Discuss past tense
Meaning of discuss
to talk about (something) with another person or group.
Infinitive
- 1. We discuss the project details every Monday morning during our team meeting.
- 2. She always discusses her travel plans with her family before booking any tickets.
- 3. They discuss various topics in their podcast, ranging from politics to pop culture.
Past Simple
- 1. We discussed the plan thoroughly but couldn't reach an agreement.
- 2. She discussed her ideas with the team, hoping for some constructive feedback.
- 3. They discussed their vacation plans excitedly, making lists of places to visit.
Past Participle
- 1. The topic has been thoroughly discussed in the meeting.
- 2. The strategy was discussed by the team over several hours.
- 3. All issues had been discussed before the decision was made.
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Bare infinitive
- Habitual Actions. To describe habits or actions that happen regularly.Example. I discuss my plans with my family every Sunday.Example. First, you discuss the matter with the team, and then you report back to me.Example. Here he comes, and he discusses the plan with such enthusiasm!
- Instructions or Directions. To give instructions or directions.Example. I discuss my plans with my family every Sunday.Example. First, you discuss the matter with the team, and then you report back to me.Example. Here he comes, and he discusses the plan with such enthusiasm!
- Commentaries. When giving realtime commentaries.Example. I discuss my plans with my family every Sunday.Example. First, you discuss the matter with the team, and then you report back to me.Example. Here he comes, and he discusses the plan with such enthusiasm!
Past Simple
- Completed Actions in the Past. To describe actions that happened at a specific time in the past and are now finished.Example. We discussed the project details last Monday.Example. Yesterday, I woke up, had breakfast, and then discussed the assignment with my tutor.Example. When I was a student, I often discussed philosophy with my classmates.Example. People believed the Earth was flat and often discussed its implications.
- A series of Completed Actions. To narrate a series of completed events or actions in the past.Example. We discussed the project details last Monday.Example. Yesterday, I woke up, had breakfast, and then discussed the assignment with my tutor.Example. When I was a student, I often discussed philosophy with my classmates.Example. People believed the Earth was flat and often discussed its implications.
- Past Habits. To talk about habits or routinely performed actions in the past which are not done in the present.Example. We discussed the project details last Monday.Example. Yesterday, I woke up, had breakfast, and then discussed the assignment with my tutor.Example. When I was a student, I often discussed philosophy with my classmates.Example. People believed the Earth was flat and often discussed its implications.
- Past Facts or Generalizations. To state facts or generalizations which were true in the past but may not be true now.Example. We discussed the project details last Monday.Example. Yesterday, I woke up, had breakfast, and then discussed the assignment with my tutor.Example. When I was a student, I often discussed philosophy with my classmates.Example. People believed the Earth was flat and often discussed its implications.
Past Participle
- Perfect Tenses. Present Perfect. To describe actions that occurred at an unspecified time in the past or actions that started in the past but continue to the present.Example. I have discussed these issues before.Example. By the time the meeting started, we had already discussed the strategy.Example. By next year, we will have discussed all the potential risks.Example. The problems were discussed extensively in the meeting.
- Past Perfect. To describe actions that were completed before another action or time in the past.Example. I have discussed these issues before.Example. By the time the meeting started, we had already discussed the strategy.Example. By next year, we will have discussed all the potential risks.Example. The problems were discussed extensively in the meeting.
- Future Perfect. To describe actions that will be completed before a specified future time or action.Example. I have discussed these issues before.Example. By the time the meeting started, we had already discussed the strategy.Example. By next year, we will have discussed all the potential risks.Example. The problems were discussed extensively in the meeting.
- Passive Voice. To form passive voice sentences where the focus is on the action or the object rather than who or what is performing the action.Example. I have discussed these issues before.Example. By the time the meeting started, we had already discussed the strategy.Example. By next year, we will have discussed all the potential risks.Example. The problems were discussed extensively in the meeting.
Common mistakes
— 01
Misusing Past Simple
A common mistake is confusing the simple past form of a verb with its past participle form. For the verb 'discuss,' the simple past form is 'discussed,' and, conveniently, the past participle form is also 'discussed.' However, learners often mistakenly use an incorrect form for the past participle, such as 'discussed' for other verbs that have distinct past participle forms. Correct. 'We have discussed this matter thoroughly.'
— 02
Misuse of Past Participle
Some learners might incorrectly treat 'discuss' as an irregular verb and attempt to create an irregular past participle form that doesn't exist, such as 'discussen' or 'discust,' influenced by patterns from other verbs. It's important to remember that 'discussed' serves both as the simple past and past participle form. Correct. 'The topics were thoroughly discussed.'
— 03
Omitting Auxiliary Verb
Another mistake involves omitting the auxiliary verb when forming present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect tenses with 'discussed.' Learners might say 'I discussed it' when they mean to use a perfect tense to indicate an action's relevance to the present or a specific time in the past or future. The correct usage involves including the auxiliary verb 'have' or 'had' to form the perfect aspect. Correct. 'I have discussed it with him already' (present perfect), 'I had discussed it before he arrived' (past perfect).
Past tense quiz
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