Deal past tense

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Meaning of deal

to distribute or dispense something, especially playing cards.

Infinitive

Word: deal /diːl/
Examples:
  • 1. She often deals with difficult clients at work but always manages to keep a positive attitude.
  • 2. He deals cards professionally at the casino and is known for his quick hands.
  • 3. They deal in rare books, offering some of the most sought-after editions to collectors worldwide.

Past Simple

Word: dealt /dɛlt/
Examples:
  • 1. He dealt a winning hand and smiled triumphantly at his opponents.
  • 2. They dealt with the problem quickly, ensuring it didn't escalate.
  • 3. After hours of negotiation, the company finally dealt a blow to its competitors by securing an exclusive contract.

Past Participle

Word: dealt /dɛlt/
Examples:
  • 1. The contract was dealt with utmost professionalism by the team.
  • 2. All the cards have been dealt; the game can now begin.
  • 3. The issue was dealt with efficiently by the customer service department.

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Bare infinitive

  1. To talk about habitual actions or routines.
    Example. He deals with clients every day.
    Example. This company deals in healthcare products.
    Example. You deal the cards first, then we'll decide who starts.
    Example. The meeting deals with budget allocations next week.
  2. To state facts.
    Example. He deals with clients every day.
    Example. This company deals in healthcare products.
    Example. You deal the cards first, then we'll decide who starts.
    Example. The meeting deals with budget allocations next week.
  3. To give instructions or directions.
    Example. He deals with clients every day.
    Example. This company deals in healthcare products.
    Example. You deal the cards first, then we'll decide who starts.
    Example. The meeting deals with budget allocations next week.
  4. To describe fixed arrangements in the near future (often used in a business context).
    Example. He deals with clients every day.
    Example. This company deals in healthcare products.
    Example. You deal the cards first, then we'll decide who starts.
    Example. The meeting deals with budget allocations next week.

Past Simple

  1. To talk about a specific action or situation that was completed in the past.
    Example. He dealt with a difficult customer yesterday with great patience.
    Example. We dealt the cards, played two rounds, and then took a break.
    Example. She always dealt the cards carefully to ensure fairness.
  2. To describe a series of completed actions in the past.
    Example. He dealt with a difficult customer yesterday with great patience.
    Example. We dealt the cards, played two rounds, and then took a break.
    Example. She always dealt the cards carefully to ensure fairness.
  3. To describe habits or states in the past, often with adverbs or phrases like 'always', 'when I was a child', etc.
    Example. He dealt with a difficult customer yesterday with great patience.
    Example. We dealt the cards, played two rounds, and then took a break.
    Example. She always dealt the cards carefully to ensure fairness.

Past Participle

  1. In perfect tenses, to talk about actions that have a connection to the present or that happened at an unspecified time in the past.
  2. Example (Present Perfect). He has dealt with several similar cases this month.
  3. Example (Past Perfect). By the time the manager arrived, they had already dealt with the issue.
  4. In passive voice, to talk about actions where the focus is on the action rather than who performed it.
  5. Example (Simple Past, passive). The cards were dealt by the automated system.
  6. Example (Present Perfect, passive). The issue has been dealt with by our support team.

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Use of the Past Simple Form

A common mistake is using 'dealed' instead of the correct past simple form 'dealt'. 'Deal' is an irregular verb, and its past simple form does not follow the regular -ed ending pattern that many verbs do. The correct form is 'Yesterday, I dealt with a difficult situation,' not 'Yesterday, I dealed with a difficult situation.'

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

Another mistake involves the misuse of the past participle form of 'deal'. The correct past participle form is 'dealt', the same as the past simple form. However, some might incorrectly use 'dealed' or 'dealted' in perfect tenses. The correct usage is 'I have dealt with similar issues before,' not 'I have dealed/dealted with similar issues before.'

— 03

Confusing 'Dealt'

In spoken English, it's possible to confuse 'dealt' with similarly sounding words, leading to errors in understanding or transcription. For example, confusing 'dealt' with 'delt' (a common misspelling of 'delta' or shorthand for deltoid muscle) can lead to incorrect sentence construction or interpretation. This is more of a pronunciation and listening comprehension mistake but can affect written communication if the words are being transcribed or noted down from speech.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'deal' is 'dealt.' This form is used to describe actions that happened at a specific time in the past. The past participle form is also 'dealt.' This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice sentences.

Can you give an example of a sentence using 'dealt' in the past simple?

Yes, of course. An example of a sentence using 'dealt' in the past simple would be. 'Yesterday, I dealt with a difficult situation at work.' In this sentence, 'dealt' indicates that the action of handling a difficult situation happened at a specific time in the past, which is yesterday.

How is the past participle 'dealt' used in a sentence?

The past participle 'dealt' is often used in perfect tenses and passive constructions. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have never dealt with such a challenging problem before.' Here, 'dealt' is combined with the auxiliary verb 'have' to form the present perfect tense, indicating an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past and has relevance to the present. In a passive voice example, you could say, 'The cards were dealt by the dealer.' In this sentence, 'dealt' is used to show that the action was performed by someone or something, with the focus being on the action itself rather than who performed it. Is there a difference in usage between British and American English for 'dealt'