Can you tell me which is correct? What are the rules for using were vs. was?

Question

When I taught classes in Beijing, I found that my students really craved grammatical rules, as if that WERE the secret to communicating in English.

When I taught classes in Beijing, I found that my students really craved grammatical rules, as if that WAS the secret to communicating in English.

Answer 1

First off, "were" is NOT the past particple of "is" - the pp is "been." Nor is "were" the past perfect of "are." That is "had been."

The key is are the grammatical rules the secret to learning English? If you, as speaker/writer, believe they are the secret, then "was" is correct. A simple statement of fact, past tense, indicative mood.

If you believe that rules are NOT the secret, then it becomes a statement contrary to fact, and falls into the subjunctive mood, and "were" is correct.

The past subjunctive in English is conjugated as: I were, you were, he/she/it were, we were, you were, they were. Same verb form in all persons and numbers. In present tense, all forms are "be" - I be, you be, he/she/it be, on so on.

Subjunctive, which is used less and less in English, is reserved for wishes, uncertainty, and statements contrary to fact. Examples:

I wish I were (but I'm not) in her place.

If I were to go to the party (but I don't know if I wiil), I'll wear my new outfit.

If he be given a second chance (but he may not get one), he will succeed.

Answer 2

I believe it shoule be:
When I taught classes in Beijing, I found that my students really craved grammatical rules, as if THEY WERE the secret to communicating in English.

Rules is plural, therefore it is "they were". If you it was one rule then it would be "that was".

Answer 3

This is a little hard to e xplain in a few words. But you are dealing with two separate parts of speech, one the past tense and one the subjunctive. Subjunctive is "speculative" You are saying "let's suppose ......" Example: "If I were you..... "let's suppose I am you, this is what I would do" "were" is used where there is this speculation "what if" Now here is a situation where somebody is in court being accused of a crime, and the question is was this person at the scene of the crime at the time it was known to have been committed" That person might say in his defence..."If I WAS there, why were there no fingerprints at the scene"? Now this is not really speculative... It's accusative. somebody is accusing him of being there and he is defending his position between "was he there or w asn't he there" He says I couldn't have been there because if I WAS, there would be evidence" Can you see the difference?
When you say "If I were you" we all know that we are talking about something that can't happen, because I am NOT you. We are just supposing. When somebody says "If I WAS there" we are talking about a situation where it's possible for that person to have been there. It could have happened, but we are debating the case, for or against. I could give a long list of examples that might clarify it even more, but this might begin to give you an idea of the basic difference.

Answer 4

I always use this rule-use "were" for something that is not true or likely-If I WERE the Queen of England, I would make Prince William ,king.
Use "WAS" if the situation or statement is true-- I often write as if I WAS a poet. (I am.)
This has nothing to do with singular or plural.

Answer 5

Not having my grammar rule book handy, I'd say that the verb "were", as the past participle of is, and the past perfect tense of are, is only appropriate for use with animate objects. Confusion comes when it is applied to inanimate ones. "Was" is the less ambiguous use. This is a matter of linguistic analysis rather than grammatical rules, which is the approach I studied in college.

Answer 6

Was goes with the word rules which is plural or more than one. It should be were. The rules were the secret.

Answer 7

were is plural while was is singular.
Ex
I was late getting to school.
We were late getting to school.