English Grammar for IAS – Use of Was and Were part 2.

English Grammar for IAS – Use of Was and Were part 2.

Certainly! Here’s Part 2 of the Use of “Was” and “Were” in English Grammar for IAS Preparation, explained in a simple and exam-relevant way — with Hindi support to aid understanding.

Use of “Was” and “Were” – Part 2 (IAS Grammar Level)

1. Basic Use Recap

2. Subjunctive Mood – Unreal or Imaginary Situations

This is where “were” is used even with singular subjects to express hypothetical (kalpnik) situations or things contrary to fact.

Examples:

• If I were the Prime Minister, I would reform education.

  (यह कल्पना है, इसलिए “were” लगेगा)

• I wish she were here.

  (वह यहाँ नहीं है, लेकिन इच्छा है)

Rule: Use “were” (not was) for unreal wishes, conditions, or doubts with I, he, she, it.

3. Passive Voice – Past Tense

“Was/Were” is also used in passive voice sentences in the past tense.

Examples:

• The letter was written by Nehru.

• The books were distributed among the students.

4. Interrogative Sentences (प्रश्नवाचक वाक्य)

Examples:

• Was she present in the meeting?

• Were they informed earlier?

Helping verb comes first in the question.

5. Negative Sentences (नकारात्मक वाक्य)

Use was not / were not to form negatives.

Examples:

• He was not ready for the exam.

• They were not interested in politics.

IAS Level Tips for Grammar Questions:

1. Look out for unreal/imaginary sentences – they often use “were.”

2. Identify passive constructions – “was/were + past participle.”

3. Know the subject – singular/plural – to choose between was/were.

4. Read previous year grammar questions – UPSC likes conceptual traps.

Practice Sentences:

Fill in the blanks with was or were:

1. If he ___ a king, he would help the poor.

2. They ___ playing cricket yesterday.

3. She ___ not at home when I called.

4. The chairs ___ broken.

5. It ___ raining all day.

Answers:

1. were

2. were

3. was

4. were

5. was

Would you like a PDF of notes, MCQs for practice, or a grammar crash course for UPSC? Let me know!

English Grammar for IAS – Use of Was and Were part 2.

English Grammar Class 3 Was and Were

General-English.pdf