Where vs. Were : What’s the difference?

English grammar can be complex sometimes and also tricky because of the words that look similar and sound similar but have different usages. “Where” and “were” are such words that look and sound similar, and many of us have been confused while using them. Though they look pretty similar, their spellings, pronunciations, and meanings are different.

The term “where” is used as an adverb and conjunction whereas “were” is always used as a verb. In this article, we learn about the difference between “where” and “were.”

Difference between where and were

Meaning of Where

The word “where” is used both as an adverb and conjunction. When it is used as an adverb, it means “at, to, or in which place, position, or situation.” It is also used as a conjunction that joins two parts of a sentence together.

Usage of Where

The word “where” means “at, to, or in which place, position, or situation.” It is used both as an adverb and a conjunction. Sometimes, “where” is also used to mean “in which.”

• For example, Ved lived in Mumbai for a couple of years, where he worked as an assistant manager for a company. In this sentence, the word “where” is a conjunction that connects a dependent clause to an independent clause. Here, “where” means “in the place he lived.”
• Where do you see yourself ten years from now? In this sentence, “where” is an adverb that refers to “in what situation” you will be after ten years.

Examples of Where

1. Where do you live?
2. Where is your phone?
3. Where did you park your car?
4. Where do you think you are going?
5. We are going to the place where our parents met for the first time.
6. I love to travel where there are beaches.
7. Aryan and Rahul are going to perform an act for Independence Day where they are going to act as freedom fighters.
8. I can’t believe that I landed myself in this situation where I do not know what to do.

In the examples given above, the word “where” is an adverb in the first four sentences, while it is a conjunction in the last four sentences.

Meaning of Were

The word “were” is a verb that is used in the past tense. It is the past form of the verb “to be,” which is used with the first- and third-person plurals, like we and they, and the second-person singular and plural, like you.

Usage of Were

The word “were” is the past form of the verb “to be,” which is used for the first- and third-person plurals and the second-person singular and plural in the indicative mood. But in the case of the subjunctive mood, we use the term “were” in the case of all persons.

• We were happily dancing at the party. Here, the sentence is first-person plural past continuous indicative, where we were speaking about a continuous action happening in the past.
• If Mike were born into that family, he would have become the chairman of that company. Here, the sentence is hypothetical, that is, it is past subjunctive.

Examples of Were

1. What were you doing last night?
2. When are you going to invite us to your new house?
3. My friends were crazy.
4. We were going for a long drive.
5. Prem and Anjali were planning to get married.
6. If I were in her place, I would have done the same.
7. I wish I were a bird.
8. If he were here, the party wouldn’t have been this boring.

In the examples given above, the first five sentences are past indicative, while the last three sentences are past subjunctive.

Difference between Where and Were

Where	Were
The word “where” means “at, to, or in which place, position, or situation.”	It is the past form of the verb “to be,” which is used with the first- and third-person plurals and the second-person singular and plural.
It is used as an adverb and conjunction.	It is used only as a verb.
Examples: Do you know where Sasha lives? Do you have any idea where we are going? We are planning to go to our hometown, where our grandparents live.	Examples: They were best friends once but separated because of some misunderstandings. His parents were not happy with his relationship. If she were a little taller, she could dunk the basketball.

Conclusion

The terms “where” and “were” are not the same and have different meanings and usages, but most of us get confused about which word to use in a sentence. This article is all about the differences between “where” and “were” and about the correct way to use them and when to use them.