Beset past tense

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Meaning of beset

to surround or to harass persistently.

Infinitive

Word: beset: /bɪˈsɛt/
Examples:
  • 1. The project is beset with difficulties from the very start.
  • 2. This area is beset by high levels of unemployment.
  • 3. They were beset with financial troubles throughout the year.

Past Simple

Word: beset /bɪˈsɛt/
Examples:
  • 1. The early settlers were beset by harsh weather and scarce resources.
  • 2. She found her plans beset by unexpected difficulties.
  • 3. The project was beset with problems from the start, leading to numerous delays.

Past Participle

Word: beset /bɪˈsɛt/
Examples:
  • 1. The ancient city had been beset by invaders numerous times through history.
  • 2. The team's plans were beset by unexpected challenges.
  • 3. The project has been beset with difficulties since its inception.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual actions or routines
    Example. Dangerous situations frequently beset her job.
    Example. Natural disasters are difficulties that beset our world.
    Example. Tomorrow’s meeting besets us with another opportunity to resolve the issues.
  2. General truths or facts
    Example. Dangerous situations frequently beset her job.
    Example. Natural disasters are difficulties that beset our world.
    Example. Tomorrow’s meeting besets us with another opportunity to resolve the issues.
  3. Scheduled future events (in a timetable or itinerary)
    Example. Dangerous situations frequently beset her job.
    Example. Natural disasters are difficulties that beset our world.
    Example. Tomorrow’s meeting besets us with another opportunity to resolve the issues.

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions at a specific time in the past
    Example. Financial challenges beset the company last year.
    Example. She traveled to Africa, where many dangers beset her journey.
    Example. In his youth, he was often beset by feelings of inadequacy.
    Example. The old city was once beset with thieves and charlatans at every corner.
  2. A series of completed actions in the past
    Example. Financial challenges beset the company last year.
    Example. She traveled to Africa, where many dangers beset her journey.
    Example. In his youth, he was often beset by feelings of inadequacy.
    Example. The old city was once beset with thieves and charlatans at every corner.
  3. Habitual actions in the past (often with expressions such as 'always,' 'often,' 'never,' 'when I was a child')
    Example. Financial challenges beset the company last year.
    Example. She traveled to Africa, where many dangers beset her journey.
    Example. In his youth, he was often beset by feelings of inadequacy.
    Example. The old city was once beset with thieves and charlatans at every corner.
  4. Past facts or generalizations which are no longer true
    Example. Financial challenges beset the company last year.
    Example. She traveled to Africa, where many dangers beset her journey.
    Example. In his youth, he was often beset by feelings of inadequacy.
    Example. The old city was once beset with thieves and charlatans at every corner.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect aspects to indicate completed actions
    Example. The ancient fortress was beset by invaders from the north.
    Example. Feeling beset by endless challenges, she took a day off to recuperate.
  2. Present Perfect. She has always been beset by worries.
    Example. The ancient fortress was beset by invaders from the north.
    Example. Feeling beset by endless challenges, she took a day off to recuperate.
  3. Past Perfect. They had already been beset by numerous difficulties before the project even began.
    Example. The ancient fortress was beset by invaders from the north.
    Example. Feeling beset by endless challenges, she took a day off to recuperate.
  4. Future Perfect. We will have been beset by the end of the journey.
    Example. The ancient fortress was beset by invaders from the north.
    Example. Feeling beset by endless challenges, she took a day off to recuperate.
  5. Passive voice to show that the subject receives the action
    Example. The ancient fortress was beset by invaders from the north.
    Example. Feeling beset by endless challenges, she took a day off to recuperate.
  6. As an adjective to describe a state resulting from a previous action
    Example. The ancient fortress was beset by invaders from the north.
    Example. Feeling beset by endless challenges, she took a day off to recuperate.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake is confusing the past simple form of 'beset' with its past participle form, or vice versa. The past simple form is 'beset,' identical to its base form, which often leads to the misconception that it might change when it transitions to its past participle form. However, the past participle form is also 'beset.' This confusion can affect the proper construction of sentences, especially in perfect tenses and passive voice, where the past participle form is required.

— 02

Using Regular Verb Form

Another common error is trying to regularize the verb 'beset' by adding a typical past tense or past participle ending such as '-ed.' This mistake comes from the habit of applying regular verb rules to all verbs. The correct past simple and past participle form of 'beset' does not change, but people might mistakenly write or say 'beseted' thinking they need to follow the regular verb pattern. This leads to incorrect forms not recognized in standard English.

— 03

Misuse in Compound Tenses

Due to misunderstanding the correct past participle form of 'beset,' individuals might misuse it in compound tenses. For example, in the present perfect tense, the correct construction is 'has beset' or 'have beset.' However, a mistake would be using an incorrect past participle form, such as saying 'has beseted' instead. This not only distorts the intended meaning but also disrupts the grammatical accuracy of the sentence, demonstrating a fundamental error in verb tense application.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'beset' is 'beset.' Interestingly, the past participle form is also 'beset.' This means that both the past simple and past participle forms do not change and remain the same as the base form.

How do you use 'beset' in the past simple tense?

In the past simple tense, 'beset' is used to describe an action or a situation that occurred at a specific time in the past and has already been completed. For example. 'The travelers were beset by bandits in the mountains yesterday.'

How is the past participle form of 'beset' used in sentences?

The past participle form of 'beset' is used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'The region has been beset by natural disasters for years.' In a passive voice construction, you could say, 'The ancient city was beset by invaders.'

Can you give an example of a sentence using 'beset' in both the past simple and past participle form?

Certainly! Here is an example that illustrates the use of 'beset' in both forms within a context. Past Simple. 'The project team was beset with challenges from the start.' Past Participle in Present Perfect. 'The project has been beset with challenges since its inception.' In both sentences, 'beset' indicates that the subject encountered difficulties or obstacles, with the tense altering the timeframe in which these challenges occurred.