Chew past tense

Meaning of chew

to crush or grind with the teeth.

Infinitive

Word: chew /tʃuː/

Examples:

1. She always chews her food thoroughly before swallowing.
2. Dogs love to chew on bones as a way to keep their teeth clean and strong.
3. If you chew gum while cutting onions, it can help prevent tears.

Past Simple

Word: chewed /tʃuːd/

Examples:

1. She chewed the gum loudly during the movie, which annoyed the other viewers.
2. The dog chewed through his new toy in less than an hour.
3. They chewed on their pencils while trying to solve the difficult puzzle.

Past Participle

Word: chewed /t͡ʃuːd/

Examples:

1. The gum has been chewed thoroughly before being spat out.
2. The steak was chewed slowly to savor its flavor.
3. By the end of the meal, all the food had been chewed and digested entirely.

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Bare infinitive

Habitual actions or routines
Example. She chews gum while studying to help her concentrate.
Example. Rabbits chew constantly to keep their teeth sharp.
Example. He chews very loudly, which can be quite annoying.
General truths or facts
Example. She chews gum while studying to help her concentrate.
Example. Rabbits chew constantly to keep their teeth sharp.
Example. He chews very loudly, which can be quite annoying.
Describing characteristics or abilities
Example. She chews gum while studying to help her concentrate.
Example. Rabbits chew constantly to keep their teeth sharp.
Example. He chews very loudly, which can be quite annoying.

Past Simple

Actions completed at a specific time in the past
Example. She chewed her pencil's end while thinking about the answer.
Example. He chewed his food thoroughly before swallowing.
Example. When I was a child, I chewed my nails constantly.
Narrations or sequences of events in the past
Example. She chewed her pencil's end while thinking about the answer.
Example. He chewed his food thoroughly before swallowing.
Example. When I was a child, I chewed my nails constantly.
Habits or routines in the past
Example. She chewed her pencil's end while thinking about the answer.
Example. He chewed his food thoroughly before swallowing.
Example. When I was a child, I chewed my nails constantly.

Past Participle

Perfect aspect (with 'have/has/had'), indicating actions that were completed at some point in the past or that began in the past and continue into the present
Example. The paperwork was chewed by the dog before it could be submitted.
Example. The chewed pencils on her desk were a clear sign of her anxiety during exams.
Example (Present Perfect). I have never chewed tobacco.
Example. The paperwork was chewed by the dog before it could be submitted.
Example. The chewed pencils on her desk were a clear sign of her anxiety during exams.
Example (Past Perfect). By the time the dentist arrived, he had already chewed the inside of his cheek out of nervousness.
Example. The paperwork was chewed by the dog before it could be submitted.
Example. The chewed pencils on her desk were a clear sign of her anxiety during exams.
Passive voice, to talk about actions done to the subject rather than by the subject
Example. The paperwork was chewed by the dog before it could be submitted.
Example. The chewed pencils on her desk were a clear sign of her anxiety during exams.
Adjective or descriptive phrase
Example. The paperwork was chewed by the dog before it could be submitted.
Example. The chewed pencils on her desk were a clear sign of her anxiety during exams.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

A common mistake involves using the past simple form of the verb 'chew' (chewed) when the past participle (chewed) is needed, and vice versa. While in the case of 'chew,' both forms look the same, this mistake becomes evident in verbs with distinct forms. It's essential to recognize that the past simple is used for completed actions in the past, e.g., 'I chewed my food carefully,' whereas the past participle is often used in perfect tenses and passive voice, e.g., 'The food has been chewed thoroughly.'

— 02

Incorrect Use in Perfect Tenses

Another mistake is misusing the verb forms in perfect tense constructions. For verbs where the past simple and past participle forms differ, it's crucial to use the correct form with auxiliary verbs to construct perfect tenses. Since 'chew' retains the same form for both (chewed), the mistake might seem less apparent but understanding the principle is crucial. For example, saying 'I have chew my food' instead of 'I have chewed my food' is incorrect. This highlights the importance of applying the correct past participle form in perfect tenses.

— 03

Wrong Patterns

Some learners might mistakenly overgeneralize patterns from irregular verbs to regular ones like 'chew.' For instance, assuming that because 'sing' becomes 'sung' in its past participle, 'chew' might become 'chewn' in an attempt to follow a perceived pattern. This error underscores the importance of learning and applying the correct forms for both regular and irregular verbs without assuming a one-size-fits-all rule for verb conjugation.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'chew' is 'chewed.' Both the past participle form and the past simple form are the same in this case, which is also 'chewed.' For example, you would say, 'Yesterday, I chewed gum during the exam,' for the past simple, and 'I have chewed gum since I was a child,' for the past participle.

How do you use the past simple form 'chewed' in a sentence?

The past simple form 'chewed' is used to talk about actions that were completed at a specific time in the past. For example. 'She chewed her pencil while thinking about the answer.' This sentence indicates that the action of chewing the pencil happened and was completed in the past during the act of thinking about the answer. When should you use the past participle form 'chewed'