  Fractions and percentages can be either singular or plural depending on the object of the preposition following. Since the object errors is plural, use were.
Kelsey says:

February 1, 2022, at 1:00 pm

I’m told the correct usage is “were,” but I can’t figure out why. It just doesn’t sound right to me.

1,965 tons of yard waste were collected in the 2021 season.
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  February 7, 2022, at 11:35 am
  
  The subject of the sentence is the plural noun tons; therefore were is correct. In addition, our Rule 1 of Writing Numbers says, “Spell out all numbers beginning a sentence.”
  One thousand nine hundred sixty-five tons of yard waste were collected in the 2021 season.
nick says:

March 9, 2022, at 4:41 pm

I can’t work this one out. Should it be “It would have been safer if John or Peter was there,” or should it be “It would have been safer if John or Peter were there”? Thank you.
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  March 11, 2022, at 12:00 pm
  
  The use of “was” or “were” would be determined by whether the scenario is plausible (conditional mood) or implausible (subjunctive mood). Could John or Peter have been there? If so but they weren’t, that would be the conditional (was there). If there’s no way they could have been there – e.g., they were deceased or they lived in the middle of the South Pole without a sled – it would be the subjunctive (were there).
Mia says:

March 23, 2022, at 3:49 pm

Is it if I were rich or if I was rich? Could you please explain more about “if I was or if I were” proper usage and any rules?
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  March 30, 2022, at 5:47 pm
  
  If the phrase “if I were rich” describes a situation that doesn’t exist and most likely will not, use the subjunctive were. More information can be found in the following posts:
  If I Was vs. If I Were: Which One Is Right?
  Subjunctive Mood: What Is the Subjunctive Mood?
Jay says:

April 4, 2022, at 9:48 am
See Also
Difference Between Were and Have Been

What if there are multiple actions?

For example,

He told me that washing your face, shaving your beard and trimming your face was crucial OR were crucial.

I saw [was] being used in an American video for something similar.

Thank you!
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  April 8, 2022, at 3:50 pm
  
  Your sentence contains multiple gerunds; therefore, use the plural verb were and use a comma after the word beard.
  He told me that washing your face, shaving your beard, and trimming your face were crucial.
  Please see our post What Is a Gerund and Why Care? and our Rule 1 of Commas.
Dotty says:

June 1, 2022, at 6:08 pm

In the sentence, “In 2010 and 2011, 600 gallons of water was dumped…” is it correct to use “was,” or should I use “were?”
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  June 8, 2022, at 4:31 pm
  
  Use the plural verb “were” with the plural subject “gallons.”
DJ Cloete says:

July 14, 2022, at 7:44 am

Please assist if it should be “Were the Relationship Banking Portfolios affected by the change, or was it only the Retail Portfolios?” Is the “was” before “it” correctly used, or should it be adjusted to accommodate “portfolios” later in the sentence?
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  July 19, 2022, at 10:53 am
  
  “Was” agrees with the singular pronoun “it.” Therefore, the sentence is correct as written.
Oshokoya Benjamin says:

August 11, 2022, at 1:21 am

Which of these 2 statements is correct?

Was you ever in doubt before?

Where you ever in doubt before?
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  August 15, 2022, at 12:13 pm
  
  Neither is correct. Write “Were you ever in doubt before?”
  See our post Where vs. Were: Do You Know the Difference?
Joey Benun says:

August 24, 2022, at 5:51 pm

I am narrating a children’s book, and wanted know if the below sentence should utilize “was” or “were” (note that Pebbles is a character’s name):

What made Pebbles really curious was/were BIG numbers…
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  August 25, 2022, at 8:18 pm
  
  Use “were” with the plural noun “numbers.”
C.T. says:

September 11, 2022, at 2:18 pm

I found this opening line in a library book my daughter brought home and felt it was grammatically incorrect.
“Once upon a time, there were a kind king and queen who had twelve beautiful daughters.”
Shouldn’t it be Once upon a time, there WAS a kind king and queen who had twelve beautiful daughters?
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  September 15, 2022, at 10:41 am
  
  Since “were” is referring to both the king and the queen, the plural verb is grammatically correct.
alex says:

September 27, 2022, at 5:59 pm

Is it “One in five adults in the United States were affected by mental illness in 2020,” or “One in five adults in the United States was affected by mental illness in 2020”? I’m struggling to decide if I should use the singular since we are referring to “one,” or if because the noun “adults” is plural, the verb should be as well. Additionally, this construction is complicated to me because “one in five” is a simplified fraction, while “two in ten adults” clearly calls for the plural, as does stating the fraction in the form of a percentage (20%), e.g., “Twenty percent of adults in the United States were affected by mental illness in 2020.”
Thank you for weighing in!
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  September 30, 2022, at 6:52 pm
  
  The subject is “one.” Therefore, “was” is correct.
Carmen says:

October 13, 2022, at 4:51 pm

“Child Safety were considering the removal of her newborn child.” Should this be “was” as “Child Safety” is the name of a department?
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  October 17, 2022, at 12:35 pm
  
  Yes, “Child Safety” is considered a singular noun; therefore, “was” is correct.
  
  Beyond being a singular noun, it sounds like an abbreviated reference to a division or department. We can see how some writers might consider such a reference as having an omitted but understood plural character (i.e., more than one person in the department/division), but that would also typically qualify as a nonformal approach.
Luna de Bethencourt says:

October 14, 2022, at 9:58 am

Please note English is not my first language. I detest poor use of the language.
I have noticed you make reference in your advice to pay attention to the subject of the sentence in order to know which verbal tense we should use; however, on occasion you make reference to the subject of the sentence and in others to the noun. For example, “What made Pebbles really curious was big numbers.” I do not understand why use “were,” as the subject of the sentence is “Pebbles”? She is the one who was curious. About what? Big numbers.

Here is another example I don’t understand: My husband insists (and I believe him, he is British) that the correct sentence is ”The account has now matured; thirty thousand pounds was reinvested into the bond ” (as opposed to “were”). But “pounds” is plural. Thanks for helping.
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  October 18, 2022, at 3:33 pm
  
  If you turn the first sentence around, you will see that the subject is “numbers,” not “Pebbles.”
  Big numbers were what made Pebbles really curious.
  Our Rule 7 of Subject-Verb Agreement says, “Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.” Therefore, “was” is correct in the second sentence.
Helena says:

November 20, 2022, at 7:20 am

Thank you for this very useful explanation. I have a question about sentence order. For example, in the sentence “What were the islanders like?” can I ask the very same question putting the verb “were” in a different place? For instance, is “What the islanders were like?” correct? Thank you in advance!
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  November 23, 2022, at 12:37 pm
  
  “What the islanders were like” is not a complete sentence, but rather a dependent clause. You could write “Can you tell me what the islanders were like?” In this case, the dependent clause has a clear grammatical role as a direct object.
  
  “What were the islanders like?” is grammatically correct. One way to ensure proper grammar is to re-cast the interrogative sentence with a declarative word order: “The islanders were like what?”
Confused says:

December 7, 2022, at 7:18 am

I find myself saying “what were that?” instead of “what was that?” Which is right? Please help, so I can say the correct one from now on.
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  December 9, 2022, at 2:39 pm
  
  The pronoun “that” is singular; therefore, the singular verb “was” is correct.
Albert Milite says:

June 14, 2023, at 11:42 am

Was or were?
The movie and Halle Bailey were both phenomenal.
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  June 15, 2023, at 12:03 pm
  
  Our Basic Rule in Subject-Verb Agreement says, ” A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines), whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.” Your sentence has a plural subject “(movie” and “Halle Bailey”). Therefore, use the plural verb “were.”
Donna Moore says:

July 19, 2023, at 6:50 am

Which is correct?
“My husband and I were trying to recall the name and location of that store” or
“My husband and I was trying to recall the name and location of that store.”
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  July 21, 2023, at 3:53 pm
  
  Our Basic Rule in Subject-Verb Agreement says, “A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines), whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.” Your sentence has two subjects (husband, I); therefore, use the plural verb were.
Marvellous says:

December 10, 2023, at 2:41 am

If the people was/were crying. what`s the correct use of was/were in the sentence
- GrammarBook.com says:
  
  December 11, 2023, at 11:31 am
  
  “People” is a plural noun. The correct verb would therefore be “were”: “The people were crying.”