were doing today

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "were doing today" is not correct in written English.
Did you mean "we're doing today"? You can use the corrected phrase when referring to activities or plans that are happening on the current day. Example: "I hope you're excited about what we're doing today at the event."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

"What were doing today is setting up a mechanism for creating a self-regulatory system.

The Guardian

A lot of what we were doing today is very straightforward, the idea of duple versus triple meter, but most modulations we don't usually hear.

Yale University

"I know most teams get injuries but we can't carry six or seven missing - that's what we were doing today.

BBC

That's just what 246 passengers were doing today when they boarded a flight bound for the Dominican Republic.

Forbes

Obviously it was new to us what we were doing today and we created some chances on the odd occasion but we weren't consistent enough.

BBC

Shmuckler's father had died the year earlier and he realized his mother had been feeding her three children instead of making the mortgage payments just like most families were doing today".

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

"I wonder what he's doing today".

The New York Times - Sports

It's what you're doing today.

The Guardian - Books

What's he been doing today?

The Guardian - Film

That is what we are doing today.

The Guardian

What do they think our children are doing today?

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct form of "to be" verb. Use "we're" (we are) or "we were" depending on whether you're referring to the present or the past.

Common error

Avoid using "were" when you mean "we are". "Were" is the past tense of "to be", while "we're" is a contraction of "we are". For current activities, always use "we're" or "we are".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "were doing today" functions as part of a clause expressing an action or activity, but the usage of "were" instead of "are" makes it grammatically incorrect when referring to a present action. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is not correct in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

21%

Wiki

7%

Less common in

Science

7%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "were doing today" is grammatically incorrect when used to describe current actions or activities. The correct form is "we're doing today" or "we are doing today". As Ludwig AI clearly states, using "were" is inappropriate in this context. While examples of this phrase appear in various sources, including news and academic content, these instances do not legitimize the incorrect usage. Always ensure you're using the correct tense and verb forms to maintain grammatical accuracy, especially in formal or professional communication. Remember that "were" indicates the past tense, while "we're" is the correct contraction for "we are" in the present.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

What we're doing today

Corrects the grammatical error by using the contraction "we're" instead of "were".

What we are doing today

Corrects the grammatical error by using "are" instead of "were".

What we have planned for today

Emphasizes prearranged plans for the current day.

Our tasks for today involve

Highlights the specific tasks to be undertaken.

What's on the agenda today

Focuses on scheduled activities rather than actions in progress.

The plan for today is

Focuses on the intended course of action.

Today's activities include

Highlights a list of planned tasks for the day.

The schedule for today includes

Highlights a list of scheduled events or activities.

What's happening with us today

Offers a broader, less structured view of ongoing events.

What we're up to today

Uses a more informal and casual tone.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say what activities are happening today?

The correct ways to describe current activities are using "what "we're doing today"" or "what "we are doing today"". Using "were" is grammatically incorrect in this context.

When should I use "were" instead of "we're"?

"Were" is used as the past tense form of "to be". For example, "We were planning yesterday's event last week" shows an activity in the past, not the present. So you can't say "were doing today" to describe a current activity.

What's the difference between "we're doing" and "we were doing"?

"We're doing" indicates a current action, while "we were doing" refers to an action that was ongoing in the past. The tense is the key difference.

Is it ever correct to use "were doing" when talking about today?

Yes, but only when referring to a past action within the context of today. For example, "Earlier today, we were doing something different" is correct because it refers to something already completed.