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they were vs they where

The correct phrase is "they were." "Where" is a common spelling mistake in this context. "Where" is used to indicate a location or position, not the past tense of the verb "to be."
Michele A. profile picture

Explained by Michele A.
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: August 21, 2024 • 25578 views

Correct

"they were "

This phrase is the correct past tense form of the verb "to be." It is used to indicate that a group of people or things existed or did something in the past.

Examples:

  • They were happy to see you.
  • They were at the party last night.
  • 2 days ago ... Workers Say They Were Tricked and Threatened as Part of Elon Musk's Get-Out-the-Vote Effort. America PAC door knockers were flown to Michigan, ...
  • Nov 6, 2023 ... Probably not. Maybe in spoken english "they were" might get shortened, but in written english "they're" is pretty much alwasy "they are".
  • They Were Her Property. Also Available: They Were Her Property. White Women as Slave Owners in the American South. by Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers. 320 Pages ...
  • Jan 21, 2022 ... Why didn't Taki and Mitsuha realise they were three years apart while using the other's phone each time they switched? Upvote 103. Downvote 22 ...
  • They were my landscape by Phoebe Kiely builds a fragmented picture of a place that is at once personal and anonymous. Based in Manchester, Kiely ...
  • Our Embryos Aren't Children, But I Wish They Were. Rabbi Jen Gubitz. March 1, 2024. I really wished our embryos were kids. But not because an Alabama judge ...
  • 4 days ago ... They Were Just What They Needed · Jonathan Raven Otcasek and Erin Minji Kim met at the center of the world. · Turned out he was sort of right (the ...
  • The Way They Were ... The podcast where every celebrity split is the one that got away. Each week comedians Grainne Maguire and Chantal Feduchin-Pate take a deep ...
  • 20 hours ago ... Canvassers discovered they were working to drum up turnout for Trump after signing non-disclosure agreements.

Incorrect

"they where"

This phrase is incorrect. "Where" is used to ask about or indicate a location, not the past tense of the verb "to be."
  • The correct expression is "as it were", e.g. They had, as it were, gained a son. Is the phrase "as if they were" or "as if they where"? You should use "as if ...
  • Sep 22, 2024 ... You guys remember when they where afraid of her[meme]. 100 Years ...
  • Veterans: Who are They, Where are They & What are Their Needs. Skip Navigation.
  • Jun 28, 2024 ... Every hero if they where given a normal class · Comments Section · Community Info Section · More posts you may like.
  • Adult Services: What Are They? Where Are They? · Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (VR) (Keep scrolling); · Service agencies operating programs and services for ...
  • What are they? Where are they going? Cell Microbiol. 2013 Mar;15(3):377-85. doi: 10.1111/cmi.12040. Epub 2012 Nov 1. Authors. Takeru Hayashi , Hiroko ...
  • Oct 23, 2024 ... Study Group with Betsy Ankney: The Swing Voters: Who Are They, Where Are They, and How Will They Impact The Election? Study Group with Betsy ...
  • This well-organized and comprehensive introduction to global Christianity illuminates the many ways the world's Christians live their faith today.
  • Feb 17, 2024 ... they where and born and birthdays with the months they where born in negative Roman numerals, tricky one to piece together, Done at ...
  • What are they? Where are they going? Nat Immunol. 2008 Feb;9(2):113-5. doi: 10.1038/ni0208-113. Author. K Frank Austen. Affiliation. 1 Department of Medicine ...

Alternatives:

  • they were

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