were

¹ American  

[wur, wer, wair] / wɜr, wər, wɛər /

verb

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

---

we're ² American  

[weer] / wɪər /

1. contraction of we are:

   We're happy to see you.

---

were ¹ British  

/ 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 British  

/ wɪə /

contraction

1. we are

---

Grammar

See subjunctive.

Usage

See contraction.

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

Etymology

Origin of were

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

Example Sentences

“But we never did. They were tough and had a resilience and a grit to them that I was really proud to coach.”

From Los Angeles Times

Both commerce and political reform were on the agenda, and Cuba began to emerge from its isolated existence.

From Salon

Lawrie Hooper said as oil and fuel prices were paid upfront, he questioned whether there would be support in the "more immediate future."

From BBC

It is a far cry from last season when Forest were fighting for Champions League qualification before eventually entering the Europa League.

From BBC

The game had ended in Greece - a 3-2 home win - but there were still anxious moments left in Copenhagen.

From BBC