What is the difference between "were" and "have been", and are these sentences gramatically correct? 1) some of the best known writers of detective fiction in the twentieth century were women.

Were -ing (past continuous of BE) is used to situations which were happening at a special time in the past and none hypothetical, it is more direct, not imaginative.

Jun 19, 2022 · I learned from many sources that as if it were is accepted by all native English speakers. And as if it was is widely used, especially informally. But is the simple present indicative accepted as ...

Nov 5, 2014 · That is, both "were to" (using the irrealis "were") and "was to" (using a past-tense verb) would usually be interchangeable in a sentence structured similar to yours, but that would be if the …

Purdue OWL has this example which is almost identical to OP's case: One of the boxes is open. The verb agrees with the subject, "One". If you wanted to talk about "two", you would use a plural verb: …

Dec 7, 2016 · Were/Would be vs Were/Would have been Ask Question Asked 9 years, 2 months ago Modified 9 years, 2 months ago

Jun 15, 2022 · The rule of proximity applies here. The nearest NP to the verb is the singular "a lot of wind", so singular agreement is normal. But if it was a plural NP, the verb would be plural: There …

Oct 13, 2021 · "the handle of the doors was/were damaged." This was an example at our English class and it has gotten me confused. Which of them is the right answer and why?

Jan 26, 2016 · Do I use was or were in this sentence? Bonnie, along with her associates, was invited to the gathering.

Jan 17, 2017 · Were you able to attend the meeting yesterday? Is used as the standard question. Could you... Tends to be used for things that are going to happen in the future, for example Could you …