Answer past tense

Meaning of answer

respond to a question.

Infinitive

Word: answer /ˈɑːnsə/

Examples:

1. She always answers the phone on the first ring.
2. He answers every question with confidence.
3. The teacher answers the student's query without hesitation.

Past Simple

Word: answered /ˈæn.sɚd/

Examples:

1. She answered all the questions correctly during the quiz.
2. I answered the door to find a delivery man with a huge package.
3. They answered the call to volunteer at the community center without hesitation.

Past Participle

Word: answered /ˈæn.sərd/

Examples:

1. By the end of the interview, she had answered all the questions with confidence.
2. They had answered the call for volunteers, showing up in large numbers to help.
3. He had answered the challenge with determination, proving his critics wrong.

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Bare infinitive

To describe habitual actions or routines involving responding to questions.
Example. She answers at least fifty emails a day.
Example. This helpline answers your queries 24/7.
Example. Always answer honestly in your interviews.
To state facts or general truths about the act of responding to questions.
Example. She answers at least fifty emails a day.
Example. This helpline answers your queries 24/7.
Example. Always answer honestly in your interviews.
To give instructions or advice related to responding to inquiries.
Example. She answers at least fifty emails a day.
Example. This helpline answers your queries 24/7.
Example. Always answer honestly in your interviews.

Past Simple

To talk about a specific instance in the past when someone responded to a question.
Example. He answered the question correctly and won the game.
Example. After the presentation, we answered questions from the audience.
Example. She answered all the questions on the test before time was up.
To describe a series of actions in the past that involved responding to questions.
Example. He answered the question correctly and won the game.
Example. After the presentation, we answered questions from the audience.
Example. She answered all the questions on the test before time was up.
To express a past action of responding to questions that is complete.
Example. He answered the question correctly and won the game.
Example. After the presentation, we answered questions from the audience.
Example. She answered all the questions on the test before time was up.

Past Participle

Perfect tenses - To talk about actions of responding to questions that have happened, with relevance to the present moment or completed at an unspecified time in the past.
Example. The customers' complaints were answered promptly by the service team.
Example (Present Perfect). I have answered all the inquiries sent to my inbox.
Example. The customers' complaints were answered promptly by the service team.
Example (Past Perfect). By the time the meeting concluded, she had answered all concerns raised by the team.
Example. The customers' complaints were answered promptly by the service team.
Passive voice - To describe situations where the focus is on the questions that were responded to, rather than who responded.
Example. The customers' complaints were answered promptly by the service team.

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Suffix

One common mistake is adding an unnecessary 'ed' suffix due to confusion over the conjugation rules for regular verbs, leading to an incorrect form like 'answereded' instead of 'answered.' This error arises from a misunderstanding of the simple rule for adding '-ed' to the base form of regular verbs to form both the past simple and past participle.

— 02

Using the Base Form

Another frequent mistake involves using the base form 'answer' instead of the past simple or past participle form 'answered' in sentences that clearly refer to past actions. For example, saying 'I answer the phone yesterday' instead of the correct 'I answered the phone yesterday.' This indicates a misunderstanding of tense usage and the need to modify the verb to accurately reflect past actions.

— 03

Omitting the Past Participle

In perfect tense constructions, the past participle 'answered' should be used with an auxiliary verb (have/has/had) to indicate actions that have been completed at a specific time in the past. A common mistake is omitting the past participle or using the incorrect form, leading to grammatically incorrect sentences. For instance, saying 'I have answer all the emails' instead of the correct 'I have answered all the emails.'

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'answer'?

The past simple form of 'answer' is 'answered'. It is used to describe an action that happened and was completed at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I answered all the questions correctly.'

What is the past participle form of 'answer'?

The past participle form of 'answer' is also 'answered'. It is used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have answered the email you sent me.'

How do you use 'answered' in a sentence to indicate a past action?

To indicate a past action using 'answered', you would typically use it with a subject and a time indicator that clearly situates the action in the past. For example. 'She answered the phone before leaving for work yesterday.' Here, 'answered' is in the past simple tense, indicating a completed action in the past.

Can you give an example of 'answered' used in the passive voice?

Yes, in the passive voice, 'answered' can be used to focus on the action being received by the subject, rather than who performed the action. For example. 'The question was answered correctly by the student.' In this sentence, 'was answered' is a passive construction, with 'answered' serving as the past participle in the passive voice. The emphasis is on the question receiving an answer, rather than on the student who provided the answer.