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were

[ wur; unstressed wer; British also wair ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb

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

we're

[ weer ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

contraction of we are:
We're happy to see you.

were

/ wɜː; wə /

verb

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

/ ��ɪə /

contraction of

we are

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Usage Note

See contraction.

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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

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Grammar Note

See subjunctive.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of were¹

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

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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 �ɱ��ō�� to last

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Despite predicting lower business investment, EY said there were "still some grounds for optimism".

From

They were denied bail on the grounds that they could be a flight risk and could seek to contact witnesses.

From

Kashmir, which India and Pakistan claim in full but administer only in part, has been a flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed countries since they were partitioned in 1947.

From

Exeter weren't just outsmarted by Gloucester's tiki-taka offloading game - something that will happen to better teams than them on a sunny day and the hosts' artificial pitch - they were also ground to dust up front.

From

He was then brilliant and some of his long pots were out of this world.

From

wept weren't

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