🎁 A holiday package to celebrate the season! Click here and shop now!

TextRanch

The best way to perfect your writing.

Discover why 1,062,726 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected!

1. Input your text below.
2. Get it corrected in a few minutes by our editors.
3. Improve your English!

One of our experts will correct your English.

Our experts

All they did was vs All they did were

The correct phrase is 'all they did was.' 'Was' is used because 'all they did' is a singular action, so it requires a singular verb. 'Were' is incorrect in this context.

Last updated: March 26, 2024 • 6375 views

All they did was

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used to emphasize that the only action taken by a group of people was a particular one. 'Was' is the correct verb to use in this context because 'all they did' is a singular action.

Examples:

  • All they did was complain about the situation.
  • All they did was eat pizza and watch movies.
  • All they did was try to help.
  • All they did was talk about their plans.
  • All they did was wait for the bus.
  • Jan 26, 2018 ... English Only. all they did was/ were? Thread starter Simin93; Start date Jan 26, 2018 · S · Simin93. Senior Member. Persian-Iran. Jan 26, 2018.
  • Aug 21, 2019 ... r/NoMansSkyTheGame - "All they did was turn some grass pink and let you. Upvote
  • Apr 6, 2011 ... I quit going to church because all they did was ask for money. I guess churches need money like everyone else, but I don't think they should ...
  • Sep 16, 2021 ... all they did was disable turbo. Glorious. r/razer - sent in ...
  • Sep 21, 2022 ... 1477 likes, 39 comments - big_olu55 on September 21, 2022: "Got the squad with me and all they did was show me love ".
  • Jan 12, 2022 ... Why was the Cowboy and Cheerleader and Football Player zombie's taking out ? Also why was the biker topless chick taken out all they did was ...
  • Mar 21, 2024 ... 635 likes, 35 comments - tamikalpalmer on March 21, 2024: "When I was down, nobody came for me all they did was came for me!!!!".
  • Nov 9, 2018 ... I got caught stealing from Wal-Mart and all they did was get my information and let me go ? What does this mean and what am I supposed to do ...
  • Mar 28, 2020 ... Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie Zine · Devo's Gerald Casale: “People that end up being called creative, all they did was stay true and in touch with their ...

Alternatives:

  • The only thing they did was
  • Their sole action was
  • Their only activity was
  • Their single task was
  • Their exclusive deed was

All they did were

This phrase is incorrect in English.

  • The staff was very kind, however I was disappointed that there was no desire to find out why my dog was so sick. All they did were basic tests that came back ...
  • Aug 4, 2024 ... They “played” all their popular songs but hooks only, but all they did were their adlibs. So basically they played 1 minute songs to catch ...
  • Aug 5, 2019 ... Because, actually, I think that particular place, all they did were ENT type surgeries, and probably primarily cochlear implants. And so ...
  • Jun 23, 2024 ... they seem to lost their own emotions because all they did were smirk, stutter, amused, and so on. there are not any character depth which i ...
  • Oct 5, 2005 ... Also, why did they overhaul an '05 Ford Mustang? They completed it in record time, of course, all they did were some body and engine mods. It ...
  • Nov 2, 2024 ... - But all they did were voicing their opinion. They didn't really attempt to censor you or force you in any way, did they? - They did, and ...
  • Apr 14, 2016 ... My team mates tell me that all they did were regular pull and push. There were no conflicts with the file I changed. If someone used force ...
  • Apr 26, 2024 ... I was conditioned to think that the hours I put in would reward me, but all they did were burn me out. This way of thinking made it really ...
  • Feb 20, 2020 ... ... all they did were run tests). Of course, shop denies working around that area.. (LOL) I just had ordered parts last night from FCP EURO, was ...
  • May 5, 2024 ... Such questions though based on my experiences yes, but they did not resonate with logic and with what the Buddha taught. All they did were ...

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9TextRanch on TrustPilot).

Why choose TextRanch?

Lowest prices
Up to 50% lower than other online editing sites.

Fastest Times
Our team of editors is working for you 24/7.

Qualified Editors
Native English experts for UK or US English.

Top Customer Service
We are here to help. Satisfaction guaranteed!

×

💝 TextRanch Holidays Offer! 💝️

25% special discount
Stock up on credits for the entire year!

Grab this offer now!