Excel past tense
Meaning of excel
to do or be better than others.
Infinitive
- 1. She always excels in mathematics, scoring the highest in her class.
- 2. To excel in this competitive field, you must dedicate yourself to continual learning and improvement.
- 3. They excel at creating innovative solutions to complex problems.
Past Simple
- 1. She excelled in her mathematics exam last semester.
- 2. He excelled at every task he was given during the internship.
- 3. They excelled in their presentation and impressed everyone in the meeting.
Past Participle
- 1. The project has been excelled in by the entire team, leading to its overwhelming success.
- 2. All expectations were exceeded when the new software was excelled beyond its initial capabilities.
- 3. The difficult task was excelled at by the young athlete, earning him widespread acclaim.
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Bare infinitive
- General Truths or Facts.Example. People who excel in their fields usually practice diligently.Example. She excels in every match she plays.Example. This software excels in userfriendly design.
- Habitual Actions.Example. People who excel in their fields usually practice diligently.Example. She excels in every match she plays.Example. This software excels in userfriendly design.
- Permanent Situations.Example. People who excel in their fields usually practice diligently.Example. She excels in every match she plays.Example. This software excels in userfriendly design.
Past Simple
- Completed Actions in the Past.Example. He excelled in his exams last year.Example. She excelled at every subject, aced the final, and graduated top of her class.Example. We excelled at chess during our school years.Example. Leonardo da Vinci excelled in various fields, including art and science.
- Series of Completed Actions.Example. He excelled in his exams last year.Example. She excelled at every subject, aced the final, and graduated top of her class.Example. We excelled at chess during our school years.Example. Leonardo da Vinci excelled in various fields, including art and science.
- Past Habits or States.Example. He excelled in his exams last year.Example. She excelled at every subject, aced the final, and graduated top of her class.Example. We excelled at chess during our school years.Example. Leonardo da Vinci excelled in various fields, including art and science.
- Past Fact or Generalization.Example. He excelled in his exams last year.Example. She excelled at every subject, aced the final, and graduated top of her class.Example. We excelled at chess during our school years.Example. Leonardo da Vinci excelled in various fields, including art and science.
Past Participle
- Present Perfect Tense (To Describe Actions That Happened at an Unspecified Time in the Past).Example. They have excelled in every competition they've entered.Example. Before she became a renowned artist, she had already excelled in local art competitions.Example. The student was excelled by none in his mathematics prowess.
- Past Perfect Tense (To Describe Actions That Were Completed Before Another Action in the Past).Example. They have excelled in every competition they've entered.Example. Before she became a renowned artist, she had already excelled in local art competitions.Example. The student was excelled by none in his mathematics prowess.
- Passive Voice (To Describe Actions Done to the Subject).Example. They have excelled in every competition they've entered.Example. Before she became a renowned artist, she had already excelled in local art competitions.Example. The student was excelled by none in his mathematics prowess.
Common mistakes
— 01
Doubling the Consonant
One common mistake is not doubling the final consonant 'l' when forming the past simple and past participle forms of 'excel.' Learners might incorrectly write or say 'exceled' instead of the correct 'excelled.' The rule of thumb for many verbs in English is to double the final consonant before adding '-ed' if the verb ends in a consonant + vowel + consonant and the stress is on the final syllable. 'Excel' fits this pattern, so the correct forms are 'excelled' for both the past simple and past participle.
— 02
Pronunciation
Another error involves mispronouncing the '-ed' ending of 'excelled.' The correct pronunciation is /ɪkˈsɛld/, with a clear 'd' sound at the end. However, learners might pronounce it as /ɪkˈsɛlɪd/ or /ɪkˈsɛlt/, misinterpreting how the past tense ending should sound. This mistake can lead to confusion and might affect the listener's understanding of the tense being used.
— 03
Confusing Verb Forms
Some learners might confuse the past simple and past participle forms of 'excel' with those of irregular verbs, expecting 'excelled' to change more dramatically. They might avoid using 'excelled' altogether because they're unsure of its correctness, opting for workarounds like 'did excel' in past simple contexts or rephrasing sentences to avoid the past participle form. Recognizing that 'excelled' serves as both the past simple and past participle form is crucial for clear and grammatically correct communication.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple form of 'excel'?
How is the past participle of 'excel' used?
Can you give an example of a sentence using the past simple form of 'excel'?