The phrase "were late for" is pronounced /wər leɪt fɔr/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The spelling of "were" includes the silent 'e' at the end, which indicates the past tense and helps differentiate it from "we're," the contraction for "we are." "Late" is spelled as it sounds, with the short 'a' sound at the beginning, and the final 'e' is silent. "For" is spelled the same way it is pronounced, with the 'o' sound followed by the 'r' sound.
"Were late for" is a phrase used to indicate that someone or something arrived after the expected or scheduled time. The phrase consists of two parts: 'were' serving as the past tense of the verb 'to be' in the third person plural, and 'late for', which describes the act of not arriving on time or being delayed.
When someone or a group is described as "were late for," it implies that they did not arrive at a specific location or event when they were supposed to. This lateness could be due to a variety of reasons, such as traffic congestion, unforeseen circumstances, or poor time management.
The phrase "were late for" places emphasis on the action of being tardy or delaying the expected arrival time. It acknowledges that the individuals or group in question did not meet the designated schedule, often causing inconvenience or disruption to others involved or affected by the delay.
The expression "were late for" is commonly used in everyday conversations, both informally and formally, to convey the fact that someone or something did not arrive on time as anticipated. It effectively communicates the notion of lateness, establishing a clear understanding that the individual or group in question failed to meet their time obligations.