The word(s) "were" appears 411 time(s) in 363 verse(s) in Quran in Muhammad Habib Shakir translation.

(71) Therefore (for) whomsoever Allah intends that He would guide him aright, He expands his breast for Islam, and (for) whomsoever He intends that He should cause him to err, He makes his breast strait and narrow as though he were ascending upwards; thus does Allah lay uncleanness on those who do not believe.

(72) O assembly of jinn and men! did there not come to you apostles from among you, relating to you My communications and warning you of the meeting of this day of yours? They shall say: We bear witness against ourselves; and this world's life deceived them, and they shall bear witness against their own souls that they were unbelievers.

(73) This is because your Lord would not destroy towns unjustly while their people were negligent.

(74) And two of camels and two of cows. Say: Has He forbidden the two males or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Or were you witnesses when Allah enjoined you this? Who, then, is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah that he should lead astray men without knowledge? Surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.

(75) And to those who were Jews We made unlawful every animal having claws, and of oxen and sheep We made unlawful to them the fat of both, except such as was on their backs or the entrails or what was mixed with bones: this was a punishment We gave them on account of their rebellion, and We are surely Truthful.

(76) Lest you say that the Book was only revealed to two parties before us and We were truly unaware of what they read.

(77) Yet their cry, when Our punishment came to them, was nothing but that they said: Surely we were unjust.

(78) Most certainly then We will question those to whom (the apostles) were sent, and most certainly We will also question the apostles;

(79) Then most certainly We will relate to them with knowledge, and We were not absent.

(80) Who is then more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah or rejects His communications? (As for) those, their portion of the Book shall reach them, until when Our apostles come to them causing them to die, they shall say: Where is that which you used to call upon besides Allah? They would say: They are gone away from us; and they shall bear witness against themselves that they were unbelievers