Bully past tense

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Meaning of bully

to intimidate or harass someone perceived as weaker.

Infinitive

Word: bully /ˈbʊli/
Examples:
  • 1. Bullies often target those they perceive as vulnerable or different.
  • 2. She always stands up to anyone who tries to bully others in school.
  • 3. Teachers should address incidents where a student attempts to bully another immediately.

Past Simple

Word: bullied /ˈbʊlid/
Examples:
  • 1. He bullied his classmates until the teachers intervened.
  • 2. They bullied me for years before I finally stood up to them.
  • 3. She was bullied relentlessly in high school, which affected her self-confidence.

Past Participle

Word: bullied /ˈbʊliːd/
Examples:
  • 1. The timid student had been bullied relentlessly throughout the school year.
  • 2. Every day, the campaign's message against hate is being spread widely to ensure no child is bullied.
  • 3. The rules were enforced strictly by the school administration to make sure that no one was bullied.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Routine Actions or Habits. When describing actions that happen regularly or habits.
    Example. He often bullies younger kids at school.
    Example. Bullies bully because they seek power.
  2. General Truths or Facts. For stating facts or general truths.
    Example. He often bullies younger kids at school.
    Example. Bullies bully because they seek power.

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions in the past. Used to talk about a specific event that started and finished at a particular time in the past.
    Example. He bullied me during our high school years.
    Example. She bullied her classmates, but now she's a strong advocate against bullying.
  2. Past habits. For actions that were regular in the past but not anymore.
    Example. He bullied me during our high school years.
    Example. She bullied her classmates, but now she's a strong advocate against bullying.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect Tenses.
    Example. They have bullied him for years, and it still affects his confidence today.
    Example. By the time the teacher intervened, the students had already bullied the new kid for weeks.
    Example. By the end of the year, they will have bullied everyone into submission.
    Example. The new student was bullied by his peers for months.
  2. Present Perfect. To talk about actions or situations in the past that still have a connection to the present moment.
    Example. They have bullied him for years, and it still affects his confidence today.
    Example. By the time the teacher intervened, the students had already bullied the new kid for weeks.
    Example. By the end of the year, they will have bullied everyone into submission.
    Example. The new student was bullied by his peers for months.
  3. Past Perfect. To talk about actions that were completed before a certain point in the past.
    Example. They have bullied him for years, and it still affects his confidence today.
    Example. By the time the teacher intervened, the students had already bullied the new kid for weeks.
    Example. By the end of the year, they will have bullied everyone into submission.
    Example. The new student was bullied by his peers for months.
  4. Future Perfect. To talk about actions that will be completed before a certain point in the future.
    Example. They have bullied him for years, and it still affects his confidence today.
    Example. By the time the teacher intervened, the students had already bullied the new kid for weeks.
    Example. By the end of the year, they will have bullied everyone into submission.
    Example. The new student was bullied by his peers for months.
  5. Passive Voice. To describe when the action is done to the subject rather than the subject doing the action.
    Example. They have bullied him for years, and it still affects his confidence today.
    Example. By the time the teacher intervened, the students had already bullied the new kid for weeks.
    Example. By the end of the year, they will have bullied everyone into submission.
    Example. The new student was bullied by his peers for months.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake with the word 'bully' is confusing its past simple form ('bullied') with its past participle form, which is also 'bullied'. While both forms are spelled the same, their usage differs depending on the sentence structure. The past simple is used for actions completed in the past (e.g., 'He bullied me in school.'), whereas the past participle is often used in perfect tenses or passive voice (e.g., 'He has been bullied for years.' or 'She was bullied by her peers.'). Misunderstanding when to use each form can lead to grammatical errors and confusion in communication.

— 02

Incorrect Verb Conjugation

Another mistake is incorrectly conjugating 'bully' into its past forms. Some might mistakenly add an -ed to the past participle form out of confusion with regular verb conjugation rules, attempting to say 'bullyed' instead of the correct 'bullied'. This stems from misunderstanding how to form the past simple and past participle forms of regular versus irregular verbs. 'Bully' follows the regular verb pattern by adding -ied, replacing the y with an i when it comes before the -ed, which is a specific rule that applies to verbs ending in 'y'.

— 03

Incorrect Spelling

A less common but notable mistake involves omitting the change in spelling that occurs when 'bully' is converted into its past forms. Instead of changing the 'y' to 'i' and adding -ed for 'bullied', some might incorrectly attempt to simply add -ed to the end of the word ('bullyed'). This error reflects a misunderstanding of the spelling rules that apply to verbs ending in 'y', where the 'y' becomes 'i' before adding -ed for the past simple and past participle forms.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'bully' is 'bullied'. The past participle form is also 'bullied'. Both forms are used to describe actions that happened in the past, but they are used in different grammatical structures.

How do you use the past simple form 'bullied'?

The past simple form 'bullied' is used to talk about a specific instance or instances of bullying that happened at a particular time in the past. For example. 'When I was in middle school, a group of older kids bullied me for a year.' It is used in simple past tense sentences where the time of the action is indicated or understood from the context.

How is the past participle 'bullied' used in sentences?

The past participle 'bullied' is commonly used in perfect tense constructions or as an adjective. For example. In the present perfect tense. 'He has never bullied anyone in his life.' In the past perfect tense. 'By the time the teacher intervened, the student had already been bullied for months.' As an adjective. 'The bullied child received support from the school counselor.' The past participle is essential for constructing these tense forms, which indicate actions that have relevance to the present or actions that occurred before another action in the past.

Can you provide an example of a sentence using both the past simple and past participle forms of 'bully'?

Yes, here's a sentence that uses both forms to convey different aspects of bullying. 'Although he bullied other students in his youth, he has since realized the impact of his actions and has worked to support bullied children.' In this sentence, 'bullied' is first used in the past simple form to describe the person's past actions. The second 'bullied' is used as a past participle in the phrase 'bullied children,' functioning as an adjective to describe the children who experienced bullying.