2021-03-19
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด W – was & were
แนะนำการใช้ ตามที่ส่วนใหญ่ใช้ แต่ละท้องถิ่น
ความหมาย อาจผันแปร ตาม ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค
Dictionary.com
ออกเสียง was = ‘WUHZ’ or ‘WOZ’ – unstressed = ‘WUHZ’
ออกเสียง were = ‘WUR’ -unstressed = ‘WER’ – British = ‘WAIR’
Dictionary.com
“Was” vs. “Were”:
Use Cases and Example
There are plenty of questions associated with the verb to be.
“To be or not to be,” for one.
On a less existential note,
there’s the question of how to use to be
in the grammatically correct way.
I am, you are, he was, they were
—the forms of the verb to be, among many other things,
are messy in English.
You might find yourself puzzling out a sentence such as:
If she was unhappy, she should have said so.
Is this sentence correct?
Or should If she was switch to the phrase If she were?
Was vs. were, what’s the difference?
Much of the confusion lies in
when to use was versus were,
which are the past tense forms of to be.
The answer all depends on two factors:
1) is your verb using first, second, or third person? And,
2) is your verb in past indicative or past subjunctive tense?
Past indicative is used for ordinary objective statements or questions, and past subjunctive is used for imaginary
or hypothetical statements or questions.
Were is always correct in the past subjunctive:
- I were
- You were
- He/she/it were
- We were
- You were
- They were
If this looks a little odd,
remember that these constructions are often accompanied by
a word like if, as if, and though.
You might say, “If I were a rich man …”
To conjugate to be in the past indicative, however, using was or were depends on the subject:
- I was
- You were
- He/she/it was
- We were
- You were
- They were
It’s possible to get mixed up even with this straight conjugation in mind.
But there are some tips and tricks to remember
to make sure you use the correct verb form every time.
When to use was
Was is a past tense indicative form of be,
meaning “to exist or live,”
and is used in the first person singular (I)
and the third person singular (he/she/it).
You use the past indicative
when you’re talking about reality and known facts.
If you went to the store, for example, then you would say,
“I was at the store” because it is something that definitely happened.
The same is true if you’re talking about someone else in the third person
(or if you make the choice to talk about yourself in the third person).
You would say, “Sarah was at the store,” for example,
or “She was at the store.”
Another way to use was is as an auxiliary verb
with a singular subject in the past continuous tense.
An auxiliary verb is used with another verb
that follows it in the sentence
to expressdifferent tenses, aspects, moods, etc.,
and the past continuous tense
refers to something that was ongoing in the past.
If you were to modify the previous example
(I was at the store) with an auxiliary verb,
you would say, “I was searching for spices at the store.”
Was is the auxiliary verb (or helping verb)
used to talk about what you were doing in the past (searching).
Examples of was in a sentence
So, to recap,
if you’re talking about something real that happened in the past,
use the past tense indicative:
I was or he/she/it was. (Were is used with the other pronouns.)
Here are some example sentences:
- I was sick last night.
- He had an amazing imagination when he was a child.
- We turned down the music because it was too loud.
When to use were
Whereas was is the singular past tense of to be,
were is used for both the third person plural past tense (they and we)
and the second person past tense (you).
In the past indicative, were acts similar to was.
“They were at the store,” you could say, for example.
It also acts similar as an auxiliary verb,
as in “They were searching for spices at the store.”
Things get a little more complicated with were, though,
and it’s all thanks to this thing called the subjunctive mood.
The subjunctive mood is the opposite of indicative,
and it’s all about things that are unrealor conditional.
When you’re talking about your hopes and dreams,
you’re using the subjunctive mood.
The same goes for talking about something you intend or want to do,
as well as for things you know will never be true or are no longer true.
A telltale signthat you’re working with the subjunctive mood
is the word if,
because thissuggests a hypothetical.
“If I were to go shopping, I could search for spices,” for example.
It doesn’t matter if the subject is singular or plural,
or if it’s first, second, or third person.
If you’re using the subjunctive mood,
the grammatically correct past tense of to be is were.
Speech is always evolving,
and the subjunctive mood is used far less extensively
than it was in the past.
And what’s more,
much of the way we talk and write in everyday English
isn’t what our old schoolteachers
would wag the ruler at us as “grammatically correct.”
But if you want to conform with those standards,
use were when it comes to the past tense of to be.
Examples of were in a sentence
If you’re discussing things that are unreal or conditional, then use were:
I were and he/she/it were. Here are some example sentences:
- If I were in better shape, I would run in the race.
- She took over the meeting as if she were the boss.
- His father talked to him as though he were a child.
When to use was vs. were
To sum it all up,
always use was for the past indicative first and third person singular.
That goes for whether it’s a simple verb or auxiliary.
“I was ready to watch the Auburn Tigers win the game,” and “He was watching number two score the winning touchdown.”
For the past indicative second person
and all plural forms, use were.
“They were in the stadium,” and “You were standing the whole game.”
Also use were for the hypothetical or fantastical subjunctive mood
for both singular and plural forms,
as in “If they were to bring back popcorn, I would eat it.”
There was vs. there were
Was and were are also used
in some instances with the pronoun there.
This pronoun introduces a sentence or clause
in which the verb comes before its subject
(or those instances where the verb has no complement).
When the subject that follows is singular, use was:
When I opened the fridge, I found there was no more milk left.
When the subject that follows is plural, use were:
When I opened the fridge, I found there were no more eggs left.
In the end, yes, you were technically correct
when you noted that the class lyric
“I wish I was a little bit taller”
should have been “I wish I were a little bit taller.”
But don’t fret if you get it technically wrong at times.
Were may be formally correct,
but because the subjunctive mood has largely fallen out of common use,
was may slip into yours and others’ speech at times.
Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions
was & were
Do you say “I wish I was there” or“I wish I were there?”
Do you say “If I was you” or“If I were you?”
Whether you say was or werein such constructions, you have company.
Actually, you should say werein both quoted sentences,
even though was and were are alike in that they form
the past tense of the verb be.
It’s a question of mood, the state of mindor the matter
in which a statement is made:
a fact (indicative mood),
a request or command (imperative mood),
a condition or probability (subjunctivemood).
The subjunctive mood (here the form were)
is generally used to express
(1) a condition contrary to fact,
(2) a supposition,
(3) an improbable condition,
(4) uncertainty or doubt,
(5) necessity,
(6) parliamentary motions, and
(7) a desire.
In “I wish I were there” the subjunctivewere is standard
because I is not there (a condition contrary to fact)
and also, because the speaker is expressing a desire.
One of the same conditions applies to the second quoted sentence.
Use were (the subjunctive) notwas (the indicative),
in such sentence as these:
“Suppose he were to arrive now”(supposition).
“He drank ale as if it were going to be prohibited forever” (an improbable condition).
“Roberta wishes that she were going to be invited” (desire).
Now that these distinctions have been made,
you can relax in the sure knowledge that
was is heard at least as often as were in statements such as those cited.
Dictionary.com
Is It “I Wish I Were”
Or “I Wish I Was”?
Picture it.
You’re texting your buddy, and you type out “I wish I were.”
But there’s that pesky autocorrect, trying to change it to “I wish I was.”
Is autocorrect ducking with you, or are you about to commit a grammar faux pas?
What is the difference between were and was?
Were and was are both past tense versions of the verb to be.
But were is usually used in relation to second person singular
and plural pronouns
such as you, your, yours.
It is also used with select
first and third person plural pronouns
such as we, they.
We use was, on the other hand,
when we’re using the first person singular pronoun
I or using the third person singular
such as he or she.
For example, you wouldn’t say, “You was going to the store.”
You would say, “You were going to the store.”
But you would say, “I was going to the store,”
rather than“I were going to the store.”
Why is I wish I were correct?
So, what happens when you’re talking about I wish I were … ?
I is a first person singular pronoun,
which is what makes using were seem confusing.
Shouldn’t we always use was after I?
Nope!
I wish I were is actually the preference of grammar experts
because you’re talking about something that hasn’t actually occurred.
If you want to get a little more formal about it,
the past indicative is used
for ordinary objective statementsor questions,
and past subjunctive is used
for imaginaryor hypothetical statements or questions.
Were is always correct in the past subjunctive.
For example,
I wish I were on a beach right now with a pile of books is something
a dedicated bibliomaniac might say, and we’d love to join them!
How to use I wish I were in a sentence
The subjunctiverefers to words that describe doubtful situations
—like wishes for things that aren’t real!
That’s why you’ll see I wish I were used in these examples:
- I wish I were joking, but I really did crush the cake as it was coming out of the oven.
- My mother was a great baker, and I wish I were more like her.
- I wish I were older—I really want my own car!
Why we still hear I wish I was
But, wait a second!
Skee-Lo sang “I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller …”
and Pearl Jam’s “Wishlist” is littered with variations of I wish I was.
Well, let’s face it:
some of our favorite songs are chock full of grammatical errors.
These ’90s favorites aren’t exactly wrong.
They’re simply non-standard.
While grammarians will tell you to stick to I wish I were
to follow the rules of the subjunctive, language has evolved,
and the non-standard I wish I was has become increasingly popular.
Our advice?
If you’re looking to write a hit song,
it’s fine to use the less formal I wish I was.
If you’re writing a paper for your English professor, on the other hand,
stick with the grammarians, and use I wish I were.
