Comb past tense

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Meaning of comb

to untangle or arrange (the hair) by drawing a comb through it.

Infinitive

Word: comb /koʊm/
Examples:
  • 1. Every morning, Lisa combs her hair before leaving for work.
  • 2. My brother always combs through the beach sand looking for shells.
  • 3. The teacher asks the students to comb through the text and find the main idea.

Past Simple

Word: combed /koʊmd/
Examples:
  • 1. She combed her hair quickly before leaving for the party.
  • 2. He combed the beach for shells early in the morning.
  • 3. They combed through the documents, looking for any evidence of wrongdoing.

Past Participle

Word: combed /koʊmd/
Examples:
  • 1. Her long, tangled hair had been carefully combed by her mother every morning before school.
  • 2. The ancient artifacts were combed through by the archaeologists, searching for any signs of the lost civilization.
  • 3. Every strand of evidence in the case has been meticulously combed by the detectives.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual Actions
    Example. Every morning, she combs her hair before leaving for work.
    Example. He combs his daughter's hair at 8 a.m. every day before school.
    Example. To style your hair, comb it while it's still damp.
  2. Fixed Arrangements
    Example. Every morning, she combs her hair before leaving for work.
    Example. He combs his daughter's hair at 8 a.m. every day before school.
    Example. To style your hair, comb it while it's still damp.
  3. Instructions or Directions
    Example. Every morning, she combs her hair before leaving for work.
    Example. He combs his daughter's hair at 8 a.m. every day before school.
    Example. To style your hair, comb it while it's still damp.

Past Simple

  1. Completed Actions in the Past
    Example. She combed her hair quickly before the party last night.
    Example. He always combed his hair back in the 90s.
    Example. She combed her hair, did her makeup, and then dressed up for the event.
  2. Past Habits
    Example. She combed her hair quickly before the party last night.
    Example. He always combed his hair back in the 90s.
    Example. She combed her hair, did her makeup, and then dressed up for the event.
  3. Sequential Actions in the Past
    Example. She combed her hair quickly before the party last night.
    Example. He always combed his hair back in the 90s.
    Example. She combed her hair, did her makeup, and then dressed up for the event.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect Tenses
    Example. She has always combed her hair with care.
    Example. The young girl's hair was combed gently by her mother.
    Example. The combed beaches of the resort look more appealing to the tourists.
    Example. After being combed thoroughly, her hair had a beautiful shine.
  2. Passive Voice
    Example. She has always combed her hair with care.
    Example. The young girl's hair was combed gently by her mother.
    Example. The combed beaches of the resort look more appealing to the tourists.
    Example. After being combed thoroughly, her hair had a beautiful shine.
  3. Adjectives
    Example. She has always combed her hair with care.
    Example. The young girl's hair was combed gently by her mother.
    Example. The combed beaches of the resort look more appealing to the tourists.
    Example. After being combed thoroughly, her hair had a beautiful shine.
  4. Describing Conditions
    Example. She has always combed her hair with care.
    Example. The young girl's hair was combed gently by her mother.
    Example. The combed beaches of the resort look more appealing to the tourists.
    Example. After being combed thoroughly, her hair had a beautiful shine.

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Verb Form Usage

A common mistake is using the incorrect form of the verb 'comb' when trying to express actions in the past. The past simple form of 'comb' is 'combed,' and the past participle form is also 'combed.' However, people often mistakenly use 'comb' (the base form) for both past actions and perfect tenses. For example, they might incorrectly say, 'Yesterday, I comb my hair for the party,' instead of the correct form, 'Yesterday, I combed my hair for the party.'

— 02

Confusing Patterns

Another mistake is treating 'comb' as if it were an irregular verb. While many verbs in English change form entirely in their past and past participle forms (e.g., go/went/gone), 'comb' is a regular verb and follows the standard rule of adding '-ed' for both its past simple and past participle forms. An example of this mistake would be someone saying, 'I have comb my hair,' instead of the correct 'I have combed my hair.'

— 03

Omitting the -ed Ending in Writing

In written English, a frequent error is omitting the '-ed' ending for the past simple and past participle forms of 'comb.' This might happen due to oversight or misunderstanding of regular verb conjugation rules. The omission can lead to confusion about the tense or aspect of the verb being used. For instance, writing 'She comb her hair before leaving,' instead of the correct 'She combed her hair before leaving,' makes the sentence grammatically incorrect and can confuse the reader about the timing of the action.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'comb'?

The past simple form of 'comb' is 'combed.' It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For instance, 'Yesterday, I combed my hair before leaving the house.'

What is the past participle form of 'comb'?

The past participle form of 'comb' is also 'combed.' This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice. For example, in the sentence 'I have combed my hair every day this week,' 'combed' is used as the past participle in the present perfect tense.

How do you use 'combed' in a sentence?

'Combed' can be used both as the past simple and the past participle form. As past simple. 'She combed her hair thoroughly before the interview.' As past participle in the present perfect tense. 'He has combed the beach looking for shells.'

Can 'comb' be used in a passive voice sentence? If so, how?

Yes, 'comb' can be used in a passive voice sentence, typically in its past participle form. For example, 'The ancient ruins were combed through by the archaeologists for artifacts.' In this sentence, 'combed through' is used in the passive voice to indicate that the action was performed by someone (the archaeologists) on something (the ancient ruins).