were have

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "were have" is not correct in standard written English. It is a combination of two incorrect forms and should not be used. An example of a correct phrase would be "where have." Alternative expressions could be "where are," "where did," or "where's."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

But Haiti's institutions, weak as they were, have been grievously wounded, too.

The New York Times

Steen's large footprints, as it were, have trampled competitive records in virtually every sport on virtually every level.

The New York Times - Sports

He also declared there were have been "a number of meetings" since August, when he has pressed the same point.

Independent

In the example of thalidomide, the societal consequences of a bad molecular fit, as it were, have been instructional.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Oborne put it all it perspective by arguing that were have not suffered hurricane Katrina - the one that struck New Orleans and killed more than 1,800 people.

The Guardian

The insights of Logue's critics, however fresh they once were, have hardened into a set of assumptions that have impaired New York's capacity to reckon responsibly with change.

The New York Times - Arts

"It is what would be expected after 97 months of economic expansion in New Jersey: After 97 months, were have essentially run out of labor".

The New York Times

While I was not at Hampshire during the 1980s, colleagues and alumni who were have questioned the "composite" characters created by Rushfield.

The New York Times

None of this, however, seems to be dimming the governor's star.Even the Jonesboro shootings, terrible as they were, have given him an opportunity.

The Economist

Over the years, other quarterbacks chosen No. 1 over all, no matter how touted or scouted they were, have been the answers to all those questions.

The New York Times - Sports

On matters of policy, her political experience and her travels as first lady — having tea, as it were — have served her in ways few anticipated.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always check if a comma is missing between "were" and "have", as they typically only appear together when separating a subordinate clause from the main predicate.

Common error

Writers frequently type "were have" by mistake when they actually intend to use "we have". This is particularly common in fast-paced digital journalism and academic drafting.

Linguistic Context

In standard English, the phrase "were have" lacks a recognized grammatical function. In the linguistic data provided by Ludwig, it primarily surfaces as a syntactic error or an accidental juxtaposition where a comma has been omitted between two distinct clauses.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

35%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while "were have" appears with high frequency in various digital texts, it is essentially incorrect according to standard grammar rules. Ludwig AI highlights that the phrase is most often a typographical error where the writer intended to use "we have" or "where have". However, there are instances in high-quality sources where the two words appear sequentially due to the structure of a sentence, such as "...things as they were, have changed." In these cases, a comma is essential to separate the verbs. Writers should remain vigilant when this combination appears to ensure clarity and grammatical precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

we have

Uses the first-person plural subject 'we' instead of the past tense verb 'were'.

where have

Uses the interrogative or relative adverb 'where' to indicate location or origin.

have been

Follows the standard present perfect passive construction.

were having

Constructs the past continuous tense for ongoing past actions.

would have

Uses a modal auxiliary to express conditional or past possibilities.

were, have

Corrects the structure by adding a comma to separate two different clauses.

who have

Uses a relative pronoun to link a subject to a present perfect verb.

which were

Provides a standard relative clause in the past tense.

will have

Shifts the tense to the future perfect.

were and have

Connects two distinct verbs using a coordinating conjunction.

FAQs

Is "were have" grammatically correct?

No, "were have" is not a valid verb phrase in English. You should likely use "we have", "where have" or "have been" depending on the sentence.

What is the difference between "were have" and "we have"?

"were have" is a grammatical error, whereas "we have" is a standard subject-verb construction used to indicate possession or perfect tense.

How do I fix the phrase "were have" in my writing?

Check if you meant to use a continuous tense like "were having" or if a comma is needed to separate clauses, such as in "as they were, have been".

Why does "were have" appear in some news articles?

In reliable sources found on Ludwig, this phrase often appears as an accidental juxtaposition when a clause ending in "were" is immediately followed by a main verb starting with "have", or it simply represents an unedited typo.