were

Were is the past tense form of the English verb be used with plural subjects and with you in the indicative mood, as in you were tired, we were happy, or they were late. It contrasts with was, the past tense used with I, he, she, and it (I was, he was, she was, it was). In standard English, were also serves as the past subjunctive, especially in hypothetical or nonreal situations, such as If I were rich, If you were here, or I wish I were able to attend. In these contexts the clause expresses unreality or a wish, and the verb remains were regardless of the subject.

Were is common in conditionals and in formal or careful speech, particularly after if and in clauses introduced by as if or as though. Some informal speech uses was in place of were, especially with singular I or you, but this is considered nonstandard in strict grammar.

Etymology traces were to Old English forms such as wære (singular past) and wæron (plural past) of wesan, to be. The modern form preserves the plural past and the subjunctive pattern.

Usage notes: In most varieties of English, were is the conventional past form for second-person and plural subjects. In the subjunctive, it remains the same across persons, a feature that marks hypotheticals. For learners, key contrasts are you were versus you was, and I was versus If I were.