weren't
Plural past negative
Weren't is the contracted form of "were not," used in negative statements and questions: They weren't home when I called, Weren't you supposed to be there?
Like other contractions with "not," it's standard in speech and informal writing but often expanded in formal contexts.
Contraction of negated possession
- hadn'tPast negative auxiliary
- couldn'tPast inability marker
- wouldn'tPast conditional negative
- shouldn'tAdvised against doing
didn't · don't · doesn't · can't · won't · needn't · mightn't · oughtn't
Expression of regret
- what ifWords introducing a hypothesis
- supposeAccept as true tentatively
- hypotheticalAssumed but unproven
- imaginaryExisting only in thought
alternate · otherwise · pretend · as if · wished · hoped · assumed · mistaken
Past state phrase
- formerlyIn the past
- previouslyBefore the present moment
- back thenAt that past time
- at the timeDuring that period
hasn't
Contraction of negated possession
shouldn't · didn't · don't · doesn't · can't · won't · needn't · mightn't · oughtn't · mustn't
if only
Expression of regret
- what ifWords introducing a hypothesis
- supposeAccept as true tentatively
- hypotheticalAssumed but unproven
imaginary · alternate · otherwise · pretend · as if · wished · hoped · assumed · mistaken
used to be
Past state phrase
- formerlyIn the past
- previouslyBefore the present moment
- back thenAt that past time