were

¹

[ wur; unstressed wer; British also wair ]

verb

1. a second person singular past indicative; first, second, and third person plural past indicative; and past subjunctive of be.

we're

²

[ weer ]

1. contraction of we are:

   We're happy to see you.

were

¹

/ wɜː; wə /

verb

1. the plural form of the past tense (indicative mood) of be and the singular form used with you. It is also used as a subjunctive, esp in conditional sentences

we're

²

/ wɪə /

contraction of

1. we are

Usage Note

See contraction.

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

Grammar Note

See subjunctive.

Word History and Origins

Origin of were¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English wǣre past subjunctive, wǣre 2nd-person singular past and wǣron 2nd-person plural past of wesan “to be”; cognate with Dutch, German waren, Danish var. See was

Word History and Origins

Origin of were¹

Old English wērun, wæron past tense plural of wesan to be; related to Old Norse vera, Old Frisian weria, Old High German werōn to last

Example Sentences

Julia and I met on Instagram because we were fans of each other’s work.

From Los Angeles Times

Disney executives have fielded questions during nearly every earnings call about plans to compete against the new theme park and repeatedly said bookings were positive.

From Los Angeles Times

My earliest memories are writing letters to family members who were incarcerated; as a young person, seeing family who was in that place transformed how I saw the world.

From Los Angeles Times

“People were wary, but as things went on, they saw the show was really about the dancers,” Sherman-Palladino says.

From Los Angeles Times

“What’s happened to the movies, which were filled with ambiguity and intimate strangeness a few short years ago, but now are crammed with spaceships and sharks?”

From Los Angeles Times