Bid past tense

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Learn past tenses to communicate in English accurately

Meaning of bid

to offer (a certain price) for something, especially at an auction.

Infinitive

Word: bid /bɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. Every year, local businesses bid for the city's landscaping contract, hoping to win the lucrative deal.
  • 2. She always bids a fair price for antique furniture at auctions, never overpaying but always competitive.
  • 3. At the charity event, participants enthusiastically bid on donated items, raising considerable funds for the cause.

Past Simple

Word: bid /bɪd/ or bade /bæd/
Examples:
  • 1. The auctioneer announced that John had bid the highest amount for the painting.
  • 2. She bid farewell to her friends, not knowing when she would see them again.
  • 3. They bade on the antique table, hoping to add it to their collection.

Past Participle

Word: bidden /ˈbɪdən/
Examples:
  • 1. The project was bidden on by multiple companies before a contractor was finally selected.
  • 2. The antiques had been bidden at remarkably high prices during the auction.
  • 3. The new contract will be bidden out next week to qualified suppliers.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual actions or routines.
    Example. He always bids low at the start of the auction.
    Example. The auction house bids farewell to its guests after every event.
    Example. The charity auction bids for glory next Saturday.
    Example. First, you bid on the item you want, then you wait for others to place their bids.
    Example. If you bid carefully, you can get valuable items at low prices.
  2. General truths or facts.
    Example. He always bids low at the start of the auction.
    Example. The auction house bids farewell to its guests after every event.
    Example. The charity auction bids for glory next Saturday.
    Example. First, you bid on the item you want, then you wait for others to place their bids.
    Example. If you bid carefully, you can get valuable items at low prices.
  3. Scheduled events in the near future (often for timetables or programs).
    Example. He always bids low at the start of the auction.
    Example. The auction house bids farewell to its guests after every event.
    Example. The charity auction bids for glory next Saturday.
    Example. First, you bid on the item you want, then you wait for others to place their bids.
    Example. If you bid carefully, you can get valuable items at low prices.
  4. Instructions or directions.
    Example. He always bids low at the start of the auction.
    Example. The auction house bids farewell to its guests after every event.
    Example. The charity auction bids for glory next Saturday.
    Example. First, you bid on the item you want, then you wait for others to place their bids.
    Example. If you bid carefully, you can get valuable items at low prices.
  5. Conditional sentences and after certain conjunctions (if, unless, when, as soon as).
    Example. He always bids low at the start of the auction.
    Example. The auction house bids farewell to its guests after every event.
    Example. The charity auction bids for glory next Saturday.
    Example. First, you bid on the item you want, then you wait for others to place their bids.
    Example. If you bid carefully, you can get valuable items at low prices.

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions in the past at a specific time.
    Example. He bid $500 for the painting last night and won.
    Example. She bid on the vase, won, and then paid for it immediately.
    Example. When I was younger, I bid on comic books all the time.
    Example. They always bid aggressively at auctions, which often scared off the competition.
  2. A sequence of actions in the past.
    Example. He bid $500 for the painting last night and won.
    Example. She bid on the vase, won, and then paid for it immediately.
    Example. When I was younger, I bid on comic books all the time.
    Example. They always bid aggressively at auctions, which often scared off the competition.
  3. Habits in the past.
    Example. He bid $500 for the painting last night and won.
    Example. She bid on the vase, won, and then paid for it immediately.
    Example. When I was younger, I bid on comic books all the time.
    Example. They always bid aggressively at auctions, which often scared off the competition.
  4. Past facts or generalizations.
    Example. He bid $500 for the painting last night and won.
    Example. She bid on the vase, won, and then paid for it immediately.
    Example. When I was younger, I bid on comic books all the time.
    Example. They always bid aggressively at auctions, which often scared off the competition.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses (to indicate actions that are complete or relevant to the present or specific time in the past or future).
    Example. Present Perfect. He has (often 'has bid' but sometimes 'has bidden') on several items but hasn't won anything today.
    Example. Past Perfect. Before this year, she had never bid (or 'bidden') on artwork.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next week, we will have bid (or 'bidden') on our dream house.
    Example. The final piece was bid (or 'bidden') on by an anonymous collector from abroad.
    Example. Feeling bid (or 'bidden'), he reluctantly raised his hand to offer more.
    Example. You are hereby bidden to attend the royal ball.
  2. Passive voice (to describe an action done to the subject by someone else).
    Example. Present Perfect. He has (often 'has bid' but sometimes 'has bidden') on several items but hasn't won anything today.
    Example. Past Perfect. Before this year, she had never bid (or 'bidden') on artwork.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next week, we will have bid (or 'bidden') on our dream house.
    Example. The final piece was bid (or 'bidden') on by an anonymous collector from abroad.
    Example. Feeling bid (or 'bidden'), he reluctantly raised his hand to offer more.
    Example. You are hereby bidden to attend the royal ball.
  3. As a participle used for adjectives.
    Example. Present Perfect. He has (often 'has bid' but sometimes 'has bidden') on several items but hasn't won anything today.
    Example. Past Perfect. Before this year, she had never bid (or 'bidden') on artwork.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next week, we will have bid (or 'bidden') on our dream house.
    Example. The final piece was bid (or 'bidden') on by an anonymous collector from abroad.
    Example. Feeling bid (or 'bidden'), he reluctantly raised his hand to offer more.
    Example. You are hereby bidden to attend the royal ball.
  4. In certain fixed expressions or phrases.
    Example. Present Perfect. He has (often 'has bid' but sometimes 'has bidden') on several items but hasn't won anything today.
    Example. Past Perfect. Before this year, she had never bid (or 'bidden') on artwork.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next week, we will have bid (or 'bidden') on our dream house.
    Example. The final piece was bid (or 'bidden') on by an anonymous collector from abroad.
    Example. Feeling bid (or 'bidden'), he reluctantly raised his hand to offer more.
    Example. You are hereby bidden to attend the royal ball.
  5. Remember, English usage can vary by region, and some of these forms are more common in certain dialects or more formal types of communication.
    Example. Present Perfect. He has (often 'has bid' but sometimes 'has bidden') on several items but hasn't won anything today.
    Example. Past Perfect. Before this year, she had never bid (or 'bidden') on artwork.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next week, we will have bid (or 'bidden') on our dream house.
    Example. The final piece was bid (or 'bidden') on by an anonymous collector from abroad.
    Example. Feeling bid (or 'bidden'), he reluctantly raised his hand to offer more.
    Example. You are hereby bidden to attend the royal ball.

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Use of the Past Simple Form

A common mistake is using the regular past simple form 'bidded' instead of the correct irregular past simple form 'bid' for the verb 'bid.' For example, saying 'Yesterday, I bidded on the painting' instead of the correct 'Yesterday, I bid on the painting.'

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

Another mistake involves using 'bidded' as the past participle form instead of the correct 'bid' or 'bidden' (depending on the context). This error often appears in perfect tenses. For instance, saying 'I have bidded on several auctions' instead of the correct 'I have bid on several auctions' or using 'bidden' in more formal or specific contexts like 'He had bidden farewell.'

— 03

Confusing forms

A less common but notable mistake is confusing the verb 'bid' with 'bade' when referring to the past simple of bid in the sense of offering a farewell or command. While 'bade' is the past simple form of 'bid' in the sense of issuing a command or saying goodbye, some might mistakenly use it or avoid it due to confusion with the auction sense. For example, incorrectly saying 'He bid goodbye to us' when the more traditionally correct form is 'He bade goodbye to us,' although 'bid' is becoming more accepted in modern usage for farewells.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'bid' is 'bid' or 'bade' (though 'bade' is less commonly used in modern English and considered more archaic or formal). The past participle form is 'bid' or 'bidden'. Therefore, you can use 'bid' for both the past simple and past participle, which is common in contemporary usage, or use 'bade' and 'bidden' for a more classical or formal tone.

How do I use 'bid' in the past simple tense in a sentence?

When using 'bid' in the past simple tense, it refers to an action that was completed in the past. For example. 'Yesterday, I bid $100 on the antique vase at the auction.' 'He bid his friends farewell before leaving the country.' If you choose to use the more formal or archaic form, you might say. 'He bade his friends farewell before leaving the country.'

How is the past participle 'bid' or 'bidden' used in a sentence?

The past participle form 'bid' or 'bidden' is often used in perfect tenses or the passive voice. For example. 'She has bid on several items at the auction.' (Present perfect tense using 'bid') 'By the end of the event, she had bid on five paintings.' (Past perfect tense using 'bid') 'He has been bidden to join the secret council.' (Present perfect passive voice using 'bidden')

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

Yes, here's an example that showcases both forms in a narrative context. Past Simple. 'Last year, I bid on a rare book at an auction and won.' Past Participle. 'Having bid on several items before, I was not new to this, but I had never been so thrilled.' In this example, the past simple 'bid' indicates the action taken in the past, while the past participle 'bid' (in the phrase 'having bid') is used to describe an experience up to that point in time.