we were been

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence 'we were been' is not correct.
You could use the phrase 'we were' in written English. For example: We were very surprised when we heard the news.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

"But we were been lucky to find some facilities at Radley College in Oxfordshire".

BBC

Over the weekend we were been bombarded with reports that the government is preparing to spend some ungodly amount of money on making our red passports blue again, and then treated to the unedifying sight of Simon Heffer arguing in the Daily Telegraph that, as a strong, independent nation, we ought to bring back imperial measurements.

Vice

Over the weekend we were been bombarded with reports that the government is preparing to spend some ungodly amount of money on making our red passports blue again, and then treated to the unedifying sight of Simon Heffer arguing in the Daily Telegraph that, as a strong, independent nation, we ought to bring back imperial measurements.

Vice

We were been able to see a more significant cAMP increase driven by forskolin after optimization.

eLife

Using transcriptional profiling analysis we were been able to identify genes suspected of being directly regulated by THs in male and female mice.

BMC Genomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

But we were being childish.

The New Yorker

We were being followed, constantly.

The New Yorker

"It was like we were being typecast.

The New York Times - Food

We were being romantic.

The Guardian - Opinion

We were being overrun".

The New Yorker

This weapon we were being prodded with.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always double-check verb conjugations when using auxiliary verbs like "were". The correct form after "we were" should typically be a present participle (e.g., "being") or a past participle (e.g., "chosen"), not a past participle like "been" used incorrectly.

Common error

Avoid using both "were" and "been" together unless constructing a passive perfect continuous tense (e.g., "We had been being monitored"), which is rare. In most cases, "we were" followed by an appropriate verb form is sufficient and grammatically sound.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "we were been" is an incorrect construction. The verb "were" typically requires a present participle (e.g., being) or a past participle dependent on the intended meaning. As Ludwig AI highlights, "we were" is the corrected and suitable phrase.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

70%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "we were been" is a grammatically incorrect construction. Ludwig AI correctly identifies that the proper phrasing should be "we were", followed by either a present participle (e.g., "we were going") or a past participle (e.g., "we were told"), depending on the intended meaning. While the examples provided by Ludwig show instances of the incorrect phrase appearing in various sources, including news and scientific publications, it's crucial to recognize and avoid this error in writing. Using alternatives like "we had been" or "we were being" can help clarify the intended meaning and ensure grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

we were

This is the corrected form of the original phrase, removing the unnecessary "been".

we had been

This alternative uses the past perfect tense, indicating an action completed before another point in the past.

we were being

This utilizes the past continuous passive voice, describing an ongoing action being done to the subject.

we have been

This uses the present perfect tense, describing an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

we've been

Shorter version of "we have been".

we were once

This indicates a state or condition that existed in the past but no longer exists.

we used to be

This expresses a habitual action or state in the past that is no longer true.

we were formerly

This alternative emphasizes a previous state or role that has since changed.

we were at one time

This stresses that something was true or the case at a specific point in the past.

we found ourselves

This implies a discovery of one's state or condition.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "we were" in a sentence?

The phrase "we were" should be followed by either a present participle (e.g., "We were going") to indicate continuous action, or a past participle (e.g., "We were invited") to indicate a passive state. For example, "We were planning a party" or "We were told to leave".

What are some alternatives to "we were being"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "we were subjected to", "we experienced", or "we faced" to convey a similar meaning.

How does "we had been" differ from the incorrect "we were been"?

"We had been" indicates a past perfect tense, describing an action completed before another point in the past. The phrase "we were been" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided. For example, "We had been working all night before the deadline arrived".

Is it ever correct to use "been" after "were"?

It is grammatically incorrect to directly follow "were" with "been" in most contexts. However, in very rare cases, the construction "We had been being..." is valid, forming a passive perfect continuous tense. For example: "We had been being watched by security for hours"