Audit past tense

Meaning of audit

to examine and evaluate formally or systematically.

Infinitive

Word: audit /ˈɔː.dɪt/

Examples:

1. The accounting firm audits several multinational companies to ensure compliance with financial regulations.
2. He audits his personal finances every month to keep track of his spending and savings.
3. Our team audits the software code regularly to check for security vulnerabilities.

Past Simple

Word: audited /ˈɔːdɪtɪd/

Examples:

1. The company audited their financial statements to ensure accuracy.
2. They audited the course last semester to improve their skills without seeking credit.
3. The IRS audited his tax returns after noticing some discrepancies.

Past Participle

Word: audited /ˈɔːdɪtɪd/

Examples:

1. The financial statements have been audited by an independent accounting firm.
2. The company's accounts were audited last quarter.
3. All transactions must be audited before the reports are published.

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Bare infinitive

To describe a general, habitual action, including routines or facts in the present.
Example. 'The accounting firm audits several multinational companies every year.'
Example. 'They audit every Monday.'
Example. 'If you audit the accounts properly, you'll find the discrepancy.'
To state scheduled events.
Example. 'The accounting firm audits several multinational companies every year.'
Example. 'They audit every Monday.'
Example. 'If you audit the accounts properly, you'll find the discrepancy.'
In subordinate clauses that express a condition or time.
Example. 'The accounting firm audits several multinational companies every year.'
Example. 'They audit every Monday.'
Example. 'If you audit the accounts properly, you'll find the discrepancy.'

Past Simple

To describe an action or situation that was completed in the past and has no direct connection to the present.
Example. 'The external auditors audited our financial statements last month.'
Example. 'He said they audited the firm without finding any major issues.'
Example. 'They audited the department, found discrepancies, and proposed solutions.'
In indirect speech to report past events.
Example. 'The external auditors audited our financial statements last month.'
Example. 'He said they audited the firm without finding any major issues.'
Example. 'They audited the department, found discrepancies, and proposed solutions.'
To list sequences of actions in the past.
Example. 'The external auditors audited our financial statements last month.'
Example. 'He said they audited the firm without finding any major issues.'
Example. 'They audited the department, found discrepancies, and proposed solutions.'

Past Participle

As part of the present perfect tense to talk about a past action that has an implication or result in the present.
Example. 'They have already audited the financial reports.'
Example. 'By the time the new CFO arrived, the accounts had been audited.'
Example. 'The company's books were audited by an independent auditor last year.'
Example. 'The audited financial statements are available on the company's website.'
As part of the past perfect tense to talk about actions completed before a certain point in the past.
Example. 'They have already audited the financial reports.'
Example. 'By the time the new CFO arrived, the accounts had been audited.'
Example. 'The company's books were audited by an independent auditor last year.'
Example. 'The audited financial statements are available on the company's website.'
In passive voice constructions where the action's focus is on the object, not the subject.
Example. 'They have already audited the financial reports.'
Example. 'By the time the new CFO arrived, the accounts had been audited.'
Example. 'The company's books were audited by an independent auditor last year.'
Example. 'The audited financial statements are available on the company's website.'
As a participial adjective to describe a state resulting from an action.
Example. 'They have already audited the financial reports.'
Example. 'By the time the new CFO arrived, the accounts had been audited.'
Example. 'The company's books were audited by an independent auditor last year.'
Example. 'The audited financial statements are available on the company's website.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

One common mistake is confusing the past simple form of 'audit' with its past participle form. The past simple form is 'audited,' and it is used to describe an action that was completed in the past. For example, 'Last year, the company audited its accounts.' The past participle form is also 'audited,' but it is used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses or the passive voice, such as in 'The accounts have been audited.'

— 02

Incorrect Irregular Form

Another mistake is attempting to make 'audit' into an irregular verb by changing its form in the past simple or past participle, similar to how 'run' becomes 'ran' (past simple) and 'run' (past participle). However, 'audit' is a regular verb, and both its past simple and past participle forms are correctly formed by adding '-ed' to the base form, resulting in 'audited' for both cases. An incorrect version would be saying 'auditted' or using an entirely different form like 'audat' (which is incorrect).

— 03

Omitting the auxiliary verb

A third mistake involves omitting the auxiliary verb when using the past participle form of 'audit' in perfect tenses or passive voice constructions. For instance, incorrectly saying 'The accounts audited last week' instead of correctly stating 'The accounts were audited last week' (passive voice) or 'The accounts have been audited' (present perfect tense). The auxiliary verb ('were' in passive voice, 'have been' in present perfect) is crucial for the correct construction of the sentence.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'audit'?

The past simple form of 'audit' is 'audited.' This form is used to describe an action that was completed at a specific time in the past. For example. 'The accountant audited the company's books last month.'

What is the past participle form of 'audit'?

The past participle form of 'audit' is also 'audited.' This form is used in perfect tenses to describe actions that have been completed at an unspecified time or that have relevance to the present moment. For example, in the present perfect tense. 'The team has audited the financial statements.'

How do you use 'audited' in a sentence to show past action?

To show a past action using 'audited,' you would typically use the past simple tense. You need a subject followed by 'audited' and then the object of the action. For example. 'The external auditor audited our accounts last year.' This sentence indicates that the action of auditing was completed in the past.

Can you give an example of a sentence using 'audited' in the past participle form?

Certainly! When using 'audited' in the past participle form, it is often part of a perfect tense structure. For example, in the present perfect tense. 'We have audited all the transactions for discrepancies.' In this sentence, 'have audited' indicates that the action of auditing has been completed, but the specific time when it happened is not mentioned, and there might be relevance to the present situation.