Behold past tense

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Meaning of behold

to see or observe (someone or something, especially of remarkable or impressive nature).

Infinitive

Word: behold /bɪˈhoʊld/
Examples:
  • 1. Every morning on my walk to work, I behold the beautiful sunrise over the city skyline.
  • 2. Visitors often stop to behold the grandeur of the ancient cathedral, marveling at its architectural details.
  • 3. When you climb to the top of the hill, you will behold a breathtaking view of the entire valley spread out below.

Past Simple

Word: beheld /bɪˈhɛld/
Examples:
  • 1. She beheld the magnificent waterfall for the first time and was mesmerized by its beauty.
  • 2. During his journey, he beheld landscapes so breathtaking that they seemed surreal.
  • 3. They beheld the ancient ruins, amazed at what had survived the passage of time.

Past Participle

Word: beheld /bɪˈhɛld/
Examples:
  • 1. The majestic landscape was beheld by travelers from around the world.
  • 2. By the time we arrived, the rare comet had already been beheld by thousands of amateur astronomers.
  • 3. The new art exhibit will be beheld by critics and fans alike.

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Bare infinitive

  1. To describe the act of seeing or observing something that is currently happening, often used imperatively or to draw attention.
    Example. 'Behold the beauty of the sunrise.'
    Example. 'They behold the landscape with awe every morning.'
  2. Stating a fact or general truth, especially in storytelling or descriptive narrative.
    Example. 'Behold the beauty of the sunrise.'
    Example. 'They behold the landscape with awe every morning.'

Past Simple

  1. Describing an action of observing or seeing something that occurred at a specific time in the past.
    Example. 'Yesterday, we beheld the wonders of the ancient ruins.'
    Example. 'Last year, she beheld the northern lights for the first time.'
  2. Reflecting on an experience of seeing or observing something significant in a narrative.
    Example. 'Yesterday, we beheld the wonders of the ancient ruins.'
    Example. 'Last year, she beheld the northern lights for the first time.'

Past Participle

  1. Used in the perfect tenses to describe an action of observing or seeing that has been completed at some point in the past, often relative to another time.
    Example. Present Perfect. 'I have never beheld such beauty in my life.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time the ceremony began, the guests had already beheld the grandeur of the venue.'
    Example. 'The beheld treasures of the museum left everyone in awe.'
  2. As an adjective to describe something that has been seen or observed, often carrying a sense of admiration or significance.
    Example. Present Perfect. 'I have never beheld such beauty in my life.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time the ceremony began, the guests had already beheld the grandeur of the venue.'
    Example. 'The beheld treasures of the museum left everyone in awe.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Irregular Forms

One of the most common mistakes in using the past simple and past participle forms of the word “behold” is confusing its irregular forms. Unlike regular verbs that simply add -ed for both past simple and past participle (e.g., walk-walked-walked), “behold” has unique forms. past simple is “beheld” and past participle is also “beheld”. A common error is applying the regular verb pattern to “behold”, leading to incorrect forms like “beholded”.

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

Another mistake is using the wrong form of “behold” in perfect tenses (present perfect, past perfect, etc.). The correct past participle form, “beheld”, should be used with auxiliary verbs (have, had) to construct these tenses. For instance, the correct construction is “I have beheld” or “They had beheld”. A frequent error is using the base form or past simple instead, resulting in grammatically incorrect sentences like “I have behold” or “They had behold”.

— 03

Misuse in Passive

The past participle form “beheld” is also essential in forming passive voice constructions. A common mistake is not using the correct past participle form in such constructions, leading to grammatically incorrect sentences. The correct form should be “was/were beheld” for passive voice. An incorrect example would be saying “The beauty was behold” instead of the correct “The beauty was beheld”. This mistake alters the grammaticality and clarity of the sentence.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the past simple and past participle forms of 'behold'?

The past simple form of 'behold' is 'beheld.' This form is used to describe an action that happened at a definite time in the past. The past participle form is also 'beheld,' which is used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions.

How do I use 'beheld' in a sentence?

To use 'beheld' in the past simple tense, you would structure your sentence to indicate an action that was completed in the past. For example. 'I beheld the magnificent sunset from the top of the hill yesterday.' For the past participle form, you might use it in a perfect tense construction or in the passive voice, such as. Perfect tense. 'She has beheld many wonders in her travels around the world.' Passive voice. 'The ancient ruins were beheld with awe by every tourist.'

Can 'beheld' be used in both active and passive sentences?

Yes, 'beheld' can be used in both active and passive constructions. In an active sentence, the subject performs the action, as in 'The audience beheld a spectacular performance.' In a passive sentence, the subject is the receiver of the action, as in 'A spectacular performance was beheld by the audience.' Is it common to use 'behold' in modern English, and are there any alternatives