Bear past tense

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Meaning of bear

to carry or support.

Infinitive

Word: bear /beər/
Examples:
  • 1. Bears usually hibernate during the winter months.
  • 2. She bears a striking resemblance to her grandmother.
  • 3. This bridge can bear the weight of heavy trucks.

Past Simple

Word: bore /bɔːr/
Examples:
  • 1. She bore the weight of the responsibility gracefully.
  • 2. The tree bore fruit for the first time last summer.
  • 3. Despite the challenges, he bore his pain without complaint.

Past Participle

Word: born /bɔːrn/ (in the sense of birth) borne /bɔːrn/ (all senses except the one related to birth)
Examples:
  • 1. The responsibility for the project has been borne by the entire team for many months.
  • 2. The true extent of the damage was not initially borne out by the initial reports.
  • 3. The brunt of the storm was borne by the coastal communities, leaving many without power.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Expressing Habitual Actions or General Truths
    Example. 'Polar bears bear extreme cold very well.'
    Example. 'This bridge can bear the weight of heavy trucks.'
    Example. 'I cannot bear the thought of losing you.'
  2. Describing Capacities or Abilities
    Example. 'Polar bears bear extreme cold very well.'
    Example. 'This bridge can bear the weight of heavy trucks.'
    Example. 'I cannot bear the thought of losing you.'
  3. Conveying Tolerance or Endurance
    Example. 'Polar bears bear extreme cold very well.'
    Example. 'This bridge can bear the weight of heavy trucks.'
    Example. 'I cannot bear the thought of losing you.'

Past simple

  1. Describing an Action Completed in the Past
    Example. 'She bore the pain with remarkable patience.'
    Example. 'My grandmother bore eight children.'
    Example. 'The investigation bore evidence of misconduct.'
  2. Referring to Past Events of Giving Birth
    Example. 'She bore the pain with remarkable patience.'
    Example. 'My grandmother bore eight children.'
    Example. 'The investigation bore evidence of misconduct.'
  3. Explaining the Origin or Source in the Past
    Example. 'She bore the pain with remarkable patience.'
    Example. 'My grandmother bore eight children.'
    Example. 'The investigation bore evidence of misconduct.'

Past participle

  1. Borne is used in Perfect Tenses to Discuss Completed Actions
    Example. 'He has borne the responsibility bravely.'
    Example. 'The theories have borne fruit after many years of research.'
    Example. 'I was born in a small town.'
    Example. 'She is a born leader.'
  2. Borne is used for describing Long-Standing Conditions or Outcomes
    Example. 'He has borne the responsibility bravely.'
    Example. 'The theories have borne fruit after many years of research.'
    Example. 'I was born in a small town.'
    Example. 'She is a born leader.'
  3. Born is used for referring to Birth in Passive Construction, Especially with 'was' or 'were'
    Example. 'He has borne the responsibility bravely.'
    Example. 'The theories have borne fruit after many years of research.'
    Example. 'I was born in a small town.'
    Example. 'She is a born leader.'
  4. Born is used In Fixed Phrases or Expressions.
    Example. 'He has borne the responsibility bravely.'
    Example. 'The theories have borne fruit after many years of research.'
    Example. 'I was born in a small town.'
    Example. 'She is a born leader.'
  5. When deciding between 'borne' and 'born' in the past participle form, use 'borne' for carrying, producing, or enduring, and 'born' specifically for the act or condition of birth when it involves a living creature coming into the world. Note that 'born' is typically used in passive constructions or fixed phrases, while 'borne' aligns with a broader range of actions and outcomes.
    Example. 'He has borne the responsibility bravely.'
    Example. 'The theories have borne fruit after many years of research.'
    Example. 'I was born in a small town.'
    Example. 'She is a born leader.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing 'bore' and 'borne'

A common mistake is mixing up the past simple form 'bore' with the past participle 'borne' when using the verb 'bear.' 'Bore' is used to describe the action in the past, e.g., 'She bore the pain silently.' On the other hand, 'borne' is often used in perfect tenses or in passive voice, e.g., 'The burden has been borne by many before us.' Misusing these forms can lead to confusion about the time frame or the meaning of the sentence.

— 02

Misuse in passive

Many learners mistakenly use the past simple form instead of the past participle in passive voice constructions. The correct form for passive voice requires the past participle, e.g., 'The news was borne by messengers.' Incorrectly using the past simple 'bore' here, as in 'The news was bore by messengers,' disrupts the grammatical structure and clarity of the sentence.

— 03

Regular Verb Patterns

A frequent error is applying the regular verb pattern of adding '-ed' to form the past simple and past participle to irregular verbs like 'bear.' Some might incorrectly say 'beared' instead of 'bore' (past simple) or 'borne' (past participle). This mistake arises from overgeneralizing the rule that applies to regular verbs, without recognizing that 'bear' is an irregular verb and does not follow the standard pattern.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'bear'?

The past simple form of 'bear' is 'bore.' It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Last year, she bore the responsibility for organizing the event.'

What is the past participle form of 'bear'?

The past participle form of 'bear' is 'borne' or 'born,' depending on the context. 'Borne' is generally used in all contexts except when referring to birth, in which case 'born' is used. For example, 'She has borne the burden gracefully,' versus 'He was born in July.'

Can you provide an example of how to use 'bore' in a sentence?

Certainly! Here's an example. 'The ancient tree bore fruit for hundreds of years before it finally died.' In this sentence, 'bore' indicates that the tree produced fruit in the past.

How can I correctly use 'borne' or 'born' in a sentence?

To use 'borne' or 'born' correctly, determine if you're referring to carrying/producing something or to birth. For carrying/producing, use 'borne'. 'The news was borne by a messenger.' For birth, use 'born'. 'She was born on a stormy night.' Remember, 'borne' is also used in passive constructions and phrases like 'airborne' or 'borne out by evidence.'