were

¹

[wur, wer, 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

1. we are

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

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

During summer school, Ruiz said, she was called into a classroom where kindergartners were repeating their parents’ worries — often, what parents heard on the news — but not understanding the gravity of the situation.

From Los Angeles Times

"Today, I actually said the same thing again and I scored. I ran to where my mum and dad were, so it was nice."

From BBC

"It was actually quite a pragmatic performance, and they were not run ragged. They were maybe too defensive at times, but they were nice and compact, worked hard and were in the game at half-time."

From BBC

Tibet's Blue Sky Rescue team had received a call for help saying that tents had collapsed due to heavy snow, and that some hikers were already suffering from hypothermia, Chinese state media reported.

From BBC

All four were arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.

From BBC