Difference Between Where and Were

Where vs Were

Where, were, and we’re are a trio of words that are commonly confused by students of English language. They are all pronounced in a similar manner thereby confusing those who are trying to learn the language. The meaning of where and were is totally different, and one is a place whereas the other is a verb. This article attempts to find out the differences between where and were to enable readers to use them correctly.

Where

Where is a word that is used when asking a question about a place or a location. Use where only when you are enquiring about a place or asking the destination of a journey. Take a look at the following examples to understand the meaning of where.

• London is the city where Queen lives.

• Where is your office?

• Where are we going?

Were

Were is a verb that is a past tense of the verb be. It rhymes with pure, her, stir etc. It is used to refer to something that took place in the past. Take a look at the following examples.

• What were you wearing?

• Were you sleeping?

Where vs Were

• Where is used to ask questions about places whereas were is a past tense of be.

• Were is a verb whereas where is used to enquire about a place or location.

• Where is a word used for questioning.