Deliver past tense
Meaning of deliver
to take and hand over (a letter, parcel, or ordered goods) to the proper recipient or address.
Infinitive
- 1. The postman delivers mail every morning except on Sundays.
- 2. Our local bakery delivers fresh bread to our doorstep.
- 3. She delivers outstanding presentations at every company meeting.
Past Simple
- 1. They delivered the package to my doorstep yesterday.
- 2. She delivered an inspiring speech at the conference last month.
- 3. The restaurant delivered the wrong order, but they corrected it promptly.
Past Participle
- 1. The packages were delivered before noon.
- 2. The final verdict will be delivered by the jury this afternoon.
- 3. All the invitations have been delivered to the guests.
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Bare infinitive
- General facts or truths. When stating facts that are generally true or descriptions that are universally accepted.Example. The postal service delivers mail six days a week.Example. He delivers newspapers every morning before school.Example. The package delivers tomorrow.
- Habitual actions. For actions that occur regularly, rituals, or habits.Example. The postal service delivers mail six days a week.Example. He delivers newspapers every morning before school.Example. The package delivers tomorrow.
- Fixed arrangements in the near future. For scheduled events or arrangements in the near future, primarily when the time is mentioned or known.Example. The postal service delivers mail six days a week.Example. He delivers newspapers every morning before school.Example. The package delivers tomorrow.
Past Simple
- Completed actions in the past. For actions that were completed at some specific time in the past. The time can be mentioned or understood from the context.Example. She delivered the documents yesterday afternoon.Example. Back in the 1800s, mail was delivered on horseback.Example. He packed the box, sealed it, and then delivered it to the post office.
- Habits or states in the past. For past habits or states that are no longer true in the present.Example. She delivered the documents yesterday afternoon.Example. Back in the 1800s, mail was delivered on horseback.Example. He packed the box, sealed it, and then delivered it to the post office.
- Sequential actions in the past. When narrating a sequence of events or actions in the past.Example. She delivered the documents yesterday afternoon.Example. Back in the 1800s, mail was delivered on horseback.Example. He packed the box, sealed it, and then delivered it to the post office.
Past Participle
- Perfect Tenses. Present Perfect. For actions completed at some point in the past but relevant to the present moment, or when the exact time is not specified.Example. I have already delivered the letters.Example. By the time we arrived, the mail had already been delivered.Example. By tomorrow, we will have delivered all the parcels.Example. The gifts were delivered quietly last night.
- Past Perfect. For actions completed before another past action or time.Example. I have already delivered the letters.Example. By the time we arrived, the mail had already been delivered.Example. By tomorrow, we will have delivered all the parcels.Example. The gifts were delivered quietly last night.
- Future Perfect. For actions that will be completed before a specified future time.Example. I have already delivered the letters.Example. By the time we arrived, the mail had already been delivered.Example. By tomorrow, we will have delivered all the parcels.Example. The gifts were delivered quietly last night.
- Passive Voice. When the focus is on the action rather than who performed it.Example. I have already delivered the letters.Example. By the time we arrived, the mail had already been delivered.Example. By tomorrow, we will have delivered all the parcels.Example. The gifts were delivered quietly last night.
Common mistakes
— 01
Confusing Forms
One of the most common mistakes is interchanging the past simple form 'delivered' with the past participle form 'delivered' of the verb 'deliver'. Although in this case, the forms are identical, the error becomes evident in their application within sentences. The past simple form is used to denote an action that was completed in the past, e.g., 'He delivered the package yesterday.' In contrast, the past participle form is often used in perfect tenses or passive voice, requiring auxiliary verbs, e.g., 'The package has been delivered.' or 'He has delivered the packages.' Mixing these usages can lead to confusion about the timing and nature of the action.
— 02
Omitting Auxiliary Verbs
Another mistake is forgetting to use the auxiliary verb when forming perfect tenses or passive voice sentences with the past participle 'delivered'. For instance, incorrectly saying 'The package delivered yesterday' instead of the correct 'The package was delivered yesterday' omits the necessary auxiliary verb 'was' and changes the sentence from passive voice to an incorrect active form.
— 03
Incorrect Past Participle
Though 'deliver' has a regular past participle form, a common mistake with other verbs is irregularly forming their past participle. For example, mistakenly applying the rule of adding 'ed' to form a past participle, which works for 'delivered', but not for irregular verbs like 'run', which becomes 'run' (not 'runned') in the past participle. This highlights the importance of knowing whether a verb is regular or irregular when using its past forms.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the past simple and past participle forms of 'deliver'?
How do you use the past simple form of 'deliver'?
How is the past participle form of 'deliver' used?
Can you provide examples showing the difference in using the past simple and past participle forms of 'deliver'?