Conduct past tense

Meaning of conduct

lead or guide (someone) to or around a particular place.

Infinitive

Word: conduct /ˈkɒndʌkt/

Examples:

1. The principal conducts regular inspections of all classrooms to ensure optimal learning environments.
2. She conducts thorough research before writing her papers.
3. Every year, the city orchestra conducts a free concert in the park for the community.

Past Simple

Word: conducted /kənˈdʌktɪd/

Examples:

1. The researcher conducted a series of experiments to test the new theory.
2. The orchestra conducted their first performance in the newly refurbished concert hall last year.
3. The tour guide skillfully conducted the group through the historic district, pointing out all the significant landmarks.

Past Participle

Word: conducted /kənˈdʌktɪd/

Examples:

1. The survey was conducted by the research team last month.
2. Extensive tests had been conducted before the product was launched.
3. The investigation will have been conducted by the end of the week.

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Bare infinitive

To express general truths or facts.
Example. Water conducts electricity.
Example. She conducts the choir every Wednesday.
To describe habitual actions or routines.
Example. Water conducts electricity.
Example. She conducts the choir every Wednesday.

Past Simple

To describe actions that happened at a specific time in the past, which are now completed.
Example. The professor conducted a series of experiments last year.

Past Participle

To form the perfect tenses.
Example. She has conducted extensive research into renewable energy sources.
Example. The survey was conducted by a team of sociologists.
To form the passive voice.
Example. She has conducted extensive research into renewable energy sources.
Example. The survey was conducted by a team of sociologists.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake is treating irregular verbs as if they were regular, especially when forming their past simple and past participle forms. For instance, the verb 'conduct' is a regular verb, and its past simple and past participle forms are correctly formed by adding -ed (conducted). However, learners often misapply this rule to irregular verbs, leading to errors. For example, instead of the correct forms 'drove' and 'driven' for the verb 'drive,' they might incorrectly use 'drived' following the pattern of 'conduct' -> 'conducted.'

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

Another mistake involves not using the correct past participle form in perfect tenses and passive voice, which can change the meaning or grammatical correctness of a sentence. Since 'conducted' is both the past simple and past participle form for 'conduct,' learners might wrongly apply this pattern to all verbs, leading to errors in verbs that have distinct forms. For instance, they might incorrectly use 'ate' instead of the correct 'eaten' as the past participle in a sentence like 'I have eaten dinner.'

— 03

Omitting Auxiliary Verb

A frequent error is forgetting to include the auxiliary verb (have/has) with the past participle in perfect tense constructions. This mistake stems from misunderstanding the structure of perfect tenses. For example, saying 'I conducted research yesterday' is correct in the past simple, but in the present perfect, the correct form is 'I have conducted research,' not 'I conducted research' as an attempt to express an action that has relevance to the present moment. This confusion often arises from the similarity in form between the past simple and past participle for regular verbs like 'conduct.'

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'conduct'?

The past simple form of 'conduct' is 'conducted'. This form is used to describe an action that was completed in the past. For example. 'Last year, the researcher conducted a series of experiments to test the hypothesis.'

What is the past participle form of 'conduct'?

The past participle form of 'conduct' is also 'conducted'. This form is commonly used in perfect tense constructions to indicate actions that have been completed at the time of speaking or by a specific point in the past or future. For example, in the sentence 'The experiments have been conducted successfully,' 'conducted' is the past participle indicating the completion of the action.

How do I use 'conducted' in a sentence to show a past action?

To show a past action using 'conducted', you would typically use it in the past simple tense. You can structure your sentence by mentioning the subject, followed by 'conducted', and then the object of the action. For example. 'The orchestra conducted a magnificent performance last night.' This sentence indicates that the action of conducting a performance happened in the past.

Can 'conducted' be used with auxiliary verbs to form different tenses?

Yes, 'conducted' can be used with auxiliary verbs to form various tenses. For instance. Present Perfect. 'The scientist has conducted many experiments on this subject.' (Here, 'has conducted' indicates an action that started in the past and has relevance to the present moment.) Past Perfect. 'By the time the review was published, the team had already conducted the necessary research.' (In this case, 'had conducted' is used to show that the research was completed before another past event.) Future Perfect. 'By next year, they will have conducted the most comprehensive survey ever.' (Here, 'will have conducted' suggests that the action will be completed at some future point.)