Is “was” a conjunction? That’s a question you’ve probably asked yourself countless times. Well, the answer is no —”was” is a verb! In this article, we’ll break down the correct usage of the word, as well as common mistakes, so you’ll ace your next essay.
Related:
- What Are Subordinating Conjunctions and How to Use Them?
- Is “There” a Conjunction?
- Conjunctions: When and How to Use Them Properly
- Common English Verbs You Should Add to Your Vocabulary
What Is Was in Grammar?
As mentioned earlier, “was” is a verb. Its origin dates back to Old English and came from the word wæs, the past tense singular form of the verb wesan, which means “to be.”
Today, “was” shares a similar grammatical function as wæs —it’s the past tense and the first and third-person singular form of “to be.” You can use “was” as both an auxiliary (helping) verb and a linking verb.
Example Sentences:
- The restaurant was incredibly popular when it first opened, but now it’s less crowded.
- Natalie was looking for a new job.
- The teacher was reluctant to give us good grades.
- I was expecting the truck to arrive today.
- There was a lot of confusion in the cafe.
- The host was annoyed with the guests.
- The cake was decorated with slices of apples and oranges.
- My Reddit account was suspended because I violated the rules of the online community.
- There was a network security yesterday.
Is Was a Conjunction?
Again, “was” is not a conjunction; it is a verb. Let’s take a look at why in detail.
Conjunctions are words you use to connect words, phrases, or clauses. And, there are 3 main types of conjunctions with different functions:
- Subordinating conjunctions: Connect independent clauses to dependent clauses.
- Coordinating conjunctions: Connects ‘coordinating’ elements of equal importance.
- Correlative conjunctions: Works in pairs (neither/nor or either/or) to make a connection between parallel elements
Here are some examples of conjunctions:
- While
- After
- Or
- Before
- But
- Until
But, if you take a look at the word “was,” it doesn’t connect parts of a sentence; instead, it establishes a state or condition that happened in the past.
How to Use Was in a Sentence?
There are different ways you can use was to form a complete sentence. Here is a detailed look at each one:
Indicate Something in the Past
You should use “was” to describe something that happened in the past or ongoing state in the past. While you can use “was” for singular subjects, it is also applicable to uncountable nouns.
For example, “The teacher was present during the finals,” and not “The teachers was present during the finals.”
Why? This is because “teachers” is plural. To make it grammatically correct, you should use “were” and not “was.”
While “was” is primarily used in the indicative mood, you can also use it in the interrogative mood, usually used in the beginning of sentences.
Example:
- I was happy to be back home. (Indicative mood)
- Was she happy to be back home? (Interrogative mood)
As a Linking Verb
As a linking verb, “was” connects the subject to a noun or additional information, often describing the subject’s actions, feelings, qualities, or conditions.
Example 1: “The hammer was destroyed,” In this sentence, “was” connects the subject hammer to the adjective “destroyed.”
Example 2: “Peter was a conqueror.” The linking verb “was” connects the subject Peter to the noun “conqueror.”
As an Auxiliary Verb
When you use was as an auxiliary verb, you have to combine it with the main verb’s present participle to form past continuous tenses.
For instance, in the sentence, “He was running,” “was” is in the past continuous while running is the present participle of the verb run. This forms past continuous tense (“was running”), indicating the action was ongoing or in progress at a specific time in the past.
Some Common Mistakes When Using Was
Now that you know the correct usage of the word was, let’s take a look at some common mistakes.
Confusing Was With Were
While both are forms of the word “to be,” you should use “was” for singular subjects and were for plural subjects.
For singular subjects, you should say, “I was happy” and not “I were happy because “were” is for plural subjects.
Interchanging Was With Has Been
While “was” indicates a completed action or state in the past, “has been” refers to an ongoing event that began in the past and continues to the present.
For example, “She was happy.” This statement shows that the subject was happy in the past.
But if you take a look at “She has been happy.” It suggests that her happiness began in the past and continues to be so.
Expert Tip: Do not combine “was” and “been” (“was been”) because both terms are past tense, making the phrase redundant.
Ideally, you should use “was” for simple past tense and “has been” for present perfect continuous tense.
Final Thoughts
If at any point you’ve ever asked the question, “is was a conjunction?”, you now know the answer. “Was” is not a conjunction because it does not connect sentences, words, phrases, or even clauses. Instead, it’s a verb and a past tense of “to be,” usually used for first and third person.
