2021-03-21
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด W – were & where
แนะนำการใช้ ตามที่ส่วนใหญ่ใช้ แต่ละท้องถิ่น
ความหมาย อาจผันแปร ตาม ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค
Dictionary.com
ออกเสียง were = ‘WUR’ unstressed = ‘WER’, British = ‘WAIR’
ออกเสียง where = ‘HWAIR’ or ‘WAIR’
BRITISH DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS FOR WERE
USAGE FOR WERE
Were, as a remnant of the past subjunctive in English,
is used in formal contexts
in clauses expressing hypotheses
(if he were to die, she would inherit everything),
suppositions contrary to fact (if I were you, I would be careful),
and desire (I wish he were there now).
In informal speech, however, was is often used instead
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
were
Our Living Language
Although many irregular verbs in English
once had different singular and plural forms in the past tense,
only one still does today—be,
which uses the form was with singular subjects
and the form were with plural subjects,
as well as with singular you.
The relative simplicity in the forms of most verbs
reflects the long-standing tendency of English speakers
to make irregular verbs more regular
by reducing the number of forms
used withdifferent persons, numbers, and tenses.
Since past be is so irregular,
speakers of different vernacular dialects
have regularized it in several ways.
In the United States,most vernacular speakers
regularize past be by using was with all subjects,
whether singularor plural.
This patternis most common in Southern-based dialects,
particularly African American Vernacular English(AAVE).
Some speakers use were with both singular and plural subjects;
thus, one may hear she were alongside we were.
However, this usage has been much lesswidespread
than the use of was withplural subjects and appears to be fading.
In some scattered regions in the South,
particularly in coastal areas of North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland,
vernacular speakers may regularize past be as was in positive contexts
and regularizeit as weren't in negative contexts,
as in He was a good man, weren't he?
or They sure was nice people, weren't they?
At first glance,
the was/weren't patternappears to come from England,
where it is fairly commonplace.
However, in-depth study of the was/weren't pattern
in coastal North Carolina
indicates that it may have developed independently,
for it is found to a greater extent in the speech of younger speakers
than in that of older coastal residents.
Other forms of negative past be include warn't,
common in American folk speech in the 1700s and 1800s,
and wont, as in It wont me or They wont home.
Wont, which often sounds just like the contraction won't,
historicallyhas been concentrated in New England
and is also found in scattered areas of the South.
Dictionary.com
“Was” vs. “Were”:
Use Cases And Examples
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 …”
Dictionary.com
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 formevery 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 realityand 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 elsein 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 wayto 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 express different tenses, aspects, moods, etc.,
and the past continuous tense
refers tosomething 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 this suggests 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 unrealor 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 hypotheticalor 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.com
USAGE NOTE FOR WHERE
Where … at ( Where was he at? ) and
where … to ( Where is this leading to? )
are often criticizedas redundant
because neither at nor to
adds anything to the meaningof where,
and sentences like the preceding ones
are perfectly clear and standard withoutthe final at or to.
This criticism does not apply to
where … from, which is fully standard:
Where does the money come from?
The constructions where … at and where … to
occur in the speech of educated people
but are rare in formal speechand edited writing.
COLLINS ENGLISH DICTIONARY
USAGE FOR WERE
Usage:
Were, as a remnant of the past subjunctive in English,
is used in formal contexts in clauses expressing hypotheses
(if he were to die, she would inherit everything),
suppositions contrary to fact (if I were you, I would be careful),
and desire (I wish he were there now).
In informal speech, however, was is often used instead
COLLINS ENGLISH DICTIONARY
USAGE FOR WHERE
It was formerly considered incorrect to use
where as a substitute for in which after a noun
which did not refer to a place or position,
but this use has now become acceptable:
we now have a situation where/in which no further action is needed
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
Usage Note:
When where is used torefer to a point of origin,
the preposition from is required:
Where did she come from?
From where I sit, the situation looks bleak.
When it is used to refer to a destination,
the preposition to is generally superfluous:
Where is she going (rather than Where is she going to)?
The place where they are going is beautiful.
When it is used to refer to the location of a person, event, or structure,
the use of at is widely regarded as regional or colloquial:
Where is the station (not Where is the station at)?
Where is also used to mean "in which"
as in Show me an example where government intervention in the market has worked.
The Usage Panel has mixed feelings about this.
In our 2001 survey, 60 percent accepted the example just given,
but only 44 percent accepted
Sometimes the discussion degenerates into a situation where each person accuses the other of being illogical.
These usages probably derive from the positional use of where
in sentences like
He went to the house where the money was kept and
We hid the present in the closet where we hang our coats.
These positional usages are standard,
but in all of these instances,
where can be safely and clearly replaced by in which.
Where is also used in instances where that might normally beexpected,
as in I don't see where they had much choice but to give up.
The Usage Panel has less fondness for this usage.
Only 30 percent of the Panel accepted this sentence in our 2001 survey.
See Usage Note at why.
Collins COBUILD English Usage
were
1. used to talk about the past
Were is the plural form and the second person singular form
of the past tense of be.
They were only fifty miles from the coast.
You were about twelve at the time.
2. used in conditional clauses
Were has a special use in conditional clauses
when these clauses are used to mention
situationsthat do not exist,
or eventsthat are unlikely to happen.
When the subject of the clause is
I, he, she, it, there, or a singular noun,
were is sometimes used instead of 'was',
especially in formal writing.
If I were in his circumstances, I would do the same.
If the law were changed, it would not benefit women.
In conversation and in less formal writing,
people usually use was.
If I was an architect, I'd re-design this house.
If the business was properly run this wouldn't happen.
Both was or were are now considered correct
in clauses like this and are acceptable even in formal writing.
The fixed phrase
'If I were you' almost always contains were, even in informal English.
Don't say'If I was you'.
If I were you, I'd start looking for a new job.
Be Careful!
Don't confuse were /wə/ with where /weə/.
You use where to make statements
or ask questions about place or position.
Where is the nearest train station?
See where
Collins COBUILD English Usage
Where
1. used in questions
You use where to ask questions about place or position.
Where's Dad?
Where does she live?
You also use where to ask about
the placethat someone or something is coming from or going to.
Where are you going?
Where does all this anger come from?
2. used in place clauses
You use where in place clauses
when you are talking about the place or position
in which someone or something is.
He said he was happy where he was.
He dropped the ball and left it where it lay.
A place clauseusually goes after the main clause.
However, in stories, the place clause can be put first.
Where the house had once stood, there was an empty space.
Where the sun touched the water it shone like gold.
3. used in reported clauses
Where is often used in reported clauses.
I think I know where we are.
I asked someone where the nearest hotel was.
4. used in relative clauses
Where is often used in non-defining relative clauses.
He comes from Canterbury, where the famous cathedral is.
She went into the art room, where the brushes and paint had been set out.
Where can also be used in defining relative clauses
after place or after a word such as room or street.
Will you show me the place where you work?
The room where I did my homework was too noisy.
Where can also be used in defining clauses
after wordssuch as situation and stage.
We have a situation where people feel afraid of going out.
I've reached the point where I'm ready to retire.
5. used with 'possible' and 'necessary'
Where is sometimes used in front of adjectives
such as possible and necessary.
When it is used like this,
it has a similar meaningto 'when' or 'whenever'.
Where possible, friends will be put in the same class.
Help must be given where necessary.
The A-Z of Correct English Common Errors in English Dictionary
were & where
Use these exemplar sentences as a guide:
We WERE walking very fast. (rhymes with ‘her’)
WHERE are you? (rhymes with ‘air’)
Do you know WHERE he is?
This is the house WHERE I was born.
Common Errors In English Usage Dictionary
Were & where
Sloppy typists frequently leave the H out of “where.”
Spelling checkers do not catch this sort of error, of course,
So, look for it as you proofread.
