
We can also use “where” to describe a place we’ve already identified. For example, you might say “ Where are you going?” to ask about the specific place someone is headed to, or “Remind me where you live” to ask about the specific place in which someone resides. We use “where” to ask a question if we want someone else to identify a specific place. “Where” is a useful word for referring to a place. Let's look at each of these usages in detail. You can use it when referring to a physical place, a stage in a process, or a broader situation. There are three different ways to use “where” correctly. It is often used as an adverb (a word that modifies an adjective, verb, or another adverb). “Where” is never a verb (a word used to describe an action). Try it with a free ProWritingAid account. ProWritingAid’s Grammar Check will show you every instance where you’ve misused where or were. It’s easy to write the wrong thing because the only difference is one letter, but that can significantly change the meaning of what you’re trying to say. They look similar, but they are spelled and pronounced differently.

Were and where are easy to confuse when writing in English. Sometimes, it’s used as a conjunction (meaning “in the place that” or “in the situation that.”) Most commonly, it’s used as an adverb (meaning “at what place” or “in what situation.”) “Where” can be an adverb or a conjunction.

Here are some examples of this first definition:

The first dictionary definition is “at, in, or to what place.” Definition of WhereĪccording to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “where” has two definitions. We often use “where” to talk about places when we ask an indirect question, the same way we use “what” to talk about objects and “who” to talk about people. “Where” is a word that we use to point to a specific place or situation.
