Comprehend past tense

Meaning of comprehend

to grasp mentally; understand.

Infinitive

Word: comprehend /kəmˈprɛhɛnd/

Examples:

1. She comprehends the complexity of the situation very well.
2. They always comprehend the instructions given to them without any difficulty.
3. He comprehends the importance of learning new languages in today's globalized world.

Past Simple

Word: comprehended /ˌkɑm.prɪˈhɛn.dɪd/

Examples:

1. She finally comprehended the complexity of the problem after hours of study.
2. They comprehended the instructions only after reading them several times.
3. He comprehended the importance of the meeting after discussing it with his colleagues.

Past Participle

Word: comprehended /ˌkɑmprɪˈhɛndɪd/

Examples:

1. The complex theory was comprehended by the students after the professor's detailed explanation.
2. By the end of the semester, the entire textbook had been comprehended by the study group.
3. The cryptic poem was finally comprehended by the readers once the hidden meanings were explained.

Learn more words on the go

Master verb forms with Promova!

Download the app

Bare infinitive

When talking about facts, generalizations, or truths that are timeless.
Example. 'I comprehend the basics of math without much effort.'
Example. 'She comprehends complex texts every morning as part of her study routine.'
Example. 'The course on ancient languages commences next week; I hope to comprehend Latin better through it.'
To describe habits or routines.
Example. 'I comprehend the basics of math without much effort.'
Example. 'She comprehends complex texts every morning as part of her study routine.'
Example. 'The course on ancient languages commences next week; I hope to comprehend Latin better through it.'
To express scheduled events in the near future, often found in timetables or programs (less common with 'comprehend').
Example. 'I comprehend the basics of math without much effort.'
Example. 'She comprehends complex texts every morning as part of her study routine.'
Example. 'The course on ancient languages commences next week; I hope to comprehend Latin better through it.'

Past Simple

For actions that were completed at a specific time in the past.
Example. 'I finally comprehended the chapter's concept after reading it three times last night.'
Example. 'She read the document, comprehended its implications, and made her decision yesterday.'
Example. 'When I was a child, I comprehended things more quickly than I do now.'
To describe a series of completed actions in the past.
Example. 'I finally comprehended the chapter's concept after reading it three times last night.'
Example. 'She read the document, comprehended its implications, and made her decision yesterday.'
Example. 'When I was a child, I comprehended things more quickly than I do now.'
To talk about past habits or states, which are no longer true.
Example. 'I finally comprehended the chapter's concept after reading it three times last night.'
Example. 'She read the document, comprehended its implications, and made her decision yesterday.'
Example. 'When I was a child, I comprehended things more quickly than I do now.'

Past Participle

Used in perfect tenses to talk about actions that have a connection to the present or were completed at some unspecified time in the past.
Example. Present Perfect. 'I have comprehended the importance of patience through years of practice.'
Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time the meeting started, she had already comprehended the document’s key points.'
Example. Passive Voice. 'The complexity of the subject was fully comprehended only after extensive studies were conducted.'
Example. 'He gave a comprehended sigh, showing that he finally understood the situation.'
To form the passive voice, indicating that the subject of the sentence is acted upon.
Example. Present Perfect. 'I have comprehended the importance of patience through years of practice.'
Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time the meeting started, she had already comprehended the document’s key points.'
Example. Passive Voice. 'The complexity of the subject was fully comprehended only after extensive studies were conducted.'
Example. 'He gave a comprehended sigh, showing that he finally understood the situation.'
As an adjective to describe a state resulting from a previous action.
Example. Present Perfect. 'I have comprehended the importance of patience through years of practice.'
Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time the meeting started, she had already comprehended the document’s key points.'
Example. Passive Voice. 'The complexity of the subject was fully comprehended only after extensive studies were conducted.'
Example. 'He gave a comprehended sigh, showing that he finally understood the situation.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Use of the Past Simple Form

A common mistake is using an incorrect form for the past simple of 'comprehend.' The correct past simple form is 'comprehended,' but it's not rare to see it mistakenly written as 'comprehend' (unchanged) or 'comprehendeded' (doubly inflected) in an attempt to denote past action. For example, the correct usage is 'I comprehended the topic after the detailed explanation,' not 'I comprehend the topic after the detailed explanation' or 'I comprehendeded the topic after the detailed explanation.'

— 02

Confusing Forms

Another mistake involves confusing the past simple form 'comprehended' with the past participle form, which is also 'comprehended' in this case. While they are the same for some verbs like 'comprehend,' their usage within a sentence differs. The past participle needs an auxiliary verb to form perfect tenses. An error occurs when the past simple is used instead of the past participle or vice versa without the appropriate auxiliary verb. For example, it should be 'I have comprehended the material' for the present perfect tense, not 'I have comprehend the material.'

— 03

Incorrectly Forming the Perfect Tenses

Misuse of the past participle form 'comprehended' when forming perfect tenses is a common mistake. Some might forget to include the auxiliary verb 'have' (or 'has' for third-person singular) or use an incorrect tense of 'have.' For instance, the correct formation is 'She has comprehended the complexity of the situation,' not 'She is comprehended the complexity of the situation' or 'She had comprehended the complexity of the situation' when intending to express a recently completed action in the present perfect tense.

Past tense quiz

Check your skills and find areas for improvement

Take quiz

Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'comprehend'?

The past simple form of 'comprehend' is 'comprehended.' It is used to describe an action that was completed at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I comprehended the complexity of the problem.'

What is the past participle form of 'comprehend'?

The past participle form of 'comprehend' is also 'comprehended.' This form is used in perfect tenses to describe actions that have been completed at an unspecified time or that affect the present. For example, 'I have finally comprehended the instructions.'

How do I use 'comprehended' in a sentence?

To use 'comprehended' in a sentence, you can follow this structure. Subject + had/have/has + comprehended + object (if applicable). For example, 'They had comprehended the significance of the discovery by then.' In simple past, it would be. Subject + comprehended + object. For example, 'She comprehended the lesson after much deliberation.'

Can 'comprehended' be used in passive voice constructions?

Yes, 'comprehended' can be used in passive voice constructions. In the passive voice, the focus is on the action itself rather than who performed the action. For example, 'The text was comprehended easily by the students.' In this sentence, the emphasis is on the fact that the text was understood, rather than on who understood it.