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Understanding Was vs. Were (Grammar Rules and Examples) | GrammarBrain

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class="featured-image-wrap"> <img src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/stock-15-1-1024x683.jpeg" height="auto" style="-moz-border-radius:10px;-webkit-border-radius:10px;border-radius:10px;margin-bottom:40px;" alt="was vs were" /> </div> </div> </div> <div bind="80e03a2d-a20f-6efc-c0d9-14bc49b22dd9" class="article-body wf-section"> <div bind="bc878838-ab40-9492-e3bd-2479e727ee0e" class="article-body"> <div bind="bc0209be-976e-1d43-38b0-3a9a8847699c" class="container w-container"> <div bind="085bf5dc-f87e-1752-2b64-0aa48fd35121" class="w-richtext"> <p><strong>“Was” and “Were”</strong> are forms of <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/a-vs-the/">the</a> irregular <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/what-is-a-verb/">verb</a> “be”. Usually, verbs <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-tense-of-have/">have</a> five forms – <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/inifitives/">Infinitive</a>, <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/passed-vs-past/">past</a> tense, past-participle, present-participle, and third-person singular (usually ends in -s or -es). It <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/may-vs-can/">can</a> get confusing <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/to-vs-too/">to</a> comprehend <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/comma-before-which/">which</a> form to <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/use-vs-utilize/">use</a>. </p> <p><em>Ready to learn the difference? <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/lets-or-lets/">Lets</a> dive right into the worksheet&#8230;</em></p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="understanding-%e2%80%9cwas%e2%80%9d-vs-%e2%80%9cwere%e2%80%9d"></span>Understanding &#8220;was&#8221; vs. &#8220;were&#8221;<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p>Let’s take one regular and one irregular verb to understand the various forms a word can take. Let&#8217;s take <strong>kick (regular verb)</strong> and <strong><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-tense-of-run/">run</a> (irregular verb).</strong></p> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Form</strong></td><td><strong>Regular Verb (Kick)</strong></td><td><strong>Irregular Verb (Run)</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Infinitive (or root form)</td><td>(to) kick</td><td>(to) run</td></tr><tr><td>Past Tense</td><td>Kicked</td><td>Ran</td></tr><tr><td>Past <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/participle/">Participle</a></td><td>Kicked</td><td>Run</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-participle/">Present Participle</a></td><td>Kicking</td><td>Running</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/third-person/">Third Person</a> Singular</td><td>Kicks</td><td>Runs</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption>Table 1.0</figcaption></figure> <p>As <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/personal-pronouns/">you</a> can <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-tense-of-see/">see</a> in Table 1.0, <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/a-or-an/">an</a> irregular verb doesn’t follow the usual pattern. The past-participle form of “run” is “run”. Moreover, the past tense form of an irregular verb doesn’t end in an “-ed. </p> <p>For regular verbs, the past-participle form is same as the past tense form.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="476" height="305" src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-03-at-7.39.53-AM.png" alt="Sentence example" class="wp-image-2069" srcset="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-03-at-7.39.53-AM.png 476w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-03-at-7.39.53-AM-300x192.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 476px) 100vw, 476px" /><figcaption><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/what-is-a-sentence/">Sentence</a> example</figcaption></figure></div> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Consider these two sentences for more clarity:</h4> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>He had run the marathon before.</li><li>He had kicked that ball before.</li></ul> <p>“Be”, too is an irregular verb. However, it&#8217;s the only irregular verb with more than five forms. And that’s <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/where-vs-were/">where</a> the words “were” and “was” come in. But before we <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/what-is-the-past-participle-of-go/">go</a> on about the past tense of the verb, here’s an overview of all the forms of “be”:</p> <p><strong>Infinitive Form – be</strong></p> <p>Past Tense – was (used with first person singular and third person singular) and were (used with second person singular and plural and first and -third person plural)</p> <p><strong>Past Participle – be, been</strong></p> <p><strong>Present Participle – being</strong></p> <p><strong>Third Person Singular – N/A</strong></p> <p>It&#8217;s also worth noting that the verb “be” <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/has-vs-have/">has</a> three present tense forms (am, is, and are), while all other verbs only have one.</p> <p>Our focus is on the past <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/verb-tenses/">tenses</a> of the verb “be” – “was” and “were”. As you progress with this article, you will find more details on the usage and form of “was” and “were”.</p> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Word</strong></td><td><strong>Definition</strong></td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/was">Was</a> (verb) /wəz/</td><td>first and third person singular past of&nbsp;be.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/were">Were</a> (verb) /wər/</td><td>second person singular past, plural past, and past <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subjunctive/">subjunctive</a> of&nbsp;be.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="forms-of-was-and-were"></span>Forms of Was and Were<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p>“Was” is used in the first person singular and the third person singular. For instance, “was” is used with the singular first-person pronoun “I”. </p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Here is one example:</h4> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>I was sympathetic to his cause.</li></ul> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">An example of “Was” being used with a third person singular would be:</h4> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>He was happy to have <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/me-vs-myself/">me</a> as his guest.</li></ul> <p>Other third-person pronouns include “she”, “it”, his, hers, theirs, etc.</p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">“Was” is also used with singular nouns:</h4> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The horse was sick of its owner’s antics.</li><li>Disease was rampant among soldiers trapped in trenches.</li></ul> <p>“Were”, on the other hand, is used with second person singular and plural and first- and third person plural. Essentially, it means that you use “were” with second person pronouns <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/comma-before-such-as/">such as</a> “You” and “Yours”, first person plural pronouns such as “We” and “Our”, and third person plural pronouns such as “They”. Similar to “Was”, “Were” is also used when dealing with plural <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/noun/">nouns</a> in past tense (for example, “All of the cats were sick that day”).</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="476" height="319" src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-03-at-7.39.45-AM.png" alt="Sentence example" class="wp-image-2068" srcset="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-03-at-7.39.45-AM.png 476w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-03-at-7.39.45-AM-300x201.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 476px) 100vw, 476px" /><figcaption>Sentence example</figcaption></figure></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="what-is-%e2%80%9cwas%e2%80%9d-the-word"></span>What is “was” the word?<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p>As mentioned before, “was” is a verb (the first and third-person singular past and plural past of <em>to be</em>). It&#8217;s used with singular subjects except for second person singulars (like “You”).</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="what-is-%e2%80%9cwere%e2%80%9d-the-word"></span>What is “were” the word?<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p>Again, “were” is the past form of the verb “be”, and is used with all plural subjects as well as second person singulars (like “You”). Remember, &#8220;were&#8221; is the second-person singular past and plural past of <em>to be.</em></p> <p>The main point of confusion for students learning the English language becomes determining <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/weather-whether-wether/">whether</a> to use “was” or “were” with “You”. However, once the student surrounds themselves with English content, they’ll realize that using “was” with “You” just sounds unnatural. </p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Consider this sentence, for example:</h4> <p><strong>“You was not a good friend to me”</strong> – This is grammatically incorrect (although, you will find the usage of “was” with second person singular in dialects).</p> <p><strong>“You were not a good friend to me”</strong> – Most people comfortable with the English language will recognize that this sentence sounds more natural than the previous one.</p> <p>But, now let’s take a look at a confusing point that baffles even native speakers of the English Language.</p> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Past tense of &#8220;to be&#8221;</strong></td><td><strong>Subjunctive of &#8220;to be&#8221;</strong></td></tr><tr><td>I was</td><td>I were</td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/you-were-or-you-was/">You were</a></td><td>You were</td></tr><tr><td>He was</td><td>He were</td></tr><tr><td>She was</td><td>She were</td></tr><tr><td>It was </td><td>It were</td></tr><tr><td>We were</td><td>We were</td></tr><tr><td>You were</td><td>You were</td></tr><tr><td>They were</td><td>They were</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="what-is-a-subjunctive-mood"></span>What is a subjunctive mood?<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p>To address this common grammatical confusion, we first need to take a look at these two example sentences:</p> <p>1: If I was a millionaire, I <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/would-vs-will/">would</a> buy all my friends new houses.</p> <p>2: If I were a millionaire, I would buy all my friends new houses.</p> <p>One of those aforementioned sentences is grammatically incorrect. Can you figure out which one? </p> <p>If not, you don’t have to <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-tense-of-beat/">beat</a> yourself up. <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/alot-vs-a-lot/">A lot</a> of people get confused when it comes to subjunctive moods and <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conditionals/">conditional</a> sentences. </p> <p>To know which of the aforementioned sentence is correct, let’s first understand subjunctive mood.</p> <p>A grammatical mood (or writing tone) is how the writer wants the reader to perceive their words. It’s a technical term, and it definitely doesn’t refer to what the author’s mood. </p> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/what-is-grammar/">Grammar</a> form</strong></td><td><strong>Definition</strong></td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subjective-vs-objective/">Subjective</a> (mood)</td><td>The subjunctive is a grammatical mood, a feature of the utterance that indicates the speaker&#8217;s attitude <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/toward-or-towards/">towards</a> it.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <p>A subjunctive mood deals with hypotheticals. It includes sentences that describe a situation that is not real, realistic, or is doubtful. In many cases, it&#8217;s appropriate to use “were” instead of “was”.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="476" height="333" src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-03-at-7.39.31-AM.png" alt="Sentence example" class="wp-image-2067" srcset="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-03-at-7.39.31-AM.png 476w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-03-at-7.39.31-AM-300x210.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 476px) 100vw, 476px" /><figcaption>Sentence example</figcaption></figure></div> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="here-are-some-examples"></span>Here are some examples:<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h3> <p>1: If I were you, I would not let <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/john-and-i-or-john-and-me/">John</a> get away with such behavior.</p> <p>2: Maybe if I were rich, I <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/could-of-or-could-have/">could have</a> done something about the foreclosure.</p> <p>3: If he were to show his face in that country, he’d definitely get deported.</p> <p>4: I wish I were taller than Timmy.</p> <p>5: If I were to meet the president, I would ask for a better <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/healthcare-or-health-care/">healthcare</a> infrastructure.&nbsp;</p> <p>These examples describe unreal scenarios and/or wishful <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-tense-of-think/">thinking</a>. I am not rich and <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/how-to-use-therefore-correctly/">therefore</a>, I could not do anything about the foreclosure. I am not them and therefore, I <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/cannot-or-can-not/">cannot</a> control whether they let John get away with such behavior or not. </p> <p>As per the speaker’s knowledge, he did not show his face in that country and was unlikely to do so <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/is-because-a-conjunction/">because</a> he would get deported.</p> <p>In the last example, the speaker wishes to be taller than Timmy, but he isn’t. </p> <p>All of the aforementioned sentences are conditional subjunctive sentences. They are conditional (if I…), but they’re also subjunctive (dealing in hypotheticals).</p> <p>Bottom line – “were” <strong>should</strong> get used in subjunctive conditional sentences.</p> <p>The question <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/then-vs-than/">then</a> becomes, what if these sentences were conditional (If I…), but not in the subjunctive mood. <em>Those called real conditional sentences! </em></p> <p>The ones that we described above are unreal conditional sentences. But let’s first take a look at what a conditional is, shall we?</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="what-is-a-conditional"></span>What is a conditional?<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p>Conditional sentences are those that express the that one thing depends upon another. In simpler terms, conditional sentences are “If this happens, that happens”. There’s a condition in that sentence, clearly. But we do not know whether that condition is real or unreal. </p> <p>In the previous section, we dealt with <a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/unreal-conditional-sentences-definition-examples.html#:~:text=An%20unreal%20conditional%20sentence%20has,lottery)%20is%20unlikely%20to%20happen.">unreal conditional sentences</a>. </p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Now, take a look at some real conditional sentences with the usage of “was&#8221;:</h4> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>If I was wrong, I apologize.</li></ul> <p><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/there-their-theyre/">There</a> is a possibility that the speaker could be wrong. </p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Now, take a look at this statement:</h4> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>If I were wrong, I would have apologized.</li></ul> <p>In this sentence, the speaker is convinced that they were right. Them being wrong is an unrealistic scenario. Our speaker firmly believes that he was not wrong. And according to our speaker, that belief of theirs is reality. Quite a megalomaniac, our speaker is, right?</p> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Grammar form</strong></td><td><strong>Definition</strong></td></tr><tr><td><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conditional-sentence-if-clause/">Conditional sentence</a></td><td>Conditional sentences are natural language sentences that express that one thing is contingent on something else, <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/i-e-vs-e-g/">e.g.</a> &#8220;If it rains, the picnic will be cancelled.&#8221; </td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <p>This shows that you cannot use “was” and “were” interchangeably when dealing with conditional sentences, as it can change the whole meaning of a sentence.</p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Here are some more examples of real conditional sentences:</h4> <p>1: I’ll let my mother know if I was selected for the job.</p> <p>2: My <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/bosss-bosses-bosses/">boss</a> will give me a raise if I was helpful in the client meeting.</p> <p>Another interesting fact about conditionals is that their tenses can be mixed. These are called mixed conditionals. Here’s an example – “If the stock hadn’t plummeted, I <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/may-vs-might/">might</a> have a million dollars today” or “If I would have studied Physics sincerely, I could have been a Physics professor”. </p> <p>The structure goes like this – if that had happened, this would be the reality today.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="when-to-use-%e2%80%9cwere%e2%80%9d"></span>When to use “were”<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p>Now that we’re more or <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/less-vs-fewer/">less</a> clear on the basics of using “was” and “were”, here are some sentences using the word “were”.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="sentence-examples"></span>Sentence examples<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h3> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>I was the Chief Operating Officer for a whole year.</li><li>In <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/highschool-or-high-school/">high school</a>, he was an exceptional student</li><li>What was the question again?</li><li>Was it a bird? Was it a plane? No, it was Superman!</li><li>If I was mistaken about his identity, I want to apologize.</li><li>At first I was afraid, I was petrified.</li></ul> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="when-to-use-%e2%80%9cwas%e2%80%9d"></span>When to use “was”?<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p>And here we have some examples of the word “was” being used in sentences.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="sentence-examples-2"></span>Sentence examples<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h3> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>I wish I were the Chief Operating Officer for a whole year!</li><li>In high school, they were exceptional students.</li><li>What were the questions again?</li><li>His limbs were <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-tense-of-hurt/">hurting</a>, and he couldn’t do anything about them.</li><li>If I were to mistake him for my arch-nemesis, he would’ve been dead.</li><li>At first we were afraid, we were petrified.</li></ul> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="how-to-remember-which-form-to-use"></span>How to remember which form to use?<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p>Stick to the basics:</p> <p>1: Both “was” and “were” deal with the past tense (<strong>were</strong> &#8211; first and third-person singular past tense and <strong>was</strong> &#8211; second-person past and plural tense).</p> <p>2: “Was” for singular and “were” for plural (remember <em>to be</em>).</p> <p>3:  Sentences in the subjunctive mood (unrealistic, unreal, and wishful) are an exception to the rule, and use “were” rather than &#8220;was&#8221;. But not all conditional sentences are subjunctive.</p> <p>4: Real conditional sentences follow the common grammar functions.</p> <p>5: Another exception to the rule: Second person singular such as “you” go with “were” (example – you were not a good father to our son).</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="common-questions"></span>Common questions<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p>Questions and answers about the English language.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="is-it-%e2%80%9cif-i-were%e2%80%9d-or-%e2%80%9cif-i-was%e2%80%9d"></span>Is it &#8220;if I were&#8221; or &#8220;if I was?&#8221;<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h3> <p>Use &#8216;if I was&#8217; for real situations that are in <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/indicative-mood/">indicative mood</a>. Used in a subjunctive mood, &#8216;if I were&#8217; indicates an unreal situation.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="is-it-%e2%80%9cthere-was%e2%80%9d-or-%e2%80%9cthere-were%e2%80%9d"></span>Is it &#8220;there was&#8221; or &#8220;there were?&#8221;<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h3> <p>When describing a singular object, use “there was,” and if describing plural objects, use “there were.”</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="is-it-%e2%80%9ci-wish-i-was%e2%80%9d-or-%e2%80%9ci-wish-i-were%e2%80%9d"></span>Is it &#8220;I wish I was&#8221; or &#8220;I wish I were?&#8221;<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h3> <p><em>The subjunctive</em>&nbsp;is used when referring to potential or hypothetical situations, like wishing for something that doesn&#8217;t exist yet. Although, both statements are correct given the participle sense the context is referring to.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="sources"></span><strong>Sources</strong><span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <ol class="wp-block-list"><li><a href="https://www.testden.com/toeic/grammar-verb-tense.htm">TOEIC Grammar Guide – Verb Tense &#8211; TestDEN</a></li><li><a href="https://www.talkenglish.com/speaking/lessondetails.aspx?ALID=4221#:~:text=Unreal%20conditionals%20are%20similar%20to,sale%2C%20I%20would%20buy%20it.">Unreal Conditions</a></li><li><a href="https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/was-vs-were-use-cases-and-examples/">Was vs. Were</a></li></ol> <div id="ez-toc-container" class="ez-toc-v2_0_72 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction"> <div class="ez-toc-title-container"> <p class="ez-toc-title" style="cursor:inherit">Inside this article</p> <span class="ez-toc-title-toggle"></span></div> <nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1" href="#understanding-%e2%80%9cwas%e2%80%9d-vs-%e2%80%9cwere%e2%80%9d" title="Understanding &#8220;was&#8221; vs. &#8220;were&#8221;">Understanding &#8220;was&#8221; vs. &#8220;were&#8221;</a></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2" href="#forms-of-was-and-were" title="Forms of Was and Were">Forms of Was and Were</a></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3" href="#what-is-%e2%80%9cwas%e2%80%9d-the-word" title="What is “was” the word?">What is “was” the word?</a></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4" href="#what-is-%e2%80%9cwere%e2%80%9d-the-word" title="What is “were” the word?">What is “were” the word?</a></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5" href="#what-is-a-subjunctive-mood" title="What is a subjunctive mood?">What is a subjunctive mood?</a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6" href="#here-are-some-examples" title="Here are some examples">Here are some examples</a></li></ul></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7" href="#what-is-a-conditional" title="What is a conditional?">What is a conditional?</a></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8" href="#when-to-use-%e2%80%9cwere%e2%80%9d" title="When to use “were”">When to use “were”</a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9" href="#sentence-examples" title="Sentence examples">Sentence examples</a></li></ul></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10" href="#when-to-use-%e2%80%9cwas%e2%80%9d" title="When to use “was”?">When to use “was”?</a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11" href="#sentence-examples-2" title="Sentence examples">Sentence examples</a></li></ul></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12" href="#how-to-remember-which-form-to-use" title="How to remember which form to use?">How to remember which form to use?</a></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13" href="#common-questions" title="Common questions">Common questions</a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14" href="#is-it-%e2%80%9cif-i-were%e2%80%9d-or-%e2%80%9cif-i-was%e2%80%9d" title="Is it &#8220;if I were&#8221; or &#8220;if I was?&#8221;">Is it &#8220;if I were&#8221; or &#8220;if I was?&#8221;</a></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15" href="#is-it-%e2%80%9cthere-was%e2%80%9d-or-%e2%80%9cthere-were%e2%80%9d" title="Is it &#8220;there was&#8221; or &#8220;there were?&#8221;">Is it &#8220;there was&#8221; or &#8220;there were?&#8221;</a></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16" href="#is-it-%e2%80%9ci-wish-i-was%e2%80%9d-or-%e2%80%9ci-wish-i-were%e2%80%9d" title="Is it &#8220;I wish I was&#8221; or &#8220;I wish I were?&#8221;">Is it &#8220;I wish I was&#8221; or &#8220;I wish I were?&#8221;</a></li></ul></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17" href="#sources" title="Sources">Sources</a></li></ul></nav></div> </div> <div bind="a45688e5-b9eb-987e-b87a-877b363b714a" class="tags w-clearfix"> <div bind="3c46d1e8-cfca-93f8-1f0b-132651db81b5"><span bind="e3af2ae6-d86a-f810-ba70-8a062949eb9d" class="text-span-3">Tags:</span></div> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/tag/differences/" class="bold-text-4"><strong bind="9bd9671a-c4c5-f296-a149-d2e552ddbe4f" class="bold-text-5">Differences</strong></a> </div> <!-- FACT CHECK NOTICE --> <div class="fact-checked w-clearfix"><img src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/themes/grammarbrain/images/correct.png" loading="lazy" width="35" srcset="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/themes/grammarbrain/images/correct-p-500.png 500w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/themes/grammarbrain/images/correct.png 512w" sizes="(max-width: 479px) 27vw, 35px" alt="" class="image-6" style="margin-right:20px;"> <p bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e6e" class="fact"><strong bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e6f">Fact checked:</strong><br>Content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. <a href="/editorial-policy/" bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e73"><strong bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e74">Learn more.</strong></a> </p> </div> <!-- FACT CHECK NOTICE --> <!-- ABOUT THE AUTHOR --> <div bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e64" class="author"> <div bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e65" class="author-image w-row"> <div bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e66" class="column-3 w-col w-col-3"><img src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/themes/grammarbrain/images/Screen-Shot-2022-09-10-at-4.07.48-PM.png" loading="lazy" bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e67" alt="" class="image-3" style="-webkit-border-radius:200px;border-radius:200px;-moz-border-radius:200px;"></div> <div bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e68" class="column-2 w-col w-col-9"> <p bind="3eab4726-5f41-ff61-2881-dd7370ae1a47" class="author-p"><strong>About the author</strong> <a href="#" bind="3eab4726-5f41-ff61-2881-dd7370ae1a4c"><strong bind="3eab4726-5f41-ff61-2881-dd7370ae1a4d"></strong></a> </p> <p bind="3eab4726-5f41-ff61-2881-dd7370ae1a47" class="author-p"> <a href="/about/" bind="a4a5a123-eef4-a277-5d08-7dfd48482052"><strong bind="16ba8aa2-6a9a-8a55-c24f-7e0b2e7391c4">Dalia Y.:</strong></a> Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain. </p> </div> </div> </div> <!-- ABOUT THE AUTHOR --> <div class="other-articles"> <h3 class="abbv-h3">Core lessons</h3> <div class="w-row"> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/apostrophe/">Apostrophe</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/ellipsis/">Ellipsis</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/semicolon/">Semicolon</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/hyphen/">Hyphen</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/et-al/">Et. Al.</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/exclamation-mark/">Exclamation Mark</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/capitalization-rules/">Capitalization Rules</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/oxford-comma-serial-comma/">Comma</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/parts-of-speech/">Parts of Speech</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subjunctive/">Subjunctive</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adjectives/">Adjectives</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adjectives-describing-personality/">Personality Adjectives</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-words/">Compound Words</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subordinating-conjunction/">Subordinating Conjunction</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adverbs/">Adverbs</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adverbial-clause/">Adverbial Clause</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/irregular-verbs/">Irregular Verbs</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/common-verbs/">Common Verbs</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/intransitive-verbs/">Intransitive Verbs</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/phrasal-verbs/">Phrasal Verbs</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/prepositions/">Prepositions</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/gerund/">Gerund</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/active-voice/">Active Voice</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/passive-voice/">Passive Voice</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conjunctions/">Conjunctions</a> </div> <!-- <div class="w-col w-col-3"> Verbs </div> <div class="w-col w-col-3"> Conjunctions </div> <div class="w-col w-col-3"> Nouns </div> <div class="w-col w-col-3"> Adjectives </div> <div class="w-col w-col-3"> Determiners </div> <div class="w-col w-col-3"> Interjections </div> --> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-perfect-tense/">Present Perfect</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-perfect-simple/">Present Perfect Simple</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-simple-tense/">Present Simple</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-continuous/">Present Continuous</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-perfect-continuous/">Present Perfect Continuous</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/simple-future-tense/">Simple Future</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-continuous-tense/">Past Continuous</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-simple-tense/">Past Simple</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/clauses/">Clauses</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/object-pronouns/">Object Pronouns</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/personal-pronouns/">Personal Pronouns</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/possessive-pronouns/">Possessive Pronouns</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/common-noun/">Common Noun</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/concrete-nouns/">Concrete Noun</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/possessive-noun/">Possessive Noun</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/proper-noun/">Proper Noun</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/irregular-plural-nouns/">Irregular Plural Nouns</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/prepositional-phrases/">Prepositional Phrases</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/introductory-phrases/">Introductory Phrases</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/declarative-statement/">Declarative Statement</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/sentence-diagramming/">Sentence Diagramming</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/complete-subjects/">Complete Subjects</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/sentence-starters/">Sentence Starters</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/metaphor/">Metaphor</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/personification/">Personification</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/allegory/">Allegory</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/collective-noun/">Collective Nouns</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/tones-in-writing/">Tones in Writing</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/homophones/">Homophones</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/declarative-sentences/">Declarative Sentences</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/syntax/">Syntax</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="other-articles"> <h3 class="abbv-h3">Glossary</h3> <div class="w-row"> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <strong>A:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/abstract-noun/">Abstract Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/accusative-case/">Accusative Case</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/anecdote/">Anecdote</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/antonym/">Antonym</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/active-sentence/">Active Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adverbs/">Adverb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adjective/">Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/allegory/">Allegory</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/alliteration/">Alliteration</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adjective-clause/">Adjective Clause</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adjective-phrase/">Adjective Phrase</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/ampersand/">Ampersand</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/anastrophe/">Anastrophe</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adverbial-clause/">Adverbial Clause</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/appositive-phrase/">Appositive Phrase</a></li> </ul> <strong>B:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/base-form/">Base Form</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/body-paragraph/">Body Paragraph</a></li> </ul> <strong>C:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/clauses/">Clause</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-adjective/">Compound Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/complex-sentence/">Complex Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-words/">Compound Words</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-predicate/">Compound Predicate</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/common-noun/">Common Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/comparative-adjective/">Comparative Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/superlatives-and-comparatives/">Comparative and Superlative</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-noun/">Compound Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-subject/">Compound Subject</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-sentence/">Compound Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/copular-verb/">Copular Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/collective-noun/">Collective Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/colloquialism/">Colloquialism</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conciseness/">Conciseness</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/consonance/">Consonance</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conditionals/">Conditional</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/concrete-nouns/">Concrete Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conjunctions/">Conjunction</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conjugation/">Conjugation</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conditional-sentence-if-clause/">Conditional Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/comma-splice/">Comma Splice</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/correlative-conjunction/">Correlative Conjunction</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/coordinating-conjunction/">Coordinating Conjunction</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/coordinating-adjectives/">Coordinate Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/cumulative-adjective/">Cumulative Adjective</a></li> </ul> <strong>D:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/dative-case/">Dative Case</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/determiners/">Determiner</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/declarative-sentences/">Declarative Sentence</a> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/declarative-statement/">Declarative Statement</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/direct-object-pronouns/">Direct Object Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/direct-object/">Direct Object</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/types-of-diction/">Diction</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/diphthong/">Diphthong</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/dangling-modifier/">Dangling Modifier</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/demonstrative-pronouns/">Demonstrative Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/demonstrative-adjective/">Demonstrative Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/direct-characterization/">Direct Characterization</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/definite-article/">Definite Article</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/doublespeak/">Doublespeak</a></li> </ul> <strong>E:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/equivocation-fallacy/">Equivocation Fallacy</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/en-dash/">En Dash</a></li> </ul> <strong>F:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/false-dilemma-fallacy/">False Dilemma Fallacy</a> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/future-perfect-progressive/">Future Perfect Progressive</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/future-simple/">Future Simple</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/future-perfect-continuous/">Future Perfect Continuous</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/future-perfect/">Future Perfect</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/first-conditional/">First Conditional</a></li> </ul> <strong>G:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/gerund/">Gerund</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/gerund-phrase/">Gerund Phrase</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/genitive-case/">Genitive Case</a></li> </ul> <strong>H:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/homophones/">Homophone</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/homonym/">Homonym</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/helping-verbs/">Helping Verb</a></li> </ul> <strong>I:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/irregular-adjectives/">Irregular Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/irregular-verbs/">Irregular Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/imperative-sentence/">Imperative Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/indefinite-article/">Indefinite Article</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/intransitive-verbs/">Intransitive Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/introductory-phrases/">Introductory Phrase</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/indefinite-pronouns/">Indefinite Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/indirect-characterization/">Indirect Characterization</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/interrogative-sentence/">Interrogative Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/intensive-pronoun/">Intensive Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/inanimate-object/">Inanimate Object</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/indefinite-tense/">Indefinite Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/infinitive-phrase/">Infinitive Phrase</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/interjection/">Interjection</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/intensifier/">Intensifier</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/inifitives/">Infinitive</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/indicative-mood/">Indicative Mood</a></li> </ul> <strong>J:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/juxtaposition/">Juxtaposition</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <strong>L:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/linking-verbs/">Linking Verb</a></li> </ul> <strong>M:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/modal-verb/">Modal Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/modifier/">Modifier</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/misplaced-modifier/">Misplaced Modifier</a></li> </ul> <strong>N:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/nominative-case/">Nominative Case</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/noun/">Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adjective-as-noun/">Noun Adjective</a></li> </ul> <strong>O:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/oxymoron/">Oxymoron</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/object-pronouns/">Object Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/object-complement/">Object Complement</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/order-of-adjectives/">Order of Adjectives</a></li> </ul> <strong>P:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/participle/">Participle</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/parallelism/">Parallelism</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/prepositional-phrases/">Prepositional Phrase</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-simple-tense/">Past Simple Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-continuous-tense/">Past Continuous Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-perfect-tense/">Past Perfect Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-progressive-tense/">Past Progressive Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-simple-tense/">Present Simple Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-perfect-tense/">Present Perfect Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/personal-pronouns/">Personal Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/personification/">Personification</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/persuasive-writing/">Persuasive Writing</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/parallel-structure/">Parallel Structure</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/phrasal-verbs/">Phrasal Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/predicate-adjective/">Predicate Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/predicate-nominative/">Predicate Nominative</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/phonetic-language/">Phonetic Language</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/plural-noun/">Plural Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/punctuation/">Punctuation</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/punctuation-marks/">Punctuation Marks</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/prepositions/">Preposition</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/preposition-of-place/">Preposition of Place</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/parts-of-speech/">Parts of Speech</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/possessive-adjective/">Possessive Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/possessive-determiner/">Possessive Determiner</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/possessive-case/">Possessive Case</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/possessive-noun/">Possessive Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/proper-adjective/">Proper Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/proper-noun/">Proper Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-participle/">Present Participle</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/prefix/">Prefix</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/predicate/">Predicate</a></li> </ul> <strong>Q:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/quotation-marks/">Quotation Marks</a></li> </ul> <strong>R:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/relative-pronouns/">Relative Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/reflexive-pronouns/">Reflexive Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/reciprocal-pronouns/">Reciprocal Pronoun</a></li> </ul> <strong>S:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subordinating-conjunction/">Subordinating Conjunction</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/simple-future-tense/">Simple Future Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/syntax/">Syntax</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/stative-verbs/">Stative Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subjunctive/">Subjunctive</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subject-complement/">Subject Complement</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subject-of-a-sentence/">Subject of a Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/sentence-variety/">Sentence Variety</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/second-conditional/">Second Conditional</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/suffix/">Suffix</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/superlative-adjective/">Superlative Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/slash-symbol/">Slash Symbol</a></li> </ul> <strong>T:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/topic-sentence/">Topic Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/types-of-nouns/">Types of Nouns</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/types-of-sentences/">Types of Sentences</a></li> </ul> <strong>U:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/uncountable-noun/">Uncountable Noun</a></li> </ul> <strong>V:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/common-verbs/">Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/verb-tenses/">Verb Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/vowels-and-consonants/">Vowels and Consonants</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="other-articles"> <h3 class="abbv-h3">Popular lessons</h3> <div class="w-row"> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/bare-with-me-or-bear-with-me/">Bare With Me</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/bosss-bosses-bosses/">Boss's, Bosses, or Bosses'</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/full-proof-or-foolproof/">Full Proof or Foolproof</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/is-or-are/">Is or Are</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/led-vs-lead/">Led or Lead</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/are-seasons-capitalized/">Are Seasons Capitalized</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/a-part-or-apart/">A Part vs. Apart</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/to-easy-or-too-easy/">Too Easy or To Easy</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/comma-before-or/">Comma Before "Or"</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-tenses/">Past Tenses</a> </div> </div> <div class="w-row"> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/payed-vs-paid/">Payed vs. Paid</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/lets-or-lets/">Let's or Lets</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/ok-vs-okay/">OK or Okay</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/plural-of-moose/">Plural of Moose</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/which-vs-that/">Which vs. That</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/less-vs-fewer/">Less vs. Fewer</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="newsletter-signup"> <div class="super-big-wrap"> <div class="w-row"> <div class="w-col w-col-6"><img src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/themes/grammarbrain/images/SquareOverride-604x592.png" loading="lazy" width="285" srcset="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/themes/grammarbrain/images/SquareOverride-604x592-p-500.png 500w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/themes/grammarbrain/images/SquareOverride-604x592.png 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