Accept past tense
Meaning of accept
to receive willingly something given or offered.
Infinitive
- 1. He always accepts invitations to social gatherings without hesitation.
- 2. She accepts that her views may not always align with everyone else's.
- 3. This software accepts only PNG and JPEG file formats for uploads.
Past Simple
- 1. She finally accepted his apology after he explained himself.
- 2. They accepted the job offer in New York and started packing immediately.
- 3. The university accepted me into their program, and it was one of the happiest days of my life.
Past Participle
- 1. The terms of the agreement have been accepted by both parties.
- 2. The award was accepted with great humility by the young scientist.
- 3. The invitation had been eagerly accepted by the entire family.
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Bare infinitive
- To express habitual actions or general truths.Example. I accept your apology every time without hesitation.Example. He always accepts packages on behalf of his neighbors.Example. The committee accepts new proposals every Monday.
- To state facts.Example. I accept your apology every time without hesitation.Example. He always accepts packages on behalf of his neighbors.Example. The committee accepts new proposals every Monday.
- To describe scheduled events in the near future (often used in formal contexts).Example. I accept your apology every time without hesitation.Example. He always accepts packages on behalf of his neighbors.Example. The committee accepts new proposals every Monday.
Past Simple
- To talk about actions or situations that were completed in the past.Example. She accepted the job offer last week.Example. They never accepted late submissions in the old system.Example. He packed his bags, accepted his fate, and left the house.
- To describe habits in the past.Example. She accepted the job offer last week.Example. They never accepted late submissions in the old system.Example. He packed his bags, accepted his fate, and left the house.
- For sequences of actions in the past.Example. She accepted the job offer last week.Example. They never accepted late submissions in the old system.Example. He packed his bags, accepted his fate, and left the house.
Past Participle
- Perfect tenses to talk about actions that were completed before other actions or situations, often in relation to the present.Example. The terms were accepted by all parties involved.Example. The accepted norm is to greet everyone when you enter a meeting.
- Example (Present Perfect). They have accepted all the applications submitted before the deadline.Example. The terms were accepted by all parties involved.Example. The accepted norm is to greet everyone when you enter a meeting.
- Passive voice to describe an action that is done to the subject of the sentence.Example. The terms were accepted by all parties involved.Example. The accepted norm is to greet everyone when you enter a meeting.
- As an adjective to describe a condition resulting from an action.Example. The terms were accepted by all parties involved.Example. The accepted norm is to greet everyone when you enter a meeting.
Common mistakes
— 01
Incorrect Spelling
One common mistake is misspelling the past simple and past participle forms of 'accept.' Since 'accept' follows the regular verb pattern by adding '-ed' to form its past tense and past participle, it seems straightforward. However, learners might mistakenly add an extra 'p' or 'c,' or confuse it with other suffixes, resulting in incorrect spellings like 'acceptted' or 'acceped.' Understanding the correct spelling convention for regular verbs that end in 't' is crucial—only 'ed' is added to the base form.
— 02
Mispronunciation
Pronouncing the past simple and past participle form 'accepted' can also pose a challenge, especially for ESL learners. The correct pronunciation is /əkˈsɛptɪd/, with a stressed second syllable and a soft 'ed' ending that sounds like 'id.' A common mistake is not pronouncing the 'ed' ending distinctly enough, leading to confusion with the present tense form. Practicing the slight differentiation in sound between the base form 'accept' and the past forms 'accepted' can help improve clarity in speech.
— 03
Confusing Tenses
Another common error is using the incorrect tense form in sentences. While 'accepted' is both the past simple and past participle form of 'accept,' learners might mistakenly use 'accept' (the base form) when a past tense is required or misuse 'accepted' with incorrect auxiliary verbs. For example, in perfect tenses (have/has/had accepted) or passive constructions (was/were accepted), it's crucial to use 'accepted' with the appropriate auxiliary verbs. Misunderstanding when to use the past simple vs. the past participle form can lead to grammatical inaccuracies, even though the form remains the same in this case.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the past simple and past participle forms of 'accept'?
How do you use 'accepted' in a past simple sentence?
Can you give examples of sentences using 'accepted' in different tenses?