“Was” is the singular past tense of the verb “to be,” while “were” is the plural past tense of the verb “to be.”
For example:
- “I was happy yesterday.” (singular)
- “They were happy yesterday.” (plural)
However, “were” can also be used in a singular past subjunctive context to indicate a hypothetical or unreal situation. For example:
- “If I were you, I would take that job.” (hypothetical situation)
In this context, “were” is used instead of “was” regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural
Know the term was vs were