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.

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: …

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 ...

But I cannot rule out the possibility that Indian English—and specifically Indian Political English—has evolved this usage of were to precisely in order to express firmness and caution in the same …

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.

Sep 24, 2023 · (A) He talks about his wife as if she WERE an angel descended from heaven. (B) He talks about his wife as if she WAS an angel descended from heaven.

Apr 26, 2017 · "If + were" expresses the subjunctive mood, which refers to wishes and desires and is known as a "non-factual" mood. If you're mentioning a possibility or a probability, a chance that …

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 …

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?