Bend past tense

Meaning of bend

to shape or force (something straight) into a curve or angle.

Infinitive

Word: bend /bɛnd/

Examples:

1. The flexible wire bends easily without breaking.
2. He always bends the rules to suit his needs.
3. This tree branch bends under the weight of heavy snow.

Past Simple

Word: bent /bɛnt/

Examples:

1. She carefully bent the wire into a new shape for her art project.
2. Last night, the strong winds bent the young tree nearly to the ground.
3. He bent down to tie his shoelaces, feeling a slight strain in his back.

Past Participle

Word: bent /bɛnt/

Examples:

1. The metal rod was bent by the blacksmith.
2. The rules have been bent too many times by the administration.
3. The pipe had been bent to fit through the narrow space.

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Bare infinitive

To describe a habitual action or routine.
Example. She always bends the rules at her convenience.
Example. Light bends when it passes through water due to refraction.
Example. Bend your knees slightly while skiing.
Example. They bend the metal rods in the workshop next Monday.
To state a general truth or fact.
Example. She always bends the rules at her convenience.
Example. Light bends when it passes through water due to refraction.
Example. Bend your knees slightly while skiing.
Example. They bend the metal rods in the workshop next Monday.
To give instructions or commands.
Example. She always bends the rules at her convenience.
Example. Light bends when it passes through water due to refraction.
Example. Bend your knees slightly while skiing.
Example. They bend the metal rods in the workshop next Monday.
To express a future action planned or scheduled.
Example. She always bends the rules at her convenience.
Example. Light bends when it passes through water due to refraction.
Example. Bend your knees slightly while skiing.
Example. They bend the metal rods in the workshop next Monday.

Past Simple

To describe an action completed at a specific time in the past.
Example. He bent the wire into shape yesterday.
Example. As she bent down to pick up the coin, she realized it was stuck to the ground.
Example. They always bent their efforts towards helping the needy when they lived in the city.
To narrate a series of past events or tell a story.
Example. He bent the wire into shape yesterday.
Example. As she bent down to pick up the coin, she realized it was stuck to the ground.
Example. They always bent their efforts towards helping the needy when they lived in the city.
To express past habits or states with a time reference.
Example. He bent the wire into shape yesterday.
Example. As she bent down to pick up the coin, she realized it was stuck to the ground.
Example. They always bent their efforts towards helping the needy when they lived in the city.

Past Participle

To form the present perfect tense, expressing an action that happened at an unspecified time before now or its results are relevant in the present.
Example. They have finally bent the rod into the right shape.
Example. She had bent every possible rule before she got caught.
Example. He walked with a stick because of his bent back.
Example. The metal was bent by a powerful machine.
To form the past perfect tense, indicating an action that was completed before another past action.
Example. They have finally bent the rod into the right shape.
Example. She had bent every possible rule before she got caught.
Example. He walked with a stick because of his bent back.
Example. The metal was bent by a powerful machine.
As an adjective, describing something in a bent condition.
Example. They have finally bent the rod into the right shape.
Example. She had bent every possible rule before she got caught.
Example. He walked with a stick because of his bent back.
Example. The metal was bent by a powerful machine.
To form the passive voice, indicating something that receives the action.
Example. They have finally bent the rod into the right shape.
Example. She had bent every possible rule before she got caught.
Example. He walked with a stick because of his bent back.
Example. The metal was bent by a powerful machine.
These examples should provide clear guidance on when to use the different tense forms of 'bend' (present simple. bend, past simple. bent, and past participle. bent) in various contexts.
Example. They have finally bent the rod into the right shape.
Example. She had bent every possible rule before she got caught.
Example. He walked with a stick because of his bent back.
Example. The metal was bent by a powerful machine.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

A common mistake is mixing up the past simple form 'bent' with the past participle form, which is also 'bent.' While both forms are the same for the verb 'bend,' the error usually lies in their application within sentences. For instance, in the past simple, one might correctly say, 'He bent the wire.' However, confusion arises in perfect tenses, where the past participle is needed, and some might erroneously use the base form instead of the correct past participle, as in 'He has bend the wire' instead of 'He has bent the wire.'

— 02

Forming the Past Participle

Even though 'bend' correctly forms both its past simple and past participle as 'bent,' a common mistake with verbs is to apply a regular verb pattern (adding -ed) to all verbs, including irregular ones like 'bend.' Someone might mistakenly say or write 'bended' when trying to use the past participle, as in 'I have bended the rules,' instead of the correct 'I have bent the rules.'

— 03

Misusing in Passive Voice

When constructing sentences in the passive voice, the past participle form is required. A frequent mistake is using the past simple form instead of the past participle in such constructions. For example, saying 'The rules were bent by him' is correct, but one might incorrectly say 'The rules were bend by him,' not recognizing that 'bent' is the form needed for both past simple and past participle uses, including passive voice constructions.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'bend'?

The past simple form of 'bend' is 'bent.' It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I bent the wire into a circle.'

What is the past participle form of 'bend'?

The past participle form of 'bend' is also 'bent.' This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice sentences. For instance, 'The wire has been bent into a circle.'

How do I use the past simple form of 'bend' in a sentence?

To use the past simple form, you should focus on actions that were completed in the past. The structure typically follows a subject + verb (bent) + object format. An example would be, 'She bent the rod without much effort last night.' This sentence indicates that the action of bending the rod was completed at a specific time in the past (last night).

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

Certainly! When using the past participle form, you might be describing an action in a perfect tense or in a passive voice. An example in the present perfect tense is, 'They have bent all the spoons in the kitchen.' This implies the action of bending has occurred at some unspecified time before now. For passive voice, you could say, 'All the spoons in the kitchen have been bent by them,' which indicates that the spoons were subjected to the action of bending by someone. Remember, the context in which you're writing or speaking will determine which form of 'bend' (past simple or past participle) is appropriate to use.