One form for three subjects
Be has two past forms: was and were. Use were after you, we and they. Only the subject determines the form; the words that follow do not affect it.
They often refers to a group of people or things: my parents, the students, my keys. It can also refer to one person; agreement remains they were. A single person’s name takes a different form: Sam was here; they were ready.
You / We / They + were + …
We were at the airport at six in the morning.
We were at the airport at six in the morning.
We names a group and takes were in the past.
The students were outside during the break.
The students were outside during the break.
The students can be replaced by they, so use were.
They were together the whole evening.
They were together the whole evening.
After they, were stays the same regardless of what follows.
You takes were even for one person
English you is the same for one person and a group, and always takes the same past form, were. A sentence about one friend therefore also uses were.
Do not choose was merely because you refers to one person. Singular and plural you both take were in standard past statements; you was is a common agreement mistake.
You were the only person at the bus stop.
You were the only person at the bus stop.
This refers to one person, but you still takes were.
You were both very quiet last night.
You were both very quiet last night.
The same were is used when you means two people.
A plural noun works like they
The subject is not always a pronoun. A plural noun, or two people joined by and, works like they and takes were.
Substituting they is a useful check for a plural noun. However, do not transfer the pronoun’s form to every name: singular they also takes were, while Sam in an ordinary past statement takes was.
My keys were somewhere under the newspapers.
My keys were somewhere under the newspapers.
My keys works like they, so use were.
Marta and Petro were in the same group.
Marta and Petro were in the same group.
Two people together work like they.
The boxes were too heavy for one person.
The boxes were too heavy for one person.
A plural group of things also takes were.
What follows were?
In a simple description of a past state, were is followed by an adjective, role, place or age. Other correct constructions can contain a verb: We were going home is Past Continuous, a separate topic.
Adding another verb in the base form after were breaks the sentence: We were go home is incorrect. Either describe a state (We were at home), or use a main action verb without be (We went home).
You / We / They + were + adjective / noun / place / age
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
- adjective —
- A word describing what someone or something is like: happy, tired, interesting.
They were hungry after the long walk.
They were hungry after the long walk.
The adjective hungry follows were.
We were teammates for two seasons.
We were teammates for two seasons.
Teammates names several members of a team here. This does not require every noun after were to be plural: We were a team is also correct.
You were in the garden with your dog.
You were in the garden with your dog.
A simple place expression can follow were.
The twins were six years old in this photo.
The twins were six years old in this photo.
Age also comes directly after were, without another verb.
Negatives: were not and weren’t
Form a negative by putting not immediately after were. Conversation and correspondence more often use the contraction weren’t. Both forms mean the same thing.
The auxiliary did is unnecessary here: be forms its own negative without an additional verb.
You / We / They + were not (weren’t) + …
We were not ready for the test.
We were not ready for the test.
The full form: were + not.
They weren’t at home when I called.
They weren’t at home when I called.
Weren’t is the contraction of were not; the meaning is the same.
You weren’t wrong about the price.
You weren’t wrong about the price.
With you, the negative is also formed from were.
A past state is not a statement about now
Were describes a past state: this was true then, but the sentence asserts nothing about the present. To describe the present state after speaking about the past, state it separately.
Past-time expressions such as yesterday, last night, last summer, in 2019 and two years ago call for were, rather than are, in these descriptions.
We were in the same class in 2019.
We were in the same class in 2019.
A past date requires a past form.
They were close friends for a long time.
They were close friends for a long time.
The sentence describes a past period and says nothing about today.
Two years ago you were still at school.
Two years ago you were still at school.
Two years ago does not combine with the present form in this past-state statement.
The limits of this topic
In ordinary statements about past facts, you/we/they take were, while I/he/she/it take was. A different use of were with I, as in If I were you, expresses an imagined situation and belongs to a separate topic.
A sentence can have two subjects with different forms: each chooses its form separately.
We were at the market, but the small shop was closed.
We were at the market, but the small shop was closed.
We takes were, while the small shop takes was.
You were at the front, and your sister was next to you.
You were at the front, and your sister was next to you.
Each subject determines its form separately, rather than the whole sentence sharing one form.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:My friends was at the station.
Correct:My friends were at the station.
My friends is plural, like they; this subject takes were.
Incorrect:You was very kind to me.
Correct:You were very kind to me.
You takes were in standard past statements, even when it refers to one person.
Incorrect:We wasn’t ready for the trip.
Correct:We weren’t ready for the trip.
The negative keeps the same form were, so use weren’t, rather than wasn’t.
Incorrect:You didn’t were at the party.
Correct:You weren’t at the party.
Be forms its negative without did: put not immediately after were.
Incorrect:Anna and Tom was in the garden.
Correct:Anna and Tom were in the garden.
Two names joined by and work like they, so use were.
Incorrect:We are at the beach last summer.
Correct:We were at the beach last summer.
Last summer names a finished time, so use past were, rather than are.