Defy past tense

Meaning of defy

to resist or challenge openly.

Infinitive

Word: defy /dɪˈfaɪ/

Examples:

1. She defies conventional norms by pursuing her unique path in art.
2. The young activist defies authority by organizing peaceful protests in the city.
3. His innovative ideas often defy expectations, leading to breakthroughs in technology.

Past Simple

Word: defied /dɪˈfaɪd/

Examples:

1. She defied her parents' wishes and pursued a career in the arts.
2. He defied the odds and recovered fully after the accident.
3. They defied the company's policies and faced the consequences.

Past Participle

Word: defied /dɪˈfaɪd/

Examples:

1. The young rebel has defied the norms of his community.
2. Many laws had been defied during the protests.
3. They had defied the odds by completing the project on time, despite numerous setbacks.

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Bare infinitive

General truths or facts.
Example. 'Gravity defies our ability to leap too high.'
Example. 'He defies authority every chance he gets.'
Example. 'The rebel group defies the government's orders again next week.'
Example. 'She always defies expectations.'
Habitual or regular actions.
Example. 'Gravity defies our ability to leap too high.'
Example. 'He defies authority every chance he gets.'
Example. 'The rebel group defies the government's orders again next week.'
Example. 'She always defies expectations.'
Scheduled events in the near future (often related to a timetable).
Example. 'Gravity defies our ability to leap too high.'
Example. 'He defies authority every chance he gets.'
Example. 'The rebel group defies the government's orders again next week.'
Example. 'She always defies expectations.'
To express something that is happening currently, often paired with adverbs of frequency (always, often, never, etc.).
Example. 'Gravity defies our ability to leap too high.'
Example. 'He defies authority every chance he gets.'
Example. 'The rebel group defies the government's orders again next week.'
Example. 'She always defies expectations.'

Past Simple

An action or situation that was completed in the past at a specific time.
Example. 'Last year, the athlete defied all odds and won the championship.'
Example. 'He defied his critics, improved his skills, and eventually triumphed.'
Example. 'They defied conventional norms every day in their youth.'
A series of completed actions in the past.
Example. 'Last year, the athlete defied all odds and won the championship.'
Example. 'He defied his critics, improved his skills, and eventually triumphed.'
Example. 'They defied conventional norms every day in their youth.'
Past habits or states.
Example. 'Last year, the athlete defied all odds and won the championship.'
Example. 'He defied his critics, improved his skills, and eventually triumphed.'
Example. 'They defied conventional norms every day in their youth.'

Past Participle

Present Perfect tense, denoting an action that has happened at an indefinite time in the past or that began in the past and continues in the present.
Example. 'They have defied the rules more than once.'
Example. 'By the time the meeting started, she had already defied the company's code of conduct.'
Example. 'The defied expectations became the talk of the town.'
Example. 'The tyrant's orders were openly defied by the citizens.'
Past Perfect tense, denoting an action that was completed before another action in the past.
Example. 'They have defied the rules more than once.'
Example. 'By the time the meeting started, she had already defied the company's code of conduct.'
Example. 'The defied expectations became the talk of the town.'
Example. 'The tyrant's orders were openly defied by the citizens.'
As an adjective, to describe something or someone in a particular state.
Example. 'They have defied the rules more than once.'
Example. 'By the time the meeting started, she had already defied the company's code of conduct.'
Example. 'The defied expectations became the talk of the town.'
Example. 'The tyrant's orders were openly defied by the citizens.'
In passive voice constructions, depicting an action that has been done upon the subject.
Example. 'They have defied the rules more than once.'
Example. 'By the time the meeting started, she had already defied the company's code of conduct.'
Example. 'The defied expectations became the talk of the town.'
Example. 'The tyrant's orders were openly defied by the citizens.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

One of the most common mistakes involves confusing the past simple form ('defied') with the past participle form ('defied') of the verb 'defy.' While in this case, both forms look identical, this is not always the case with other verbs, leading learners to mistakenly interchange forms across different verbs. For example, applying the pattern seen in 'defy' to an irregular verb like 'write,' learners might incorrectly use 'writed' instead of 'wrote' for past simple and 'written' for past participle.

— 02

Incorrect Perfect Tenses

Another frequent error is the misuse of the past participle form when constructing perfect tenses. The past participle form 'defied' should be used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect aspects (e.g., 'has defied,' 'had defied'). However, learners often mistakenly use the past simple form in place of the past participle when forming these tenses, saying 'has defied' correctly but occasionally erring with other verbs by saying 'has went' instead of 'has gone.'

— 03

Misapplication in Passive

The past participle form is essential for forming passive voice sentences, where the subject is acted upon by someone or something else. A common mistake is using the past simple form instead of the past participle in passive constructions. For example, correctly stating 'The rules were defied by the team' but incorrectly forming a similar sentence with a different verb as 'The letter was wrote by her' instead of using the correct past participle form 'written.'

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'defy'?

The past simple form of 'defy' is 'defied'. This form is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, she defied the rules and went on an adventure.'

What is the past participle form of 'defy'?

The past participle form of 'defy' is also 'defied'. This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice sentences. For example, in the sentence 'The odds have been defied by the underdog team,' 'defied' is the past participle form used in the passive voice.

How do I use 'defied' in a sentence to indicate a past action?

To indicate a past action using 'defied,' you should follow the structure of the past simple tense, which typically involves the subject followed by 'defied' and then the rest of the sentence. For example. 'He defied his parents' wishes and pursued a career in music.' This sentence indicates that the action of defying took place in the past.

Can you give an example of a sentence using 'defied' in a perfect tense?

Certainly! When using 'defied' in a perfect tense, you combine it with a form of the auxiliary verb 'have' to indicate an action that has been completed at some point in the past, up to the present. For example, in the present perfect tense. 'She has defied expectations and succeeded in her venture.' This sentence suggests that the action of defying expectations has occurred in the past but is relevant to the present moment.