and I were interviewing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "and I were interviewing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in hypothetical or conditional statements, often in the subjunctive mood. Example: "If I were in charge, and I were interviewing candidates, I would prioritize experience over education."

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

One time my wife and I were interviewing him on the way to the Tokyo airport, when he was deputy Treasury Secretary, and his press aide began throwing up.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Years later, Mr. Dukakis and I were interviewed about acceptance speeches, and he mentioned that I had played a major role in his.

The New York Times

As the march progressed, Woody and I were interviewed by a local radio station, which presented an excellent opportunity to explain what it meant to me to be there with my son.

Huffington Post

It was his kitchen, and I was interviewing his then girlfriend, Brazilian gorgeousness Gisele Bündchen.

The Guardian - Film

Caroline Spelman, the environment secretary, has been in charge of Britain's preparations and I'm interviewing her this week.

The Guardian

He had just won the Design Museum award, and I was interviewing him for BBC2's The Culture Show.

The Guardian - Arts

When I met Foster, two years ago, she was promoting the film The Beaver and I was interviewing her for a British magazine in a Beverly Hills hotel.

Independent

"There's an opportunity to present news at Sunrise and I'm interviewing all kinds of people – local football managers and business and community leaders – as part of my job.

The Guardian

A brief word with a wandering publicist and I was interviewing home handyman Jason Hodges.

Vice

"I was recently at the conference and I was interviewing Roberta Kaplan, who did such a marvelous job bringing the DOMA case to the Supreme Court," Huffington said.

Huffington Post

You haven't been in my life at all and I'm interviewing Nick Cannon, a former R. Kelly collaborator... and stagehands let you walk out here with your dick out!" These aren't even jokes, per se.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider using more standard phrasing like "while I was interviewing" or "when I interviewed" for improved clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Be cautious of using "were" with "I", as it is typically reserved for subjunctive moods or plural subjects. In most cases, "was" is the correct past tense form for the first-person singular.

Linguistic Context

The phrase functions as a conjunction phrase linking a preceding statement to the action of interviewing. As Ludwig AI explains, although it appears in real English sources, standard grammar prefers "was" over "were" with "I".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "and I were interviewing" is used to describe a past action, however, it deviates from standard English grammar which typically uses "was" with "I". While the phrase appears in some contexts, especially news and media, Ludwig AI highlights that more standard alternatives like "and I was interviewing" are preferred. The phrase serves to provide context to a situation, however, being mindful of the grammatical status helps ensure clear and effective communication. Therefore, consider rephrasing for formal contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

while I was interviewing

Rephrases the sentence to emphasize continuous action.

while I was conducting the interview

Rephrases the sentence to use a more standard grammatical structure with "was conducting".

when I interviewed

Simplifies the phrase by using the past tense of "interview" without the continuous aspect.

as I interviewed

Uses "as" to indicate that the interviewing occurred simultaneously with another action.

during my interview with

Changes the structure to focus on the interview event itself, specifying with whom it was.

when I was in the process of interviewing

Expands to clarify that the interviewing was ongoing.

I conducted an interview with

Switches to a more formal tone, highlighting the act of conducting an interview.

I was engaged in an interview with

Uses "engaged in" to suggest active participation in the interview process.

I held an interview with

A more formal phrasing to indicate that the subject conducted an interview with someone.

I performed an interview with

A more formal phrasing to indicate that the subject conducted an interview with someone.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "and I were"?

The phrase "and I were" is generally considered incorrect in standard English, unless used in a subjunctive context. In most cases, "and I was" is the appropriate phrasing. For instance, instead of saying "If I were interviewing...", you might say, "If I was interviewing..."

What is a more common way to say "and I were interviewing"?

A more common way to express this is "and I was interviewing". This phrasing aligns with standard grammatical rules for the past continuous tense in English.

When is it appropriate to use "were" with "I"?

The verb "were" is used with "I" in subjunctive sentences, expressing hypothetical or conditional situations. For example, "If I were a rich man" uses "were" to indicate a hypothetical scenario.

Are there formal alternatives to "and I were interviewing"?

Yes, in more formal contexts, you might use phrases like "while I was conducting the interview" or "during my interview with". These options provide clarity and adhere to stricter grammatical conventions.