Word Choice Where, Were and Were - Proofeds Writing Tips

Word Choice Where, Were and Were - Proofeds Writing Tips Word Choice: Where, We’re and Were Although where, were and were each have completely different meanings, some people seem to think they are interchangeable. However, making this error in a piece of academic writing will look bad to your reader, especially if you make repeated errors throughout your paper. Such mistakes can even undermine the content of your argument, so it’s a good idea to get a handle on what each of these words mean and when you should use them. Where (Location) The word where means is used when identifying a geographical place, location or circumstance. For instance, it can be used to ask a question about the position of something, like Where is my book? Alternatively, it can be used to specify or describe the location of something, as in, I left my book in the library where I do my research. Here, for example, identifying the where in the sentence shows that we are referring to a specific library (the one where the speaker does her research). In a more abstract sense, where can also be used to suggest holding a particular position or point of view on something. For example, we might say This is where we stand on the issue. We’re (We Are) The word we’re is a contraction of the two words we and are. It would be used in a sentence like this: We’re going to the grocery store. Please note, however, that contractions like were are generally considered informal, so shouldnt normally be used in academic writing. Were The word were is related to the verb be used when discussing the past. To be specific, it is the second person singular past, plural past, and past subjunctive of be. This might seem confusing, but if we break down what it actually means it becomes easier to understand. The second person singular pronoun, for instance, is you, while the plural past tense includes we, you and they. In all of these cases, were is effectively the past tense of are: Present Tense Past Tense First Person (Singular) I am†¦ I was†¦ First Person (Plural) We are†¦ We were†¦ Second Person (Singular and Plural) You are†¦ You were†¦ Third Person (Singular) He/she is†¦ He/she was†¦ Third Person (Plural) They are†¦ They were†¦ Were is also correct when referring to a plural noun in the past tense. It would therefore be used in a past tense sentence like As we were walking in the garden, butterflies were dancing through the air. The other usage of were which is as the past subjunctive of be and something which people often get wrong. The past subjunctive is mainly used when referring to a counterfactual possibility (i.e., something which could be true but isnt). For example, we could say, Were I to use grammar correctly, my grades would improve. The mistake people make here is using was instead of were in statements that start with if regarding the future. For instance, while many would say: If I was to pass my exam, I would be very happy. This is technically wrong. The correct formulation would be: If I were to pass my exam, I would be very happy.