Cook past tense

Meaning of cook

to prepare food by heating it.

Infinitive

Word: cook /kʊk/

Examples:

1. Every Sunday, she cooks a traditional family recipe for dinner.
2. He cooks breakfast for himself before heading to work.
3. They always cook fresh vegetables to maintain a healthy diet.

Past Simple

Word: cooked /kʊkt/

Examples:

1. Yesterday, I cooked a delicious spaghetti bolognese for dinner.
2. She cooked breakfast early in the morning before anyone else woke up.
3. Last week, they cooked a traditional meal to celebrate their cultural heritage.

Past Participle

Word: cooked /kʊkt/

Examples:

1. The meal has been cooked to perfection, ready to be served.
2. By the time guests arrived, the turkey had already been cooked and was resting.
3. The recipe has been cooked by chefs around the world, each adding their unique twist.

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Bare infinitive

To describe habits or routines.
Example. I usually cook dinner around 7 PM.
Example. He cooks with natural ingredients.
Example. Then you cook the mixture on low heat for fifteen minutes.
Example. My cooking class starts next Tuesday.
To state facts or general truths.
Example. I usually cook dinner around 7 PM.
Example. He cooks with natural ingredients.
Example. Then you cook the mixture on low heat for fifteen minutes.
Example. My cooking class starts next Tuesday.
To give instructions or directions (often found in recipes).
Example. I usually cook dinner around 7 PM.
Example. He cooks with natural ingredients.
Example. Then you cook the mixture on low heat for fifteen minutes.
Example. My cooking class starts next Tuesday.
To express fixed arrangements in the near future (often refers to a timetable or schedule).
Example. I usually cook dinner around 7 PM.
Example. He cooks with natural ingredients.
Example. Then you cook the mixture on low heat for fifteen minutes.
Example. My cooking class starts next Tuesday.

Past Simple

To describe completed actions at a specific time in the past.
Example. She cooked a lovely roast last Sunday.
Example. I cooked breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, and left for work early yesterday.
Example. We cooked together every evening before he moved out.
Example. The kitchen was a mess because I had cooked a threecourse meal.
To narrate a series of completed actions in the past.
Example. She cooked a lovely roast last Sunday.
Example. I cooked breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, and left for work early yesterday.
Example. We cooked together every evening before he moved out.
Example. The kitchen was a mess because I had cooked a threecourse meal.
To talk about habits or routines in the past.
Example. She cooked a lovely roast last Sunday.
Example. I cooked breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, and left for work early yesterday.
Example. We cooked together every evening before he moved out.
Example. The kitchen was a mess because I had cooked a threecourse meal.
To describe past states or situations.
Example. She cooked a lovely roast last Sunday.
Example. I cooked breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, and left for work early yesterday.
Example. We cooked together every evening before he moved out.
Example. The kitchen was a mess because I had cooked a threecourse meal.

Past Participle

Present Perfect. to describe actions or situations that occurred at an unspecified time in the past and are still relevant or continue into the present.
Example. He has cooked dinner for the family every night this week.
Example. By the time we arrived, she had already cooked the meal.
Example. By next year, I will have cooked in restaurants for a decade.
Example. The feast had been cooked by the time guests arrived.
Example. The cooked vegetables are cooled down before being served.
Past Perfect. to describe actions or situations that were completed before another action in the past took place.
Example. He has cooked dinner for the family every night this week.
Example. By the time we arrived, she had already cooked the meal.
Example. By next year, I will have cooked in restaurants for a decade.
Example. The feast had been cooked by the time guests arrived.
Example. The cooked vegetables are cooled down before being served.
Future Perfect. to describe actions that will be completed by a certain future point.
Example. He has cooked dinner for the family every night this week.
Example. By the time we arrived, she had already cooked the meal.
Example. By next year, I will have cooked in restaurants for a decade.
Example. The feast had been cooked by the time guests arrived.
Example. The cooked vegetables are cooled down before being served.
To form passive voice sentences when an action is done to the subject.
Example. He has cooked dinner for the family every night this week.
Example. By the time we arrived, she had already cooked the meal.
Example. By next year, I will have cooked in restaurants for a decade.
Example. The feast had been cooked by the time guests arrived.
Example. The cooked vegetables are cooled down before being served.
Used as adjectives in certain contexts to describe something.
Example. He has cooked dinner for the family every night this week.
Example. By the time we arrived, she had already cooked the meal.
Example. By next year, I will have cooked in restaurants for a decade.
Example. The feast had been cooked by the time guests arrived.
Example. The cooked vegetables are cooled down before being served.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

One common mistake is confusing the past simple form ('cooked') with the past participle form ('cooked') of regular verbs like 'cook.' While in this case, the forms look identical, the error becomes evident in usage within sentences. For example, in perfect tenses, some might incorrectly use the past simple instead of the past participle, or vice versa, despite the forms being the same for 'cook.' They might say, 'I have cook dinner' instead of the correct 'I have cooked dinner.' Understanding the context in which to use each form is crucial.

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

While 'cook' is a regular verb and forms its past simple and past participle by adding -ed, many learners mistakenly apply this rule to all verbs. This leads to errors with irregular verbs, where the past simple and past participle forms can differ significantly from the base form. For instance, saying 'I have swimmed' instead of 'I have swum.' Learning the correct forms of irregular verbs is essential to avoid this mistake.

— 03

Omitting Auxiliary Verb

Another mistake is omitting the auxiliary verb (have/has) when using the past participle in perfect tenses. Some learners might say, 'I cooked dinner' when they mean to express an action that has relevance to the present moment, which should be 'I have cooked dinner.' Understanding the structure of perfect tenses and the role of the auxiliary verb is crucial for correct usage.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'cook'?

The past simple form of 'cook' is 'cooked.' This form is used to describe actions that were completed at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I cooked dinner for my family.'

What is the past participle form of 'cook'?

The past participle form of 'cook' is also 'cooked.' This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have cooked dinner every day this week.' In a passive voice construction, you might say, 'The dinner was cooked by me.'

How do I use 'cooked' in a sentence to describe a habit or routine in the past?

When describing habits or routines in the past, you typically use the past simple form. However, since 'cooked' serves as both the past simple and past participle form, your indicator will be the context of the sentence. For a past habit or routine, you might say, 'I cooked breakfast at 7 a.m. every day when I was in college.' This indicates a repeated action in the past.

Can 'cooked' be used to describe an action that started in the past and continues to the present?

To describe actions that started in the past and continue to the present, you use the present perfect tense. Since 'cooked' is the past participle form used in the present perfect tense, you would use it with the auxiliary verb 'have' or 'has.' However, the verb 'cook' doesn't naturally lend itself to actions that start in the past and continue to the present due to its instantaneous nature. Instead, you might say, 'I have cooked meals for my family for years,' to indicate an ongoing action or habit that started in the past and continues to the present.