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

Despite the sales increase, Tesla shares were down more than 3% in trading on Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times

And Gunn, who wrote and directed the episode, ensured those clues were milling about in plain view, albeit in the background, for the entire season.

From Salon

But officials have provided little evidence about who was taken into custody, or how many of the arrests were actually linked to gang activity.

From Salon

At the time she said the Conservatives were "impotent" and "no longer align with her values or ideology".

From BBC

The findings showed the three main barriers to being able to access childcare were affordability, availability and flexibility.

From BBC