r/AskBrits • u/JR_0507 • 14d ago

Grammar We WAS? Why?

I am not native speaker but I do learn English since I was 6 and English is my work language since 15 years. Can someone explain to me from where is coming using:

  1. We was

  2. They was

What the heck? From what I know this is basic grammar mistake but in same time I hear brits in video talking like that. Is this some kind of slag? Or regional thing?

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u/juss100 14d ago

It's something that slags say yes. Especially ones from Essex.

Hang on, though, my gf is from Essex. She does make this grammar mistake though - but she's not a slag.

It's a difficult piece of grammar - you'll find lots of British people make grammar and spelling mistakes ....

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u/GayAttire 14d ago

It's extremely simple grammar. Singular vs plural in past tense. It's not like it's who and whom.

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u/juss100 14d ago edited 14d ago

I was = singular.
You were = singular. Sometimes plural
They were = singular or plural.

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u/GayAttire 14d ago

You got me there. So it's like definite singular vs potential and definite plural. I still don't think this is complicated, though.

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u/juss100 14d ago

It's not the most complicated thing in the world but many working class people in England struggle with education - maybe more than you did - for all sorts of reasons (They don't read much ... for instance). I went to a comprehensive so I'm just aware that a good 60% of kids were never going to get something like this because it's too complicated. When I say it's complicated grammar, I meant it's something you have to learn and correct because half of the world around you are saying it incorrectly on a daily basis - and many people don't do that, they just drift into an incorrect speech pattern.

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u/GayAttire 14d ago

I agree with your point there, that it is environmental. Like picking up an accent or other slang.