In grammar for today, we will discuss how to use verbs in sentences.
- Which one is correct, ” Eric and Jeff was” or ” Eric and Jeff were”?
Explanation: No matter which person it is (first, second, third) and no matter whether it is singular or plural, most verbs only use one form for their simple past tense (e.g., “ate, broke, caught, drove, eked, fought, gave, had, insinuated, jumped, kept, landed, made, noticed, overheard, painted, quit, rode, sat, texted, understood, verified, wrote, X-rayed, yawned, zipped”).
However, the linking verb “to be” is the exception, and it uses two forms for the simple past (“was” and “were”).
- WHICH ONE TO USE?
To determine which verb is appropriate, decide whether the subject is singular or plural. (A singular subject is only one person, place, or thing. A plural subject is more than one and will often use “and.”) Using that logic, we realize that the subject “Eric and Jeff” is a plural subject, but “Eric” or “Jeff” alone would be a singular subject.
- Ways to use “to be” in simple past
Below are ways to use “to be” appropriately in the simple past. Note that the only inconsistency is the second person (“you”), which uses a plural verb for both singular and plural. Only first and third-person singular use “was.”
- “I was on time today.”
- “Eric was late again.”
- “On the other hand, Jeff was on time.”
- “Both Eric and Jeff were invited to join us for dinner.” (The plural subject “Eric and Jeff” can also be written as “they.”)
- “They were ahead of us in line.”
- “Ava, you were right about your friends.” (Here, “you” is singular, because it refers to one person, Ava, but the verb is still “were.”)
- “When I see so many familiar faces here, I realize you were always my real friends.” (Here, “you” is plural, because it refers to many people in the crowd.)
- “We were never in doubt about whether you would succeed.”
- SIMPLE PAST OF “TO BE”
Explanation: “Were” is used for most persons, singular or plural, but not for first and third-person singular (“I were” and “he were” are not correct for simple past, but they are used for the subjunctive). “Was” is used only for first and third-person singular past simple.
- Past tense of “to be”
Below is the past tense of “to be” labeling all the persons.
- “I was” (first person singular)
- “you were” (second person singular)
- “he was, she was, it was” (third person singular)
- “we were” (first person plural)
- “you were” (second person plural)
- “they were” (third person plural)
- SUBJUNCTIVE of “to be”
Note that you may see “I were” and “he/she/it were,” which can be correct, but only if they are in the subjunctive mood.
“Were” can be used in the subjunctive mood (the mood of unreality) where it would not make sense in the indicative mood (the mood of reality).
The subjunctive mood expresses something that is not necessarily real such as wishes, suggestions, demands, or desires.
One verb will be in the indicative mood and the wish/desire, etc. in the subjunctive.
Below are examples of the subjunctive:
- “I wish the situation were totally different.”
- “It would be terrific if I were independently wealthy.”
