Attend past tense
Meaning of attend
to go to or be present at.
Infinitive
- 1. She attends a dance class every Thursday night.
- 2. He always attends the annual science conference without fail.
- 3. They attend weekly meetings to discuss their project progress.
Past Simple
- 1. She attended the meeting last Tuesday.
- 2. We attended a wonderful concert over the weekend.
- 3. He attended his friend's wedding in June.
Past Participle
- 1. The meeting has been attended by representatives from all departments.
- 2. All concerts scheduled for the summer have been attended by thousands of fans.
- 3. The lecture was attended by students from various faculties.
Learn more words on the go
Master verb forms with Promova!
Bare infinitive
- General Truths or Facts.Example. 'I attend a language class every Saturday.'Example. 'The seminar attends at 10 AM on the first Monday of every month.'Example. 'He attends the meeting with such enthusiasm.'
- Fixed Schedules. When referring to fixed schedules or timetables.Example. 'I attend a language class every Saturday.'Example. 'The seminar attends at 10 AM on the first Monday of every month.'Example. 'He attends the meeting with such enthusiasm.'
- Instantaneous Commentary. Used in sports commentary, or narrating an event as it happens.Example. 'I attend a language class every Saturday.'Example. 'The seminar attends at 10 AM on the first Monday of every month.'Example. 'He attends the meeting with such enthusiasm.'
Past Simple
- Completed Actions in the Past.Example. 'I attended a concert last night.'Example. 'We attended the lecture, had lunch, and then toured the campus yesterday.'Example. 'She attended the university for four years before dropping out.'Example. 'He attended the weekly meetings without fail when he was a member.'
- A Series of Completed Actions. For listing a series of completed actions in the past.Example. 'I attended a concert last night.'Example. 'We attended the lecture, had lunch, and then toured the campus yesterday.'Example. 'She attended the university for four years before dropping out.'Example. 'He attended the weekly meetings without fail when he was a member.'
- Duration in Past. To talk about the duration of something that happened and finished in the past.Example. 'I attended a concert last night.'Example. 'We attended the lecture, had lunch, and then toured the campus yesterday.'Example. 'She attended the university for four years before dropping out.'Example. 'He attended the weekly meetings without fail when he was a member.'
- Past Habits. For actions that were habitual in the past (often used with adverbs of time).Example. 'I attended a concert last night.'Example. 'We attended the lecture, had lunch, and then toured the campus yesterday.'Example. 'She attended the university for four years before dropping out.'Example. 'He attended the weekly meetings without fail when he was a member.'
Past Participle
- Perfect Tenses.Example. 'I have attended several workshops on digital marketing.'Example. 'By the time the conference began, I had already attended three meetings.'Example. 'By next year, I will have attended the course on advanced physics.'Example. 'The lecture was attended by over a hundred students.'
- Present Perfect. For actions that happened at an unspecified time before now or actions that have an effect on the present moment.Example. 'I have attended several workshops on digital marketing.'Example. 'By the time the conference began, I had already attended three meetings.'Example. 'By next year, I will have attended the course on advanced physics.'Example. 'The lecture was attended by over a hundred students.'
- Past Perfect. For actions that were completed before another action or time in the past.Example. 'I have attended several workshops on digital marketing.'Example. 'By the time the conference began, I had already attended three meetings.'Example. 'By next year, I will have attended the course on advanced physics.'Example. 'The lecture was attended by over a hundred students.'
- Future Perfect. For actions that will be completed before a specific time or action in the future.Example. 'I have attended several workshops on digital marketing.'Example. 'By the time the conference began, I had already attended three meetings.'Example. 'By next year, I will have attended the course on advanced physics.'Example. 'The lecture was attended by over a hundred students.'
- Passive Voice. When the subject of the sentence is acted upon.Example. 'I have attended several workshops on digital marketing.'Example. 'By the time the conference began, I had already attended three meetings.'Example. 'By next year, I will have attended the course on advanced physics.'Example. 'The lecture was attended by over a hundred students.'
Common mistakes
— 01
Confusing Patterns
One common mistake when using the past simple and past participle forms of 'attend' is confusing regular and irregular verb patterns. 'Attend' is a regular verb, meaning its past simple and past participle forms are created by adding -ed to the base form. The correct past simple form is 'attended,' and the past participle form is also 'attended.' However, learners often mistakenly apply irregular verb patterns to 'attend,' creating non-standard forms. It's crucial to remember that not all verbs follow the same pattern, and 'attend' specifically requires the addition of -ed for both its past simple and past participle forms.
— 02
Incorrect Spelling
Another mistake involves spelling errors when forming the past simple and past participle of 'attend.' Since 'attend' ends in a consonant preceded by a vowel, some might incorrectly double the final consonant before adding -ed, especially those influenced by verbs like 'admit' where the consonant is doubled in its past forms ('admitted'). The correct formation does not double the 'd'; thus, 'attended' is the proper spelling for both the past simple and past participle forms.
— 03
Misuse of Past Participle
A third common error is using the past participle form of 'attend' without an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses or passive voice constructions. The past participle 'attended' should be used with auxiliary verbs like 'have,' 'has,' or 'had' to form perfect tenses (e.g., 'I have attended') and with forms of 'be' in passive constructions (e.g., 'The conference was attended by many'). Misusing 'attended' as a standalone past tense verb or omitting auxiliary verbs can lead to grammatical inaccuracies and confusion over the intended meaning.
Past tense quiz
Check your skills and find areas for improvement