The past tense of to be has two forms: was and were. To decide which one to choose, the subject needs to be considered:
Subject | To be | Examples |
I | was | “I was very ambitious.” |
You | were | “You were never there.” |
He / She / It | was | “She was my best friend.” |
We | were | ”We were the champions.” |
You | were | “You were terrible parents.” |
They | were | “They were my cousins.” |
Exception
The subjunctive mode: used to express any hypothetical wish, suggestion, situation or condition instead of stating a fact.
In Swedish: vore
Guideline: always use were (not was) in the subjunctive mode.
Examples
“If I were a boy, I would turn of my phone.”
“Mary spends money as if she were a millionaire.”
“If Tom were more generous, he would share his chocolate.”
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