Exceed past tense

Meaning of exceed

to go beyond the limits of something.

Infinitive

Word: exceed /ɪkˈsiːd/

Examples:

1. She always exceeds my expectations with her incredible work ethic.
2. The number of attendees exceeds the capacity of the conference room.
3. This model exceeds all other competitors in terms of efficiency and reliability.

Past Simple

Word: exceeded /ɪkˈsiːdɪd/

Examples:

1. The final bill exceeded our initial budget estimate by a significant amount.
2. The athlete exceeded his personal best in the high jump competition.
3. Last year, the charity event exceeded its fundraising goal by over $10,000.

Past Participle

Word: exceeded /ɪkˈsiːdɪd/

Examples:

1. The project's budget has been exceeded by a substantial amount.
2. The number of participants had far exceeded our expectations.
3. The record was exceeded by the new champion's impressive performance.

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Bare infinitive

To express habitual or regular actions.
Example. He exceeds his goals every month.
Example. This river exceeds all others in length.
Example. The train exceeds 100 miles per hour at its peak.
To state facts or general truths.
Example. He exceeds his goals every month.
Example. This river exceeds all others in length.
Example. The train exceeds 100 miles per hour at its peak.
To describe a scheduled event in the near future (often found in timetables or schedules).
Example. He exceeds his goals every month.
Example. This river exceeds all others in length.
Example. The train exceeds 100 miles per hour at its peak.

Past Simple

To describe actions that happened at a specific time in the past.
Example. She exceeded her own expectations in the exam last week.
Example. They exceeded their sales targets, celebrated, and then set new goals.
Example. As a child, he always exceeded in his studies.
To discuss a series of completed actions in the past.
Example. She exceeded her own expectations in the exam last week.
Example. They exceeded their sales targets, celebrated, and then set new goals.
Example. As a child, he always exceeded in his studies.
To talk about past habits or states.
Example. She exceeded her own expectations in the exam last week.
Example. They exceeded their sales targets, celebrated, and then set new goals.
Example. As a child, he always exceeded in his studies.

Past Participle

To form the perfect tenses.
Example. She has exceeded her own records this year. (Present Perfect)
Example. By the time the award was announced, she had already exceeded all expectations. (Past Perfect)
Example. By 2025, he will have exceeded most of his primary goals. (Future Perfect)
Example. The targets were exceeded by the team amazingly early.
Example. Her exceeded expectations were evident when she received the scholarship.
1 Specifically for past perfect, which refers to something that occurred before another action in the past.
Example. She has exceeded her own records this year. (Present Perfect)
Example. By the time the award was announced, she had already exceeded all expectations. (Past Perfect)
Example. By 2025, he will have exceeded most of his primary goals. (Future Perfect)
Example. The targets were exceeded by the team amazingly early.
Example. Her exceeded expectations were evident when she received the scholarship.
2 And for future perfect, which refers to something that will have happened at some point in the future.
Example. She has exceeded her own records this year. (Present Perfect)
Example. By the time the award was announced, she had already exceeded all expectations. (Past Perfect)
Example. By 2025, he will have exceeded most of his primary goals. (Future Perfect)
Example. The targets were exceeded by the team amazingly early.
Example. Her exceeded expectations were evident when she received the scholarship.
To form the passive voice.
Example. She has exceeded her own records this year. (Present Perfect)
Example. By the time the award was announced, she had already exceeded all expectations. (Past Perfect)
Example. By 2025, he will have exceeded most of his primary goals. (Future Perfect)
Example. The targets were exceeded by the team amazingly early.
Example. Her exceeded expectations were evident when she received the scholarship.
As an adjective.
Example. She has exceeded her own records this year. (Present Perfect)
Example. By the time the award was announced, she had already exceeded all expectations. (Past Perfect)
Example. By 2025, he will have exceeded most of his primary goals. (Future Perfect)
Example. The targets were exceeded by the team amazingly early.
Example. Her exceeded expectations were evident when she received the scholarship.

Common mistakes

— 01

Misusing Past Simple

A common mistake is using the simple past form of 'exceed' instead of the correct past participle form. The simple past tense of 'exceed' is 'exceeded,' and this form is correctly used for actions that happened at a specific time in the past. However, when forming present perfect, past perfect, or passive constructions, the past participle form, which is also 'exceeded,' should be used. Mistakenly, some might use 'exceed' or an incorrect variation like 'exceeden' in these constructions.

— 02

Confusing Forms

Unlike some irregular verbs that have distinct simple past and past participle forms, 'exceed' has the same form for both ('exceeded'). This can lead to confusion, with learners incorrectly believing they need to find or create a different form for the past participle. This mistake can manifest in either overcomplicating the language or avoiding the correct usage altogether.

— 03

Misapplication in Verb Tenses

Another mistake involves misapplying the past simple or past participle forms of 'exceed' in complex verb tenses. For example, using the simple past form when the past participle is required in perfect tenses or passive voice, or vice versa. This mistake can alter the meaning or clarity of a sentence.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the past simple and past participle forms of the word 'exceed'?

The past simple form of 'exceed' is 'exceeded'. The past participle form is also 'exceeded'. Both forms are used to indicate actions that happened in the past, but they are used in different grammatical constructions.

How do you use 'exceeded' in a past simple sentence?

To use 'exceeded' in a past simple sentence, you simply follow the structure of a regular past simple sentence, which typically involves a subject followed by the verb. For example. 'The company exceeded its sales targets last year.' In this sentence, 'exceeded' is used to describe an action that was completed at a specific time in the past.

How is 'exceeded' used as a past participle?

'Exceeded' is used as a past participle in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For instance, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'The project has exceeded expectations.' Here, 'has exceeded' indicates an action that occurred in the past but is relevant to the present moment. In a passive voice construction, you could say, 'The record was exceeded by the new athlete,' where 'was exceeded' describes an action done to the subject of the sentence.

Can you provide an example of 'exceeded' in a sentence where it's not clear if it's past simple or past participle?

Yes, in some sentences, the form 'exceeded' can fit both past simple and past participle constructions, making the tense ambiguous without further context. For example. 'The limits were exceeded.' Without additional context, this sentence could be interpreted as past simple passive voice ('The limits [were exceeded] by someone or something at a specific past time') or as past participle in a present perfect passive construction missing its auxiliary verb ('The limits [have been] exceeded'). The meaning depends on the broader context in which the sentence is used.