Cleave past tense

Meaning of cleave

to split or sever something, especially along a natural line or grain.

Infinitive

Word: cleave: /kliːv/

Examples:

1. In woodworking, a skilled artisan often cleaves wood along the grain to ensure a smooth finish.
2. When faced with a difficult decision, she always cleaves to her moral principles, never wavering in her resolve.
3. During the demonstration, the chef cleaves the chicken into perfect pieces, showing off his culinary skills.

Past Simple

Word: clove /kləʊv/

Examples:

1. She cleaved the log in two with a single swing of the axe.
2. He had never before cleaved so closely to the truth in his storytelling.
3. The ship cleaved through the icy waters of the Arctic, undeterred by the cold.

Past Participle

Word: cloven or cleft /ˈkloʊ.vən/ or /klɛft/

Examples:

1. The log has been cleaved cleanly in two with a sharp axe.
2. The thick fog that had enshrouded the village was finally cleaved apart by the morning sun.
3. By a strong blow, the heavy chain was cleaved asunder, setting the prisoner free.

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Bare infinitive

Habitual actions or general truths (more commonly in the sense of clinging or adhering to something).
Example. 'He cleaves to his principles in every situation.'
Example. 'I find that water molecules cleave to each other due to hydrogen bonding.'
Situations that are happening right now (less common due to its meanings, but applicable in certain contexts).
Example. 'He cleaves to his principles in every situation.'
Example. 'I find that water molecules cleave to each other due to hydrogen bonding.'

Past Simple

Completed actions in the past (with 'cleaved' commonly used for both the splitting and adhering senses; 'cleft' and 'clave' more for splitting).
Example. 'He cleaved the log in two with a single chop.'
Example. 'Long ago, she cleaved to her family's traditions without question.'
Example. 'They cleft the rock to find the mineral inside.'
Example. 'In his youth, he clave to no man's opinion without scrutiny.'

Past Participle

Used in perfect tenses to denote actions that have been completed at some point in the past or that have relevance to the present moment.
Example. 'She has cleaved her way through many challenges.'
Example. 'The axe has cleft the wood perfectly.'
Example. 'This tribe has cleft to its ancient customs for centuries.'
Example. 'The sea was cleft by the prow of the ancient ship.'
Example. 'The community is tightly cleaved by shared beliefs.'
Example. 'The rock was cloven in half by lightning.'
Passive voice to describe the state of being affected by the action.
Example. 'She has cleaved her way through many challenges.'
Example. 'The axe has cleft the wood perfectly.'
Example. 'This tribe has cleft to its ancient customs for centuries.'
Example. 'The sea was cleft by the prow of the ancient ship.'
Example. 'The community is tightly cleaved by shared beliefs.'
Example. 'The rock was cloven in half by lightning.'
Cleave is an interesting verb in English because of its autoantonymic nature (meaning it has two opposite meanings) and because its Past Simple and Past Participle forms can vary widely. This variability requires attention to dialect and the specific meaning intended when choosing the correct form.
Example. 'She has cleaved her way through many challenges.'
Example. 'The axe has cleft the wood perfectly.'
Example. 'This tribe has cleft to its ancient customs for centuries.'
Example. 'The sea was cleft by the prow of the ancient ship.'
Example. 'The community is tightly cleaved by shared beliefs.'
Example. 'The rock was cloven in half by lightning.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Patterns

A common mistake is treating 'cleave' as a regular verb and simply adding -ed for both its past simple and past participle forms, resulting in incorrect forms like 'cleaved' for both. However, 'cleave' is an irregular verb, and it has different forms. traditionally, 'clove' or 'clave' for the past simple and 'cloven' for the past participle when meaning to split or cut. For its other sense, to adhere closely, the past forms are 'cleaved' for both. This confusion arises because 'cleave' is a unique verb with two opposite meanings (auto-antonym) and different sets of conjugations.

— 02

Confusing with Other Verbs

Another mistake is confusing the conjugation of 'cleave' with that of verbs with similar patterns or sounds. For example, learners might mistakenly apply the pattern of 'leave' (left/left) to 'cleave,' leading to incorrect forms like 'cleft' for the past simple and past participle, which is actually the correct form for 'clef' (meaning to split, especially in terms of music or art) but not for 'cleave.' This confusion is exacerbated by the existence of homophones and verbs that change very little across their forms.

— 03

Misuse in Modern Contexts

The verb 'cleave' is somewhat archaic, especially in its forms related to splitting ('clove'/'clave' and 'cloven'). A common mistake is using these traditional forms in modern contexts where the simpler 'cleaved' for both the past simple and past participle (regardless of meaning) is widely accepted and understood. This can lead to misunderstandings or the sentence sounding overly formal or outdated. It's important to match the verb form to the intended meaning and the context in which it is used, considering both the audience's familiarity with these forms and the formality of the situation.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The word 'cleave' is unique because it can follow two different conjugation patterns based on its meaning. When 'cleave' means to split or sever something, its past simple form is 'cleft' or 'cleaved,' and its past participle form is 'cleft,' 'cleaved,' or 'cloven.' However, when 'cleave' means to adhere closely or stick to something, the past simple and past participle forms are both 'cleaved.'

How do I use 'cleave' in the past simple tense correctly?

To use 'cleave' in the past simple tense, you should first determine the context in which you're using the word. If you're referring to splitting or severing, you might say, 'He cleft the log in two with a single swing.' If you're using it in the sense of adhering or sticking, you might say, 'They cleaved to their traditions despite everything.' Remember, 'cleft' can also be used for the splitting meaning, e.g., 'She cleft the apple cleanly.'

Can you provide examples of 'cleave' in the past participle form?

Certainly! Here are examples for both meanings. Splitting. 'The axe had cleft the wood into several pieces.' Alternatively, 'The wood was cloven in two.' Adhering. 'They have always cleaved to the belief that hard work pays off.' Remember, 'cleft' and 'cloven' can be used interchangeably for the splitting meaning in the past participle form, but 'cleaved' is the correct form for the adhering meaning. Is it common to use 'cloven' in modern English