these was

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "these was" is not correct in written English.
It is a grammatical error as "these" is plural and should be paired with a plural verb, while "was" is singular. Example: "These were the best days of my life."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

One of these was Celia.

The Guardian

Joining these was a challenge.

The New York Times

One of these was Josephine.

The Guardian

Chief among these was manliness.

The Guardian - Books

One of these was another American, Maj.

The New Yorker

One of these was "Fathers and Sons".

The New Yorker

Chief among these was left-handedness.

The New Yorker

One of these was Charles Jackson.

The New Yorker

For which of these was he victorious?

Independent

Which of these was an indie picture?

The Guardian - Film

Chief among these was David Ridsdale.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "were" instead of "was" when referring to a plural subject like "these". For example, instead of saying "These was the reasons", say "These were the reasons."

Common error

Avoid using singular verbs with plural subjects. The pronoun "these" is plural and requires a plural verb form. A common mistake is using "was" (singular) instead of "were" (plural). Review subject-verb agreement rules to prevent this error.

Linguistic Context

Subject-verb disagreement is the core issue. The pronoun "these" is plural, requiring a plural verb form. The incorrect pairing with the singular verb "was" violates standard English grammar rules. As Ludwig AI points out, the phrase is incorrect. The examples, despite their existence, do not validate the phrase's correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Wiki

18%

Science

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "these was" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "these were". This error arises from a disagreement between the plural pronoun "these" and the singular verb "was". Despite its incorrectness, Ludwig shows it appears frequently, particularly in News & Media sources. Grammatical correctness, however, is crucial for clear and professional communication. Remember to maintain subject-verb agreement to avoid this common error. Even though the phrase appears in various sources, as noted by Ludwig AI, this does not validate its grammatical correctness. Stick to "these were" for accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

these were

Corrects the grammatical error by using the plural verb "were" to agree with the plural pronoun "these".

one of these was

Focuses on a single item from a group, making "was" grammatically correct for the singular subject "one".

chief among these was

Highlights the most important item from a group, keeping "was" correct for the singular "chief".

the best of these was

Singles out the superior item, maintaining grammatical accuracy with "was" referring to "best".

which of these was

Forms a question focusing on identifying a singular item from a set, ensuring "was" fits the singular query.

neither of these was

Emphasizes that not even one item from the group met a certain condition, using "was" in agreement with "neither".

another of these was

Indicates an additional single item from the group, using "was" because the subject is singular.

the source for these was

Identifies the origin of the aforementioned items, with "was" correctly paired to "source".

my favorite of these was

Picks a preferred item from a collection, agreeing with "was" due to the singular noun "favorite".

the largest of these was

Specifies the biggest item among the stated group, maintaining grammatical consistency with the singular "largest".

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "these was"?

No, it is not grammatically correct. "These" is a plural pronoun and requires the plural verb "were". The correct phrase is "these were".

What's the difference between "these was" and "these were"?

"These was" is grammatically incorrect due to subject-verb disagreement. "These were" is the correct form, where the plural pronoun "these" agrees with the plural verb "were".

In what contexts might I mistakenly use "these was"?

This error often occurs in casual speech or when the speaker isn't carefully monitoring subject-verb agreement. It's more common when the sentence structure is complex or when there are intervening words between the subject and the verb.

What can I say instead of "these was" to correct the grammatical error?

The correct phrase is "these were". This ensures that the plural pronoun "these" agrees with the plural verb "were".