Burst past tense

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Meaning of burst

to break open or apart suddenly and violently, especially from internal pressure.

Infinitive

Word: burst /bɜːst/
Examples:
  • 1. The balloon bursts when you poke it with a sharp object.
  • 2. The water pipe bursts due to the extreme cold weather each winter.
  • 3. His heart almost bursts with joy when he sees his daughter perform on stage for the first time.

Past Simple

Word: burst /bɜːrst/
Examples:
  • 1. The balloon burst when it hit the sharp edge of the table.
  • 2. My heart almost burst with joy when I heard the good news.
  • 3. The riverbank burst after days of heavy rain, causing widespread flooding.

Past Participle

Word: burst /bɜrst/
Examples:
  • 1. The balloons had been burst by the end of the party.
  • 2. The seams of the bag were burst under the weight of the books.
  • 3. The pipes in the house had burst after the freezing temperatures overnight.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual actions.
    Example. She usually bursts into song when she's happy.
    Example. When you burst a balloon, it makes a loud noise.
    Example. The show bursts onto the stage at 8 pm tonight.
  2. General truths or facts.
    Example. She usually bursts into song when she's happy.
    Example. When you burst a balloon, it makes a loud noise.
    Example. The show bursts onto the stage at 8 pm tonight.
  3. Fixed arrangements in the near future (often used with a time reference).
    Example. She usually bursts into song when she's happy.
    Example. When you burst a balloon, it makes a loud noise.
    Example. The show bursts onto the stage at 8 pm tonight.

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions in the past (at a specific time).
    Example. The balloon burst when he pricked it with a pin yesterday.
    Example. She burst into tears, then she calmed down, and finally, she explained what happened.
    Example. As a child, he often burst into laughter at the slightest joke.
    Example. There was a time when the company's profits burst through the projected forecasts.
  2. A series of completed actions in the past.
    Example. The balloon burst when he pricked it with a pin yesterday.
    Example. She burst into tears, then she calmed down, and finally, she explained what happened.
    Example. As a child, he often burst into laughter at the slightest joke.
    Example. There was a time when the company's profits burst through the projected forecasts.
  3. Habits in the past (often used with 'used to' or 'would').
    Example. The balloon burst when he pricked it with a pin yesterday.
    Example. She burst into tears, then she calmed down, and finally, she explained what happened.
    Example. As a child, he often burst into laughter at the slightest joke.
    Example. There was a time when the company's profits burst through the projected forecasts.
  4. Past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.
    Example. The balloon burst when he pricked it with a pin yesterday.
    Example. She burst into tears, then she calmed down, and finally, she explained what happened.
    Example. As a child, he often burst into laughter at the slightest joke.
    Example. There was a time when the company's profits burst through the projected forecasts.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses.
    Example. She has just burst the water balloon.
    Example. By the time we got there, the pipe had already burst.
    Example. By next year, the housing bubble may have burst.
    Example. The dam was burst by the overwhelming flood waters.
    Example. Filled with burst balloons, the room looked like the aftermath of a big celebration.
  2. Present Perfect (actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past; actions that started in the past but continue in the present; actions completed in the recent past, often with 'just').
    Example. She has just burst the water balloon.
    Example. By the time we got there, the pipe had already burst.
    Example. By next year, the housing bubble may have burst.
    Example. The dam was burst by the overwhelming flood waters.
    Example. Filled with burst balloons, the room looked like the aftermath of a big celebration.
  3. Past Perfect (actions that were completed before another action in the past).
    Example. She has just burst the water balloon.
    Example. By the time we got there, the pipe had already burst.
    Example. By next year, the housing bubble may have burst.
    Example. The dam was burst by the overwhelming flood waters.
    Example. Filled with burst balloons, the room looked like the aftermath of a big celebration.
  4. Future Perfect (actions that will have been completed by a certain future point).
    Example. She has just burst the water balloon.
    Example. By the time we got there, the pipe had already burst.
    Example. By next year, the housing bubble may have burst.
    Example. The dam was burst by the overwhelming flood waters.
    Example. Filled with burst balloons, the room looked like the aftermath of a big celebration.
  5. Passive voice (to describe when the subject of the sentence is acted upon).
    Example. She has just burst the water balloon.
    Example. By the time we got there, the pipe had already burst.
    Example. By next year, the housing bubble may have burst.
    Example. The dam was burst by the overwhelming flood waters.
    Example. Filled with burst balloons, the room looked like the aftermath of a big celebration.
  6. As an adjective to describe a state resulting from a previous action.
    Example. She has just burst the water balloon.
    Example. By the time we got there, the pipe had already burst.
    Example. By next year, the housing bubble may have burst.
    Example. The dam was burst by the overwhelming flood waters.
    Example. Filled with burst balloons, the room looked like the aftermath of a big celebration.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

The word 'burst' is unique because its past simple and past participle forms are unchanged from the base form. A common mistake is assuming that 'burst' should conform to regular verb patterns by adding -ed for its past forms, as in 'bursted' for past simple or past participle. This is incorrect. The correct usage is 'burst' for present, past simple, and past participle forms.

— 02

Misuse in Perfect Tenses

When using perfect tenses, which require the past participle, some might mistakenly alter 'burst' thinking it needs to be modified to fit the tense. This can lead to errors in both writing and speaking when forming present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect tenses. The correct form retains 'burst' as the past participle. For example.

— 03

Modifying for Passive Voice

Another common mistake is incorrectly inflecting 'burst' in the passive voice, especially in complex tenses. Since 'burst' remains the same in its past participle form, it should not be altered when constructing passive sentences. Incorrectly modifying 'burst' can lead to grammatical errors. For example.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'burst'?

The past simple form of 'burst' is 'burst.' The word 'burst' is an irregular verb, and interestingly, it doesn't change its form when used in the past tense. So, whether you're talking about an event that happened just a moment ago or something that occurred years in the past, the correct form is always 'burst.' Example. Yesterday, the balloon burst when it was pricked with a needle.

What is the past participle form of 'burst'?

Similar to the past simple form, the past participle form of 'burst' remains 'burst.' This is a unique characteristic of some irregular verbs in English, where the base form, past simple, and past participle forms are all the same. Example. The pipes have burst due to the freezing temperatures.

How do I use 'burst' in a sentence to indicate a past action or condition?

To indicate a past action or condition using 'burst,' you simply use 'burst' in the sentence, keeping in mind the context and the sentence structure. If it's a simple past action, you can use it directly. For a condition or action that has relevance to the present, you might use it with helping verbs to indicate the perfect tense. Simple Past Example. The fireworks burst in the sky last night. Present Perfect Example. The dam has burst, flooding the nearby villages.

Can you give examples showing the difference between using 'burst' in the past simple and past participle forms?

Certainly! Though the form of 'burst' remains the same, its usage in a sentence depends on the tense and the structure of the sentence. Here are examples to illustrate the difference. Past Simple Example. The bubble burst as soon as it touched the grass. In this sentence, 'burst' is used to describe a direct action that happened in the past. Past Participle Example. The stolen bank notes had burst out of the bag by the time the police arrived. In this example, 'burst' is part of the past perfect tense, indicating an action that was completed before another action in the past. Note that the form of 'burst' does not change, but its use in the sentence structure does, often accompanied by auxiliary verbs like 'have' or 'had.'