Argue past tense

Meaning of argue

to express reasons for or against a thing; to debate.

Infinitive

Word: argue /ˈɑːɡjuː/

Examples:

1. They always argue about money.
2. He argues that the project is too expensive.
3. She argues with her brother every time they meet.

Past Simple

Word: argued /ˈɑːɡjuːd/

Examples:

1. They argued about where to go for dinner until they finally agreed on a place.
2. I argued my point tirelessly, but in the end, they were not convinced.
3. She argued that the project deadline was unreasonable and successfully got it extended.

Past Participle

Word: argued /ˈɑːɡjuːd/

Examples:

1. The case has been argued by the defense attorney with exceptional skill.
2. The point was thoroughly argued before a decision was reached.
3. Many important topics have been argued over by experts in the field.

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Bare infinitive

Habitual actions or routines.
Example. I argue with my brother every day about who should do the dishes.
Example. Lawyers often argue to defend their client's position.
Example. The debate club argues every Friday at 3 PM.
Example. First, you form your argument, then you present it confidently.
General truths or facts.
Example. I argue with my brother every day about who should do the dishes.
Example. Lawyers often argue to defend their client's position.
Example. The debate club argues every Friday at 3 PM.
Example. First, you form your argument, then you present it confidently.
Fixed arrangements, schedules, or timetables (often related to public transportation, classes, etc.).
Example. I argue with my brother every day about who should do the dishes.
Example. Lawyers often argue to defend their client's position.
Example. The debate club argues every Friday at 3 PM.
Example. First, you form your argument, then you present it confidently.
To give instructions or directions.
Example. I argue with my brother every day about who should do the dishes.
Example. Lawyers often argue to defend their client's position.
Example. The debate club argues every Friday at 3 PM.
Example. First, you form your argument, then you present it confidently.

Past Simple

Completed actions in the past at a specific time.
Example. We argued about the budget last night and finally reached an agreement.
Example. The politicians argued, voted, and then dismissed the session.
Example. When we were kids, we often argued about trivial things.
Example. He always argued that he would never get married, but he did last year.
A series of completed actions in the past.
Example. We argued about the budget last night and finally reached an agreement.
Example. The politicians argued, voted, and then dismissed the session.
Example. When we were kids, we often argued about trivial things.
Example. He always argued that he would never get married, but he did last year.
Habits in the past (often used with adverbs of time).
Example. We argued about the budget last night and finally reached an agreement.
Example. The politicians argued, voted, and then dismissed the session.
Example. When we were kids, we often argued about trivial things.
Example. He always argued that he would never get married, but he did last year.
Past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.
Example. We argued about the budget last night and finally reached an agreement.
Example. The politicians argued, voted, and then dismissed the session.
Example. When we were kids, we often argued about trivial things.
Example. He always argued that he would never get married, but he did last year.

Past Participle

Perfect aspects (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect).
Example. The case has been argued by some of the best lawyers in the country.
Example. Feeling mentally exhausted and argued out, she decided not to engage in any more discussions that day.
Example (Present Perfect). She has argued her point well, and now everyone agrees with her.
Example. The case has been argued by some of the best lawyers in the country.
Example. Feeling mentally exhausted and argued out, she decided not to engage in any more discussions that day.
Example (Past Perfect). By the time the judge arrived, the lawyers had already argued their cases.
Example. The case has been argued by some of the best lawyers in the country.
Example. Feeling mentally exhausted and argued out, she decided not to engage in any more discussions that day.
Example (Future Perfect). By the end of the week, the committee will have argued all pending issues.
Example. The case has been argued by some of the best lawyers in the country.
Example. Feeling mentally exhausted and argued out, she decided not to engage in any more discussions that day.
Passive voice to describe actions done by an unspecified agent.
Example. The case has been argued by some of the best lawyers in the country.
Example. Feeling mentally exhausted and argued out, she decided not to engage in any more discussions that day.
As an adjective to describe a feeling or condition resulting from a past action.
Example. The case has been argued by some of the best lawyers in the country.
Example. Feeling mentally exhausted and argued out, she decided not to engage in any more discussions that day.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake is confusing the past simple form of 'argue' with its past participle form. The past simple form is 'argued,' and it is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, we argued about the project.' The past participle form is also 'argued,' which might contribute to the confusion, but it is used differently - often with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses or the passive voice, such as in 'We have argued about this before' or 'The case was argued in court.' Mistaking these forms can lead to incorrect tense usage and misunderstand the nuances of their applications.

— 02

Incorrectly Forming the Past Tense

Another mistake is incorrectly forming the past tense by adding the wrong ending or misinterpreting the verb as irregular. For 'argue,' the correct past simple and past participle form is 'argued,' following the regular verb pattern of adding '-ed' to the base form. However, some might mistakenly treat it as an irregular verb and look for an irregular past form, which does not exist for this verb. This can lead to incorrect forms such as 'argought' or 'argueed,' which are not recognized in English.

— 03

Irregular Verb Patterns

Learners sometimes overapply patterns from irregular verbs to regular ones. While many verbs in English change form completely in their past simple and past participle forms (e.g., 'go' becomes 'went' and 'gone'), 'argue' does not follow this pattern. Attempting to apply these irregular patterns to 'argue' can result in incorrect forms and misunderstandings about how regular verbs like 'argue' should be conjugated. Recognizing the difference between regular and irregular verbs and applying the correct conjugation rules is crucial to avoid this mistake.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'argue'?

The past simple form of 'argue' is 'argued'. It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example. 'They argued about the decision yesterday.'

How is the past participle form of 'argue' used?

The past participle form of 'argue' is also 'argued'. It is used in perfect tenses to indicate an action that has been completed at some point in the past. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'They have argued about this topic before.'

Can you provide an example sentence using 'argued' in the past perfect tense?

Yes, in the past perfect tense, 'argued' helps to show that one action was completed before another in the past. For example. 'By the time the meeting started, the team had already argued over the proposal.' Is there any difference in using 'argued' between American and British English