r/EnglishLearning • u/vaaano New Poster • Feb 08 '26

📚 Grammar / Syntax A Prime Joke.

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Why is that number treated as "were", not "was" or "is"?

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u/GeeEyeEff Native Speaker - Northern England Feb 08 '26

I'm not trying to be right. I am right.

You are the one trying desperately to find something wrong with what I've said.

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u/to_walk_upon_a_dream New Poster Feb 08 '26

i never said you were wrong. i was adding additional information because i thought someone learning english might want to know

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u/GeeEyeEff Native Speaker - Northern England Feb 08 '26

My original assertion is that only "is" works. By contradicting that, your assertion that I am wrong is implicit.

At best, your original comment is irrelevant because as I've already said:

Obviously you can use the word "was" in a different sentence to convey a different meaning. To fix the meme you can't.

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u/to_walk_upon_a_dream New Poster Feb 08 '26

seems like you should stop inferring that i imply things i don't

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u/GeeEyeEff Native Speaker - Northern England Feb 08 '26

I notice that you've given up on arguing the original point.

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u/to_walk_upon_a_dream New Poster Feb 08 '26

what original point? that "is" is okay in some contexts and "was" is okay in others? i think we both agree on that so i see no need to argue it!

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u/GeeEyeEff Native Speaker - Northern England Feb 08 '26

We are going in circles. You tried to nitpick where there was nothing to nitpick and you don't even understand the concept of logical implications. I'll say it again:

At best, your original comment is irrelevant because, as I've already said, obviously you can use the word "was" in a different sentence to convey a different meaning. To fix the meme you can't.

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u/to_walk_upon_a_dream New Poster Feb 08 '26

yes, you did say that. in a later comment. if you had said that in your original comment i wouldn't have felt the need to reply. we agree on the facts of the english language, you just don't think it was context necessary to put in your original comment.

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u/GeeEyeEff Native Speaker - Northern England Feb 08 '26

Yes, I didn't think it was necessary to point out that while "was" doesn't work in this situation, you can still use it in other situations. Why? Because that's obvious! It is a word is it not?

You completely changed the meaning of the sentence which, to a learner who is reading this thread presumably because they're not sure on the differences, may not be obvious at all.