it would were

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it would were" is not correct in standard written English.
It is an incorrect combination of conditional and subjunctive forms and does not convey a clear meaning. Example: "If it were to rain tomorrow, it would be a problem."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

At that speed, it would (were it pointing in the right direction) take more than 75,000 years to reach Alpha Centauri.Nuclear power can bring those numbers down.

The Economist

But once again, fully relishing his antics requires that you ignore the fact that his behavior isn't going to come under nearly the level of scrutiny and tut tut-ing that it would were his skin a few shades darker.

The Guardian - Sport

Clearly the fast-dropping iron ore price means WA is getting a smaller share of GST than it would were the GST calculated on the current price: But as the commission noted, that WA's budget has taken a hit from falling iron ore revenue is not in itself a reason to increase the amount of GST it should receive.

The Guardian - Business

All of which sounds hopeful, or, at least it would, were it not for the fact that Petraeus spent the [previous] day suggesting precisely the opposite.

Huffington Post

It also marks to the reader that the preceding syllable does not undergo tone sandhi, as it would were the following syllable non-neutral.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

It would be hard.

The Economist

"It would be hypocritical".

The New York Times

It would be absurd.

The New York Times - Magazine

It would be flat".

The New York Times - Arts

It would be tremendous.

The New Yorker

It would be apostasy".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When constructing conditional sentences, ensure the correct verb form follows "would". Use "would be" or "would have been" depending on the intended tense. For example, instead of "it would were", use "it would be".

Common error

A common mistake is using "were" after "would" in conditional sentences. Remember that "would" requires the base form of the verb, which is "be". Avoid phrases like "it would were" and use the correct form: "it would be".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it would were" functions as an attempt to express a conditional or hypothetical statement. Ludwig AI indicates this construction is grammatically incorrect, representing a misuse of conditional verb forms. Instead of "were," the correct form to use after "would" is "be."

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it would were" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment, suggesting that the correct form is "it would be". Although it appears in some sources such as news and media, its usage is infrequent and indicates a grammatical error. When expressing conditional or hypothetical scenarios, alternatives like "it would be", "if it were", or "were it to be" are recommended for clarity and correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it would be

Replaces the incorrect "were" with the correct "be" to form a proper conditional statement.

it would have been

Adds "have been" to express a past hypothetical scenario, differing in tense but maintaining conditional meaning.

if it were

Restructures the sentence to include the conditional "if" clause.

were it to be

Uses an inversion for a more formal conditional statement.

it was going to be

Shifts to a planned future, losing the conditional aspect.

it was meant to be

Expresses a sense of destiny or inevitability, changing the hypothetical nature.

it was supposed to be

Indicates an expectation or plan, altering the conditional meaning.

it would turn out to be

Emphasizes a future result, moving away from the initial condition.

it will be

Indicates a future outcome, removing the conditional.

it is

States a fact, completely removing the conditional or hypothetical aspect.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use a conditional statement?

A conditional statement typically uses "if" followed by a clause in the past subjunctive and then "would" followed by the base form of the verb. For instance, "If it were raining, I would take an umbrella."

Is "it would were" grammatically correct?

No, "it would were" is not grammatically correct. The correct form is "it would be". The word "would" requires the base form of the verb, which is "be".

What are some alternatives to "it would were"?

Better alternatives include phrases such as "it would be", "if it were", or "were it to be" depending on the intended meaning and context.

How does the use of "would" affect the verb tense in a conditional sentence?

The word "would" indicates a hypothetical or conditional situation, and it is always followed by the base form of the verb. So, instead of saying "it would was" or "it would were", the correct usage is "it would be".