Drown past tense

Meaning of drown

to die through submersion in and inhalation of water.

Infinitive

Word: drown /draʊn/

Examples:

1. Every summer, the local swimming instructor emphasizes how important it is to learn to swim so that nobody drowns accidentally.
2. If you don't wear a life jacket, you risk the chance that you could drown in deep water.
3. Plants drown if you water them too much, as their roots need air to breathe.

Past Simple

Word: drowned /draʊnd/

Examples:

1. He nearly drowned when his boat capsized in the storm.
2. The kitten almost drowned in the pool, but I saved it.
3. She drowned her sorrows in work after her breakup.

Past Participle

Word: drowned /ˈdraʊnd/

Examples:

1. He was drowned in the river.
2. She has been drowned in her sorrows since the news broke.
3. The streets were drowned in silence after the curfew was imposed.

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Bare infinitive

To describe a habitual action, a universal truth, or a repeated action not necessarily happening at the moment of speaking. It is also used to describe a current situation if it is fixed or unchanging.
Example. She always pretends to drown in the pool to get attention.

Past Simple

To describe an action that started and finished at a specific time in the past. This might be a short action or something that happened suddenly.
Example. The cat drowned into the water but luckily I saved it.

Past Participle

Combined with 'have' (has/have/had) to form the present perfect tense, which is used to talk about experiences or actions that have relevance to the present moment.
Example. They have never drowned in a pool.
Example. By the time help arrived, the man had already drowned.
Example. Thousands of shipwrecked sailors were drowned throughout history.
Example. The flooded village left many fields drowned and unusable for farming.
As part of the past perfect tense, which is used to talk about actions that were completed before some point in the past.
Example. They have never drowned in a pool.
Example. By the time help arrived, the man had already drowned.
Example. Thousands of shipwrecked sailors were drowned throughout history.
Example. The flooded village left many fields drowned and unusable for farming.
To form the passive voice, emphasizing the action and the object of the action rather than who is performing the action.
Example. They have never drowned in a pool.
Example. By the time help arrived, the man had already drowned.
Example. Thousands of shipwrecked sailors were drowned throughout history.
Example. The flooded village left many fields drowned and unusable for farming.
As an adjective to describe a certain state or condition.
Example. They have never drowned in a pool.
Example. By the time help arrived, the man had already drowned.
Example. Thousands of shipwrecked sailors were drowned throughout history.
Example. The flooded village left many fields drowned and unusable for farming.

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Use of Past Simple

A common mistake is using 'drowned' as the past simple form of 'drown' incorrectly in a sentence. For instance, saying 'He drowned in the pool yesterday' is correct, but a mistake would be using 'drowned' when the action is ongoing or in the present, such as 'He is drowned in the pool,' which should instead use the present tense or a different verb form to accurately reflect the ongoing action, like 'He is drowning in the pool.'

— 02

Confusing Forms

Another frequent error involves mixing up the past simple form 'drowned' with the past participle form, which is also 'drowned,' in perfect tenses. A correct example is, 'He has drowned in the pool,' using 'drowned' as the past participle in the present perfect tense. Mistakes occur when learners use the incorrect form in compound tenses, such as saying 'He has drown in the pool' instead of the correct 'He has drowned in the pool.'

— 03

Misuse in Passive

The past participle 'drowned' is often misused in passive voice constructions. The correct usage involves the verb 'to be' followed by the past participle, as in 'He was drowned in the pool.' A common mistake is omitting the auxiliary verb or using the wrong tense, leading to sentences like 'He drowned in the pool by someone,' which should be corrected to 'He was drowned in the pool by someone.'

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'drown'?

The past simple form of 'drown' is 'drowned.' It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'He drowned in the river last summer.'

What is the past participle form of 'drown'?

The past participle form of 'drown' is also 'drowned.' It is used in perfect tenses and passive voice sentences. For instance, in the sentence, 'They had drowned before the rescue team arrived,' 'drowned' is used as the past participle in the past perfect tense. In the passive voice, you might say, 'The kitten was drowned in the flood.'

How do I use 'drowned' in a sentence correctly?

To use 'drowned' correctly, identify if the sentence structure needs the past simple or the past participle form. If you're talking about a completed action in the past, use the past simple. 'She drowned in the lake during the picnic.' For sentences that require the past participle, such as in passive voice or perfect tenses, use 'drowned' accordingly. 'The books had drowned in the basement flood.'

Can 'drowned' be used for things other than people or animals?

Yes, 'drowned' can metaphorically be used to describe objects or concepts that are overwhelmed or submerged by something, often water or a similar liquid, but it can also be used more figuratively. For example, 'The town was drowned in debt,' or 'His voice drowned in the cacophony of the city.' When using 'drowned' in such contexts, it's typically in the passive voice or as a descriptive tool to convey the sense of being overwhelmed.