Was is the past of be for I, he, she, it and a single thing; were is for you, we, they and plurals: I was late, they were late. There's one special case: unreal conditions and wishes. If I were you, I'd take the job. Here were is used even after I, he and she.
was or were — can you pick the right one?
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I/he/she/it + was; you/we/they + were; there was + singular noun; there were + plural noun; If I/he/she + were…; I wish + I/he/she + were
- I was at home all evening, but my parents were at the theatre.
- There were only three people in the gym when I arrived.
- If I were you, I'd ask the landlord to fix the heating.
What changed
First versionSorry, you was right about the traffic this morning.
RevisionSorry, you were right about the traffic this morning.
When you're talking to one person, was may seem logical because it's the singular form. But you always takes were, even when it refers to one person. Nothing else has changed.
After if and wish, when you talk about something that isn't real, the rule is were for everyone: If I were rich, I'd travel more. I wish she were here. In conversation you'll often hear was too: If I was rich… But in the fixed piece of advice If I were you, and in essays or formal letters, were is the safer choice.
Your turn
The news from the hospital ___ better than we expected, so everyone relaxed.
Show the answer
was — In English news is uncountable, even though it ends in -s, so the verb is singular: the news was. The final -s makes were tempting, but native speakers don't say the news were.
Think of a hotel or café that disappointed you. Describe what was wrong using was and were, and give a friend some advice with if I were you.
The hotel was noisy and the beds were hard, so if I were you, I'd stay somewhere else.
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