[Misc] Question for fellow grammar pedants out there.

ringmerseagulltoo said:

Just watched a tv programme where the questioner asked someone “and you was there?”.

That grated because I instinctively think the correct phrase should have been “you were there”.

However, I now suspect I am wrong if the question is addressed to just one person as in; I was, you was, he was, we were, you were, they were.

Advice please, really petty I know but it is bugging me.

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ringmerseagulltoo said:

However, I now suspect I am wrong if the question is addressed to just one person as in; I was, you was, he was, we were, you were, they were.

Click to expand...

ringmerseagulltoo said:

Just watched a tv programme where the questioner asked someone “and you was there?”.

That grated because I instinctively think the correct phrase should have been “you were there”.

However, I now suspect I am wrong if the question is addressed to just one person as in; I was, you was, he was, we were, you were, they were.

Advice please, really petty I know but it is bugging me.

Click to expand...

ringmerseagulltoo said:

Just watched a tv programme where the questioner asked someone “and you was there?”.

That grated because I instinctively think the correct phrase should have been “you were there”.

However, I now suspect I am wrong if the question is addressed to just one person as in; I was, you was, he was, we were, you were, they were.

Advice please, really petty I know but it is bugging me.

Click to expand...

bhafc99 said:

Oddly enough, football clubs are one of the few anomalies to the standard was/were rule.

Even though a club is singular, and should therefore be 'was', that usage never applies.

You'd never say "Brighton was in the cup final in 1983", you'd say "Brighton were in the cup final…".

But outside football, the opposite still applies. "Microsoft was started by Bill Gates", rather than "Microsoft were started by Bill Gates…"

(Not an answer to the original question, just thought I'd go off on a related tangent…)

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Bakero said:

'You was' is certainly non-standard but is widely used in certain dialects.

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Bakero said:

'You was' is certainly non-standard but is widely used in certain dialects.

Click to expand...

Diablo said:

Really.....I`d say "Brighton was in the cupfinal in 1983"

Click to expand...

bhafc99 said:

Oddly enough, football clubs are one of the few anomalies to the standard was/were rule.

Even though a club is singular, and should therefore be 'was', that usage never applies.

You'd never say "Brighton was in the cup final in 1983", you'd say "Brighton were in the cup final…".

But outside football, the opposite still applies. "Microsoft was started by Bill Gates", rather than "Microsoft were started by Bill Gates…"

(Not an answer to the original question, just thought I'd go off on a related tangent…)

Click to expand...

bhafc99 said:

Oddly enough, football clubs are one of the few anomalies to the standard was/were rule.

Even though a club is singular, and should therefore be 'was', that usage never applies.

You'd never say "Brighton was in the cup final in 1983", you'd say "Brighton were in the cup final…".

But outside football, the opposite still applies. "Microsoft was started by Bill Gates", rather than "Microsoft were started by Bill Gates…"

(Not an answer to the original question, just thought I'd go off on a related tangent…)

Click to expand...