Difference Between Were and Where with Examples: If you aren’t a native speaker of the English Language chances are there are a lot you are finding difficult.
Apart from the classics like why we pluralize avocados without an ‘e’ yet add ‘es’ to tomatoes, you probably have a tiny bit of confusion with when to apply ‘where’ and ‘were’.
‘Where’ and ‘were’ are mistakenly used interchangeably because of the similarity in pronunciation and sound. They not only have almost similar spelling, but many people also think they have the same pronunciation.
If you are confused about when to use “where” and “were,” this article is for you.
Where and Were
In terms of pronunciation, “where” rhymes with “hair,” while “were” rhymes with “stir.”
When it comes to function, “where” is more versatile than “were.” “Where” is an adverb, conjunction, and a pronoun that talks about a point of reference, a location, or a situation.
“Were,” on the other hand, is the plural and past form of the verb “be.” It is also used as a verb in unreal or imaginary conditional statements.
Using ‘Were’
‘Were’ is a plural past verb form. ‘Were’ is the past form of the word ‘are’, the word also doubles as the plural (refers to more than one person) form of the word ‘was.’ If the word (verb) ‘is’ changes to its plural form, it will become ‘are.’
Similarly, when the word ‘was’ is pluralized it will become ‘were.’ All in all, ‘is’ is homologous to ‘was’, and ‘are’ is homologous to ‘were.’
The word “Were” is an auxiliary verb, the past (plural) form of “to be” verb, used to form simple, compound, and complex sentences; and also to form past continuous sentences
Examples:
1. Babe, where were you?
2. We were there even before the event started.
3. All eyes were on Alex as he mounted.
4. On the table were plates, knives and forks, and dishes of bread, meat, and fruits.
5. “I did not know that you were ripe,” answered the Prince, in a low voice.
6. Were you at the meeting?
7. Joy and Cynthia were there, but they were late.
8. We were cooking for school.
9. The students were marching through the fields.
10. The battle was fought and thousands were killed on both sides.
Using ‘Where’
‘Where‘ simply means “at, in, or to what place”. ‘Where’ is grammatically more versatile than the word ‘were’, it can function as an adverb, conjunction, and a pronoun.
The word “Where” is an interrogative pronoun that is used to ask questions; and also used to form adverbial clauses. Eg: Where is the Chief’s house?
It is also a relative adverb used as a point of reference in a sentence. However, when ‘where’ functions as a conjunction, it means “in the place that” or “in situations that”. ‘Where’ also functions as a relative pronoun.
Examples
1. Do you know where Charity lives?
2. Where are you guys?
3. This is where I stored the clothes.
4. Where do you work?
5. Please, where is your car packed?
6. I was wondering, where can I get a cab?
7. Where do you keep classic books?
8. Where is the red meat?
9. Where is the switch?
10. Where can I get a good t-shirt?
Notable Distinctions Between Were and Where
1. ‘Where’ is a word used to ask the location of something while ‘Were’ is the past tense of “are”.
2. In pronunciation: ‘where’ Rhymes with “hair” while ‘were’ rhymes with “stir”.
3. ‘Were’ is a verb, whereas ‘where’ is an adverb of time.
4. ‘Were’ is a plural past word, whereas ‘where’ is a question word.
5. ‘Were’ is pronounced using the schwa sound, while ‘where’ uses the ‘long e’ stress with a gentle ‘h’ sound at the start.
6. ‘Were’ functions as a verb (past tense of “be”) and is used for plural subjects and in imaginary conditional statements.
7. ‘Where’ can be as an adverb, conjunction, or pronoun. It has to do with directions.
8. ‘Where’ is a question word about location, place. It can be answered by words like here and there.
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StudentsandScholarship Team.
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