When speaking the language English , when do you use the word "was" rather than "were"?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, there is quite a complex answer for such a simple question. But anyway:

When using past tense it looks like this

I was
You were
He/she/it was
We were
You were
They were

Also, singular subjects will take "was" and plural subjects will take "were." For example:

"The cat was asleep."
"The cats were asleep."

But, if you are using the subjunctive form, which is when you're expressing a wish, it would look something like this:

"I wish I were a millionaire."
"You wish you were going to the movies."
"She wishes she were at the party."

OR, expressing probability in subjunctive:

"If I were at the party right now, I would not get my work done."
"If you were here right now, you wouldn't be bored."
"If he were working out instead of sleeping, he would have made the cut."

Everything is "were."

I hope that helps, even though it's kinda confusing.

Answer 2

For starters, I´d say it is incorrect to say "the language English"; you should say "the English language" instead. With regard to "was" and "were" the problem is whether you want to use the first, second or third singular and plural person:

I was
You were
he was
she was
it was
we were
you were
they were

Answer 3

When the subject of the sentence, such as the word "boy" in the sentence, "the boy was tall" is singular, then you use "was."

When the subject is plural, you use were.

John was tall.
Mary was talking to her mother. .
He was eating.
She was pretty.
The building was tall.
It was tall.
It was coming toward us.

John and his friends were tall.
Mary and her mother were sitting in the living room.
The flowers were blooming.
The flowers were beautiful.
They were large.
They were sitting down.
They were being watered.
They were dead.

When you are discussing things that might happen, but haven't, or happen only under certain conditions, you say, "If only I were smarter" or "if my daughter were attending college, she'd have more direction in life." You use "were" even for singular subjects.

Answer 4

Was is only used when speaking of yourself in the past tense.
Were is used every other time
I was going to the store
You were going to the store
They were going to the store
We were goining to the store

Answer 5

When you are using the sentence, " I was going to go there."
Was is for the singular person. Were is more of a plural use like
"We were goign to go there." Some differences like that.

Answer 6

I was
You were
He/She was
We were
You all were
They were

Conditional
If I were (If I were you)(If I were there) (If I were a woman/man)
(If you were a girl/boy)
If there was a law
If there was a rule

Plural Conditional
If there were laws
If there were rules

If that dog was mine
If those dogs were mine

Why were they?
Why was he/she

Why were you (weren't you)
Why were they (weren't they)
Why were you all here?
(Why were you all not here?) Contraction not proper here.

Answer 7

Was is the singular form, I was very happy.
Were is the plural form, We were very happy.

Answer 8

Was is for singular, or one, person, place or thing.

Were is for plural, or multiple, people, places, or things.

Answer 9

Was is used with singular. Were is plural.

Answer 10

If you're talking about only one thing, use "was". For example, you'd say "I was", "the car was", "the television was", "he was" and so on. But if you're talking about more than one thing, use "were". For example, you'd say "we were", "the cars were", "the televisions were", "they were" and so on.