Enter past tense

Type your word here
Try:

Learn past tenses to communicate in English accurately

Meaning of enter

to go or come in.

Infinitive

Word: enter /ˈentə/
Examples:
  • 1. Every morning, I enter the office at 9 a.m. sharp.
  • 2. She enters the code carefully to unlock the door.
  • 3. They enter the data into the database meticulously to avoid errors.

Past Simple

Word: entered /ˈɛntərd/
Examples:
  • 1. She entered the room quietly, trying not to disturb the ongoing meeting.
  • 2. He entered his password incorrectly and was locked out of his account.
  • 3. They entered the competition last minute and surprisingly won the first prize.

Past Participle

Word: entered /ˈɛntərd/
Examples:
  • 1. By the time the gates were closed, she had already entered the festival grounds, eager to explore.
  • 2. They had entered the competition on a whim and were surprised to find themselves among the finalists.
  • 3. He had entered the room quietly, not wanting to disturb the ongoing meeting.

Learn more words on the go

Master verb forms with Promova!

Download the app
cta-section-decorative-line-left
cta-section-decorative-line-left

Bare infinitive

  1. To describe habitual actions or routines involving going or coming into a place.
    Example. She enters the office at 9 AM sharp every day.
    Example. This door only allows staff to enter.
    Example. To access the building, enter through the main gate.
  2. To state facts or general truths about the act of entering.
    Example. She enters the office at 9 AM sharp every day.
    Example. This door only allows staff to enter.
    Example. To access the building, enter through the main gate.
  3. To give instructions or advice related to the process of entering.
    Example. She enters the office at 9 AM sharp every day.
    Example. This door only allows staff to enter.
    Example. To access the building, enter through the main gate.

Past Simple

  1. To talk about a specific instance in the past when someone went or came into a place.
    Example. He entered the room quietly so as not to disturb the meeting.
    Example. After they arrived at the hotel, they entered their rooms and rested for a while.
    Example. She entered the competition but did not win.
  2. To describe a series of actions in the past involving entering.
    Example. He entered the room quietly so as not to disturb the meeting.
    Example. After they arrived at the hotel, they entered their rooms and rested for a while.
    Example. She entered the competition but did not win.
  3. To express a past action of entering that is complete.
    Example. He entered the room quietly so as not to disturb the meeting.
    Example. After they arrived at the hotel, they entered their rooms and rested for a while.
    Example. She entered the competition but did not win.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses - To talk about actions of entering that have happened, with relevance to the present moment or completed at an unspecified time in the past.
    Example. The data was entered into the system by the administrator.
  2. Example (Present Perfect). They have entered the building and are waiting in the lobby.
    Example. The data was entered into the system by the administrator.
  3. Example (Past Perfect). By the time the show started, everyone had already entered the auditorium.
    Example. The data was entered into the system by the administrator.
  4. Passive voice - To describe situations where the focus is on the act of being entered into, rather than who performed the entering.
    Example. The data was entered into the system by the administrator.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Patterns

One common mistake is treating irregular verbs as if they were regular. Regular verbs simply add '-ed' or '-d' to form both the past simple and past participle (e.g., 'walk' becomes 'walked' for both forms). However, irregular verbs do not follow this pattern, and their past simple and past participle forms can be completely different from the base form and each other (e.g., 'go' becomes 'went' in the past simple and 'gone' in the past participle). Mistaking these can lead to incorrect forms like 'goed' instead of 'went' or 'gone'.

— 02

Misusing Past Participle

Another mistake involves using the past participle form of a verb without an auxiliary verb where one is needed. The past participle by itself is not usually used to indicate the past tense; instead, it's used in perfect tenses (e.g., 'have walked,' 'had seen') and passive voice (e.g., 'was taken') constructions. Using the past participle without an auxiliary verb can lead to grammatically incomplete sentences or incorrect tense usage.

— 03

Incorrect Forming

Even with regular verbs, mistakes can occur when forming the past simple and past participle forms. This typically happens with verbs ending in 'y,' where the 'y' changes to 'i' before adding '-ed' (e.g., 'try' becomes 'tried,' not 'tryed'), or with verbs ending in a consonant where the consonant is doubled before adding '-ed' (e.g., 'stop' becomes 'stopped,' not 'stoped'). Misunderstanding these spelling rules can result in incorrectly formed past tenses.

Past tense quiz

Check your skills and find areas for improvement

Take quiz

Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'enter'?

The past simple form of 'enter' is 'entered.' This form is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I entered the room quietly.'

What is the past participle form of 'enter'?

The past participle form of 'enter' is also 'entered.' This form is used in perfect tense constructions to talk about actions that have an impact on the present moment or actions that were completed at some indefinite time in the past. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have already entered the data into the system.'

How do I use 'entered' in a sentence to show a completed action in the past?

To show a completed action in the past, you would typically use the past simple form 'entered.' You should include a specific time reference to emphasize that the action is completed and belongs to the past. For example, 'She entered the competition last year.'

Can 'entered' be used in both active and passive voice constructions? How?

Yes, 'entered' can be used in both active and passive voice constructions. In the active voice, the subject performs the action, and 'entered' follows the subject directly. For example, 'The team entered the stadium to loud cheers.' In the passive voice, the object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence, and 'entered' is used with a form of the auxiliary verb 'be' (was/were) to indicate that the action was performed on the subject. For example, 'The stadium was entered by the team to loud cheers.'