Were, Were, and Where How to Choose the Right Word

The words were, were, and where are easily confused because they have similar sounds and spellings. They are not homophones—words that have the same sounds or spellings—and their meanings and uses are quite different. Were  (rhymes with fur) is a past form of the verb to be. Were  (rhymes with fear) is a contraction of we are. The adverb and conjunction where  (rhymes with hair) refers to a place. How to Use Were Use were as a past tense verb, as the: First-person plural of be (We were busy last week.)Second-person singular and plural  of be (You were busy last week.)Third-person plural of be (They  were busy  last week.)Subjunctive of be for all persons  (If I were you, Id demand a raise.) How to Use Were Since were is a contraction for we are—and in rarer cases we were—simply use were when you want to write or say a shorter version of the first-person plural pronoun we and to be verb are. The apostrophe replaces letter a (for we are) or the letters we (for we were, though that use is much less common). For example: Were going back to work tomorrow. In this sentence, which is perfectly acceptable English, you are saying: We are going back to work tomorrow. How to Use Where Use where as an adverb referring to a location, as in: I dont know where you live. Here, the writer is stating that she does not know where (at what place or location) the listener or reader lives. This word is also often used to start a question, such as: Where do you live? In the sentence, the speaker is trying to find out at what location the listener or reader lives. Often, the person speaking (or even writing, as in a letter or email), is trying to find the exact address where the person resides. How to Remember the Differences To determine the difference between were and were, try substituting we are for the word. If it works, you know you can use were. If it doesnt, you need were. For example, take the sentence: Were going to the movies. You could swap in we are for were, and the sentence still makes sense: We are going to the movies. However, if you replace were for we are, the sentence does not work: Were going to the movies. If you read the sentence aloud, your ear might tell you that the sentence lacks something. Indeed, it does: Since were is a past form of to be, you are lacking a subject. The sentence would work if you added in the word we, as in: We were going to the movies. When trying to determine the difference between were and were versus where, remember that were and were are both to be verbs, or at least contain a to be verb; whereas, where always refers to a location. So, use the terms at the end of each sentence, as in: You live were? (This is the past form of are.)You live were? (This actually means: You live we are?) Both of these uses dont make sense. However, if you say: You live where? That sentence works, because you are ending the sentence with the location word, where. To further clarify, swap out where with a location: You live in California?You live upstairs?You live in Europe?You live where? Remember this trick, and youll never confuse where for were and were. Examples To understand examples, simply apply the above rules and tricks to create sentences making up a brief narrative. Were  going to Savannah for St. Patricks Day. This sentence means we are going to a particular location, Savannah. The word were contains the subject of the sentence, we, as well as a verb are. But, we dont know  where  well be staying. In this case, the term where refers to a location—or more specifically, the lack of a location. The writer/speaker does not know in what location his group will be staying. Last year we  were  forced to sleep in the van. In this sentence, the speaker describes a past action—last year—when the group (sans a location to stay) had to sleep in a vehicle. The following sentence—and the end of this brief narrative—uses all three terms: We were lost in the middle of Timbuktu. No one knew where we were. Next time we travel, were going to bring along a map. In the first bolded word, the group (in the past) was lost. Therefore, no one knew where (the location) we were (past tense of are). Switching to the present, the writer notes that in the future, were (we are) going to bring a map. Sources Common Errors in English Usage: Were / Were. Washington State University.Commonly Confused Word, were, were, where. Online Writing Support/Townson University.Shrives, Craig. â€Å"Wear, Were, Were, and Where.†Ã‚  The Difference between Wear, Were, Were, and Where (Grammar Lesson). Grammar-monster.com.