was
英 [wɒz] 美 [wɑ:z]
v.用来表示某人或某物即主语本身，用来表示某人或某物属于某一群体或有某种性质（ be的过去式 ）;在，存在;不受干扰
were
英 [wə(r)] 美 [wə:]
be的过去时复数和第二人称单数形式;有时代替 was,用于条件从句、动词 wish 之后等
were it not for的意思是：如果不是为了······；要是没有······的话。
这是一个虚拟语气，在虚拟语气中，若句中有were 或者had，可以把他们提前到句首，还原的话，应该是if it were not for。
were it not for
释义：（与事实相对的假定）若不是…的话
双语例句：
Were it not for your songs.
如果她不是为你的歌声准备的。
Were it not for your eyes.
如果它不是为你的双眼准备的。
Were it not for the feather, no one would have known that the white birdhad ever been.
倘若不是鸟儿在离去时留下这片羽毛为证，有谁会知道小白鸟曾经来过？
【答】 在这里Were it not for = If it were not for。这是非真实条件从句。它的意思是“如果没有”、“要不是由于”。在if条件从句中，如果含有were, should, had等动词，则可以通过主谓倒装的方法来取消连线词if，从而变成无连线词条件从句。在正式语体中，if it were not for可以写成无连词的形式：were it not for。例如： Were it not for your help, I would still be homeless. 要是没有你的帮助，我仍然会无家可归。 They might live quite fortably were it not for a quarrel with their next door neighbor. 他们如果没有和邻居吵架，可能会过得很舒服。 如果要表示过去的非真实的条件，则使用if it had not been for。例如： If it hadn’t been for the rain, we would have had a good harvest. 要是没有下雨的话，我们就会获得大丰收了。 If it had not been for Margaret, I might not have understood. 要是没有玛格丽特，我可能还没有弄明白。 在正式语体里， if it had not been for 可以写成无连词的形式： had it not been for。例如： Had it not been for the doctor’s care, I should not be speaking to you now. 要是当时没有医生的治疗，我现在就不能和你说话了。
were it not for
[释义] 若不是有…的话，若非。
[例句]Such drops would be more precipitous still were it not for the cushioning effects of ultra-low interest rates on European mortgage-holders.
如果没有针对欧洲按揭贷款人的极低利率所产生的缓冲效应，下降幅度会更大。
Were it not for
要不是
双语对照
例句:
1.
That would be the end of the story were it not for an odd detail.
如果不是一个奇怪的细节，这将是我们这个故事的结局。
were
[美] [wɚ]
[英] [wə(r)]
v.
是，在（are的过去式）
n.
(Were)人名；(英、肯)沃尔
[短语]
Were 依次为;虚拟语气;是
Were Rat 怪鼠
Subjects were 被试者
意思是"是". 它是BE 动词ARE的过去形式.