Decide past tense

Meaning of decide

to make a choice from a number of alternatives.

Infinitive

Word: decide /dɪˈsaɪd/

Examples:

1. Every morning, she decides what to wear based on the weather.
2. He decides to walk to work instead of taking the bus to get some exercise.
3. They always decide to order pizza on Friday nights as a family tradition.

Past Simple

Word: decided /dɪˈsaɪ.dɪd/

Examples:

1. She decided to take the job offer after much deliberation.
2. They decided to move to a new city for a fresh start.
3. He finally decided on the blue paint for the kitchen walls.

Past Participle

Word: decided /dɪˈsaɪdɪd/

Examples:

1. She has decided to take the job offer in New York.
2. They had decided to move to a new city before the pandemic hit.
3. We have decided to adopt a puppy from the local shelter.

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Bare infinitive

To describe habitual decisions or the process of making choices regularly.
Example. She decides on her outfit the night before.
Example. The committee decides the winner after all entries are reviewed.
Example. When you face two paths, decide based on your long-term goals.
To state facts or general truths about decision-making processes.
Example. She decides on her outfit the night before.
Example. The committee decides the winner after all entries are reviewed.
Example. When you face two paths, decide based on your long-term goals.
To give instructions or advice about making choices.
Example. She decides on her outfit the night before.
Example. The committee decides the winner after all entries are reviewed.
Example. When you face two paths, decide based on your long-term goals.

Past Simple

To talk about a specific instance in the past when a choice was made from a number of alternatives.
Example. They decided to go hiking instead of swimming.
Example. After much discussion, we decided on a venue for the wedding.
Example. We used to decide our vacation spots by drawing names from a hat.
To describe a series of decisions made at a particular time or during a specific event in the past.
Example. They decided to go hiking instead of swimming.
Example. After much discussion, we decided on a venue for the wedding.
Example. We used to decide our vacation spots by drawing names from a hat.
To express a past habit or state of decision-making that is no longer current.
Example. They decided to go hiking instead of swimming.
Example. After much discussion, we decided on a venue for the wedding.
Example. We used to decide our vacation spots by drawing names from a hat.

Past Participle

Perfect tenses - To talk about decisions that have been made, affecting the present moment or completed at an unspecified time in the past.
Example. It was decided by the team to postpone the project.
Example (Present Perfect). They have finally decided on a name for their baby.
Example. It was decided by the team to postpone the project.
Example (Past Perfect). By the time the meeting started, the board had already decided on the new CEO.
Example. It was decided by the team to postpone the project.
Passive voice - To describe situations where the focus is on the decision made, rather than who made the decision.
Example. It was decided by the team to postpone the project.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake involves confusing the past simple form 'decided' with the past participle form 'decided.' Although for the verb 'decide,' both forms are identical, learners often mistakenly believe they should be different because many other verbs in English do have distinct forms. For instance, with the verb 'write,' the past simple is 'wrote,' and the past participle is 'written.' This confusion can lead to incorrect usage in sentences, especially when forming perfect tenses or the passive voice. Learners might incorrectly form a sentence like 'I have decide to leave early,' instead of the correct 'I have decided to leave early.'

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

Another mistake is using the past participle form without auxiliary verbs in constructions where they are required. For verbs where the past simple and past participle forms are the same, learners might omit auxiliary verbs like 'have' in perfect tenses or 'be' in passive constructions, thinking the past simple form alone suffices. For example, 'I decided to go' (correct past simple) might be mistakenly used in place of 'I have decided to go' (correct present perfect), altering the intended meaning or the temporal reference of the action.

— 03

Misapplication of Rules

Although 'decide' is a regular verb that follows the simple rule of adding '-ed' for its past forms, students often mistakenly apply this rule to irregular verbs, expecting a similar pattern. This misapplication can result in incorrect forms when they encounter irregular verbs, leading to errors in both understanding and usage. For example, after learning 'decided,' a learner might incorrectly form 'goed' instead of 'went' for the past simple of 'go,' demonstrating a misunderstanding of irregular verb forms in English.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'decide'?

The past simple form of 'decide' is 'decided'. This form is used to talk about actions that were completed at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I decided to start a new book.'

How is the past participle form of 'decide' used?

The past participle form of 'decide' is also 'decided'. It is used in perfect tenses to talk about actions that have been completed at some point in the past relative to another time. For instance, in the sentence 'I have decided to learn a new language,' 'have decided' is a present perfect construction that indicates a decision made at an unspecified time before now.

Can you give an example of 'decided' used in a past perfect sentence?

Yes, an example of 'decided' in a past perfect sentence could be. 'By the time the meeting started, the committee had already decided on the new policy.' In this sentence, 'had decided' is a past perfect construction indicating that the decision was made before another action in the past (the meeting starting). Is there any difference in pronunciation or spelling between the past simple and past participle forms of 'decide'