Draft past tense

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Meaning of draft

to write a preliminary version of a document.

Infinitive

Word: draught /drɑːft/
Examples:
  • 1. Each year, she drafts a comprehensive plan for her garden layout.
  • 2. He always drafts his essays by hand before typing them up.
  • 3. The committee drafts new regulations to improve safety standards.

Past Simple

Word: drafted /ˈdræf.tɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. She drafted her first novel over the summer, spending long hours at her desk each day.
  • 2. The company drafted a new policy to improve workplace safety after reviewing the recent incidents.
  • 3. Before the age of computers, architects drafted their blueprints by hand with incredible precision.

Past Participle

Word: drafted /ˈdræftɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. The final report was drafted by the committee last week.
  • 2. All the documents have been carefully drafted according to the guidelines.
  • 3. The plan was drafted with meticulous attention to every detail.

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Bare infinitive

  1. To describe habitual actions or routines involving writing preliminary versions of documents.
    Example. She drafts a new blog post every week.
    Example. This team drafts all the legal agreements for our clients.
    Example. Always draft your essay before writing the final copy.
  2. To state facts or general truths about the process of drafting documents.
    Example. She drafts a new blog post every week.
    Example. This team drafts all the legal agreements for our clients.
    Example. Always draft your essay before writing the final copy.
  3. To give instructions or advice related to the process of creating preliminary versions of documents.
    Example. She drafts a new blog post every week.
    Example. This team drafts all the legal agreements for our clients.
    Example. Always draft your essay before writing the final copy.

Past Simple

  1. To talk about a specific instance in the past when a preliminary version of a document was written.
    Example. He drafted the proposal over the weekend.
    Example. We drafted several versions of the report before finalizing it.
    Example. She drafted her first novel in just three months.
  2. To describe a series of actions in the past that involved creating drafts.
    Example. He drafted the proposal over the weekend.
    Example. We drafted several versions of the report before finalizing it.
    Example. She drafted her first novel in just three months.
  3. To express a past action of drafting that is complete.
    Example. He drafted the proposal over the weekend.
    Example. We drafted several versions of the report before finalizing it.
    Example. She drafted her first novel in just three months.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses - To talk about actions of drafting that have happened, with relevance to the present moment or completed at an unspecified time in the past.
    Example. The initial draft was drafted by a committee of experts.
  2. Example (Present Perfect). They have drafted multiple amendments to the document.
    Example. The initial draft was drafted by a committee of experts.
  3. Example (Past Perfect). By the time the meeting started, the team had already drafted a preliminary agenda.
    Example. The initial draft was drafted by a committee of experts.
  4. Passive voice - To describe situations where the focus is on the document that was drafted, rather than who drafted it.
    Example. The initial draft was drafted by a committee of experts.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake is confusing the past simple form of 'draft,' which is 'drafted,' with its past participle form, also 'drafted,' when they are used in different grammatical structures. The past simple is used for the straightforward narration of past events ('Yesterday, I drafted a letter'), while the past participle is often used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions ('The letter has been drafted').

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

Some learners mistakenly believe that the past participle of 'draft' follows irregular conjugation patterns, leading to incorrect forms like 'drift' or 'draughted.' The correct past participle form is 'drafted,' which follows the regular pattern of adding '-ed' to the base form of regular verbs.

— 03

Misusing in Perfect

Another common mistake involves misapplying the past simple form 'drafted' when the past participle form should be used, especially in perfect tense constructions. For example, saying 'I have drafted a new proposal last week' instead of the correct form 'I drafted a new proposal last week' (past simple for a completed action) or 'I have drafted a new proposal' (present perfect for an action that has relevance to the present moment). It's crucial to distinguish between the use of the past simple for completed actions at a specific time in the past and the use of the past participle with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses that link past actions to the present or future.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'draft'?

The past simple form of 'draft' is 'drafted'. It is used to describe an action that was completed at some specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, she drafted an email to her manager.'

What is the past participle form of 'draft'?

The past participle form of 'draft' is also 'drafted'. This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice sentences. For example, in the sentence 'The final report has been drafted by the committee,' 'drafted' is used as the past participle.

Can you give an example of 'drafted' used in a sentence in the past perfect tense?

Yes, an example of 'drafted' in the past perfect tense would be. 'By the time the meeting started, the team had already drafted the proposal.' In this sentence, 'had drafted' indicates an action that was completed before another action in the past.

How do I use 'drafted' in a passive voice sentence?

To use 'drafted' in a passive voice sentence, you should follow the structure of subject + auxiliary verb (to be) + past participle of the main verb (drafted). For example. 'The new policy was drafted by the legal department.' In this sentence, 'was drafted' is used to indicate that the action was performed by someone, with the focus on the action itself rather than who performed it.