Begin past tense

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Learn past tenses to communicate in English accurately

Meaning of begin

to start; to commence.

Infinitive

Word: begin: /bɪˈɡɪn/
Examples:
  • 1. Every morning, she begins her day with a cup of tea.
  • 2. The class begins at 8 a.m. sharp, so don't be late.
  • 3. He always begins his presentations with a funny anecdote to capture the audience's attention.

Past Simple

Word: began /bɪˈɡæn/
Examples:
  • 1. The movie began at 7 p.m., but we arrived a few minutes late.
  • 2. She began her career as an intern before rising to her current position.
  • 3. They began their journey to the mountains early in the morning to avoid traffic.

Past Participle

Word: begun /bɪˈɡʌn/
Examples:
  • 1. The project has been begun by the team.
  • 2. A decision had been begun by the committee before the interruption.
  • 3. The construction on the new bridge was begun last year.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual actions or routines.
    Example. Every morning, she begins her day with a cup of coffee.
    Example. The movie always begins at 8 PM.
    Example. The school year begins in September.
    Example. Now, we begin.
    Example. To solve the problem, first begin by checking the connection.
    Example. Talks Begin Between Nations.
  2. General truths or facts.
    Example. Every morning, she begins her day with a cup of coffee.
    Example. The movie always begins at 8 PM.
    Example. The school year begins in September.
    Example. Now, we begin.
    Example. To solve the problem, first begin by checking the connection.
    Example. Talks Begin Between Nations.
  3. Scheduled events in the near future (often related to formal schedules).
    Example. Every morning, she begins her day with a cup of coffee.
    Example. The movie always begins at 8 PM.
    Example. The school year begins in September.
    Example. Now, we begin.
    Example. To solve the problem, first begin by checking the connection.
    Example. Talks Begin Between Nations.
  4. To express immediate actions.
    Example. Every morning, she begins her day with a cup of coffee.
    Example. The movie always begins at 8 PM.
    Example. The school year begins in September.
    Example. Now, we begin.
    Example. To solve the problem, first begin by checking the connection.
    Example. Talks Begin Between Nations.
  5. Instructions or directions.
    Example. Every morning, she begins her day with a cup of coffee.
    Example. The movie always begins at 8 PM.
    Example. The school year begins in September.
    Example. Now, we begin.
    Example. To solve the problem, first begin by checking the connection.
    Example. Talks Begin Between Nations.
  6. Headlines or newspaper titles.
    Example. Every morning, she begins her day with a cup of coffee.
    Example. The movie always begins at 8 PM.
    Example. The school year begins in September.
    Example. Now, we begin.
    Example. To solve the problem, first begin by checking the connection.
    Example. Talks Begin Between Nations.

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions in the past at a specific time.
    Example. The concert began at 7 PM last night.
    Example. They began their journey early in the morning.
    Example. We arrived at the theater, bought popcorn, and then the movie began.
    Example. Long ago, the tradition began in a small village.
    Example. He always began his lectures with a joke.
    Example. She cleaned up the mess after the party had begun.
  2. Actions completed at some point in the past (time may not always be specified).
    Example. The concert began at 7 PM last night.
    Example. They began their journey early in the morning.
    Example. We arrived at the theater, bought popcorn, and then the movie began.
    Example. Long ago, the tradition began in a small village.
    Example. He always began his lectures with a joke.
    Example. She cleaned up the mess after the party had begun.
  3. Sequences of actions in the past.
    Example. The concert began at 7 PM last night.
    Example. They began their journey early in the morning.
    Example. We arrived at the theater, bought popcorn, and then the movie began.
    Example. Long ago, the tradition began in a small village.
    Example. He always began his lectures with a joke.
    Example. She cleaned up the mess after the party had begun.
  4. To introduce a past narrative or setting.
    Example. The concert began at 7 PM last night.
    Example. They began their journey early in the morning.
    Example. We arrived at the theater, bought popcorn, and then the movie began.
    Example. Long ago, the tradition began in a small village.
    Example. He always began his lectures with a joke.
    Example. She cleaned up the mess after the party had begun.
  5. When expressing habits or routines in the past.
    Example. The concert began at 7 PM last night.
    Example. They began their journey early in the morning.
    Example. We arrived at the theater, bought popcorn, and then the movie began.
    Example. Long ago, the tradition began in a small village.
    Example. He always began his lectures with a joke.
    Example. She cleaned up the mess after the party had begun.
  6. With clauses beginning with time expressions such as 'when,' 'after,' 'as soon as,' etc.
    Example. The concert began at 7 PM last night.
    Example. They began their journey early in the morning.
    Example. We arrived at the theater, bought popcorn, and then the movie began.
    Example. Long ago, the tradition began in a small village.
    Example. He always began his lectures with a joke.
    Example. She cleaned up the mess after the party had begun.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect) to indicate actions connected with the present, past, or future.
    Example. Present Perfect. They have just begun to realize the importance.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already begun.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next month, the construction will have begun.
    Example. The project was begun by the previous administration.
    Example. He is a begun novelist with one published book.
    Example. If the preparations had begun earlier, we wouldn't be in such a rush now.
    Example. After the work had begun, they encountered several challenges.
  2. Passive voice to indicate the action was performed by someone or something in a nonspecific manner.
    Example. Present Perfect. They have just begun to realize the importance.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already begun.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next month, the construction will have begun.
    Example. The project was begun by the previous administration.
    Example. He is a begun novelist with one published book.
    Example. If the preparations had begun earlier, we wouldn't be in such a rush now.
    Example. After the work had begun, they encountered several challenges.
  3. As adjectives to describe feelings or states relating to actions.
    Example. Present Perfect. They have just begun to realize the importance.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already begun.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next month, the construction will have begun.
    Example. The project was begun by the previous administration.
    Example. He is a begun novelist with one published book.
    Example. If the preparations had begun earlier, we wouldn't be in such a rush now.
    Example. After the work had begun, they encountered several challenges.
  4. In conditional sentences to imply hypothetical scenarios or politeness.
    Example. Present Perfect. They have just begun to realize the importance.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already begun.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next month, the construction will have begun.
    Example. The project was begun by the previous administration.
    Example. He is a begun novelist with one published book.
    Example. If the preparations had begun earlier, we wouldn't be in such a rush now.
    Example. After the work had begun, they encountered several challenges.
  5. In certain time clauses after conjunctions like 'after,' 'as soon as,' 'once.'
    Example. Present Perfect. They have just begun to realize the importance.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already begun.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next month, the construction will have begun.
    Example. The project was begun by the previous administration.
    Example. He is a begun novelist with one published book.
    Example. If the preparations had begun earlier, we wouldn't be in such a rush now.
    Example. After the work had begun, they encountered several challenges.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

One common mistake is the confusion between the past simple form 'began' and the past participle form 'begun.' The past simple form is used to describe actions that happened at a specific time in the past and do not continue into the present, e.g., 'The concert began at 8 PM.' In contrast, the past participle form 'begun' must be used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses, indicating actions that have relevance to the present or were completed at some unspecified time in the past, e.g., 'The concert has already begun.'

— 02

Incorrect Auxiliary Verb

Another mistake is using the wrong auxiliary verb with the past participle 'begun' when forming perfect tenses. Some may incorrectly pair it with the auxiliary verb 'to be' instead of the correct 'to have,' leading to incorrect sentences. The correct usage should be 'I have begun' or 'They had begun,' not 'I am begun' or 'They were begun.' This mistake disrupts the grammatical structure and can confuse the temporal understanding of the action described.

— 03

Omitting Past Participle

A third mistake involves omitting the past participle form altogether when attempting to use perfect tenses. For example, someone might incorrectly say, 'I have begin my homework' instead of the correct 'I have begun my homework.' This error changes the tense of the sentence and can lead to misunderstanding, as 'begin' is the base form of the verb and does not convey the completed aspect of the action that 'begun' does in combination with 'have' or 'had.'

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'begin'?

The past simple form of 'begin' is 'began'. This form is used to describe actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past. For example, 'The concert began at 8 PM yesterday.'

What is the past participle form of 'begin'?

The past participle form of 'begin' is 'begun'. This form is often used in perfect tenses, indicating actions that have been completed at some point in the past or that were completed before another action. For example, 'The meeting had already begun when I arrived.'

How do I use 'began' and 'begun' in sentences correctly?

To use 'began' correctly, you should apply it when talking about an action that occurred in the past and is not connected to the present, as in 'The lecture began at 9 AM.' For 'begun', it is used with auxiliary verbs like 'have', 'has', or 'had', to form perfect tenses. For instance, 'I have just begun reading this book.' Remember, 'began' is used for simple past tense, while 'begun' is used for perfect tenses (present perfect, past perfect, etc.).

Can you give examples of sentences using 'began' and 'begun' in different tenses?

Certainly! Here are examples showcasing 'began' and 'begun' in various tenses. Past Simple (began). 'The project began last Monday.' Present Perfect (begun). 'She has just begun her new job.' Past Perfect (begun). 'By the time he arrived, the movie had already begun.' Future Perfect (begun). 'By next year, they will have begun construction on the new bridge.' Each of these examples illustrates how 'began' and 'begun' are utilized in different tenses to indicate the timing of actions accurately.