it was rain

USAGE SUMMARY

'it was rain' is not grammatically correct.
The correct way to write this phrase is 'it was raining.' You can use this phrase when you want to describe the weather. For example, "I looked out the window and saw that it was raining."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

From Dec. 1 to Jan . 31 the area received 79 percent of its usual precipitation, but most of it was rain.

The New York Times - Sports

It was rain then.

The New York Times - Sports

This year it was rain.

The Economist

It was "Rain Dogs," not "Swordfishtrombones".

The New York Times

If it was rain, I wouldn't have come out.

The New York Times

But it was rain, not the defending World Series champions, that did it.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

He was named to the All-Star team and pitched two no-hitters (one of which no longer counts because it was rain-shortened).

The New York Times - Sports

It was raining.

The New York Times

It was raining outside.

The New Yorker

It was raining hard.

The New Yorker

It was raining again!

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct tense: "it was raining" to describe an ongoing event in the past. Avoid the grammatically incorrect phrase "it was rain."

Common error

Ensure you're using the correct continuous tense. Saying "it was rain" is grammatically incorrect; the proper form is "it was raining" to indicate an action in progress in the past.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it was rain" functions as an incorrect attempt to describe a past weather condition. Ludwig AI identifies this as grammatically incorrect. The correct form, "it was raining", serves as a statement about the weather.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "it was rain" is a grammatically incorrect way to describe past rainfall. The correct form is "it was raining". As Ludwig AI indicates, while the phrase appears in various sources, its incorrectness impacts its usability, especially in formal contexts. When describing past weather conditions, it's crucial to use the continuous tense for accuracy, as in "it was raining".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it was raining

Corrects the grammatical error by using the continuous tense.

there was rain

Emphasizes the presence of rain as a condition or event.

it rained

Simple past tense to describe that rain occurred.

the rain fell

Focuses on the action of the rain falling.

rain was falling

Highlights the ongoing nature of the rainfall.

a rainstorm occurred

Describes a more intense event of rain.

it was a rainy day

Focuses on the overall weather condition of the day.

precipitation occurred

Uses a more formal term for rainfall.

the weather was wet

Describes the resulting condition from the rain.

a downpour happened

Highlights a sudden and heavy rainfall event.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "it was rain"?

The correct way to phrase this is "it was raining". The continuous tense accurately describes the action of rain falling in the past.

When should I use "it was raining"?

Use "it was raining" to describe an ongoing state of rain in the past. For example, "I decided to stay inside because it was raining".

Are there alternatives to saying "it was raining"?

Yes, you could say "there was rain", "it rained", or "rain was falling", depending on the specific context you want to convey.

What's the difference between "it was rain" and "it was raining"?

"It was rain" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "it was raining", which uses the past continuous tense to describe an action happening over a period in the past.