Fall past tense

Meaning of fall

move from a higher to a lower level, typically rapidly and without control.

Infinitive

Word: fall /fɔːl/

Examples:

1. Leaves fall from the trees in autumn.
2. The temperature falls quickly once the sun sets.
3. Rainwater falls into the barrel during the storm.

Past Simple

Word: fell /fɛl/

Examples:

1. As the hiker made his way across the slippery rocks, he lost his footing and fell into the icy stream below.
2. The old oak tree finally fell after years of withstanding countless storms and heavy winds.
3. She fell silent, overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment as she listened to the heartwarming speech.

Past Participle

Word: fallen /ˈfɔː.lən/

Examples:

1. The vase was fallen off the shelf by the cat.
2. All the leaves have fallen from the trees by the time winter begins.
3. By the end of the day, darkness had fallen over the city.

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Bare infinitive

To describe a habitual or regular action. Use the present simple form when discussing something that regularly happens or is a general truth.
Example. 'Leaves fall from the trees every autumn.'
Example. 'Stock prices fall whenever there's bad news about the economy.'
Example. 'What goes up must fall.'
To state general facts or truths.
Example. 'Temperatures fall below freezing in winter around here.'
Example. 'Leaves fall from the trees every autumn.'
Example. 'Stock prices fall whenever there's bad news about the economy.'
Example. 'What goes up must fall.'

Past Simple

To describe a specific action that started and finished in the past. Use the past simple form to talk about actions that have been completed at a particular time in the past.
Example. 'He fell off his bike yesterday.'
Example. 'The vase fell and shattered last night.'
Example. 'As she ran to catch the bus, she fell and scraped her knee.'
Example. 'When I heard the news, my heart fell.'
For narrating stories or sequences of events that occurred in the past.
Example. 'He fell off his bike yesterday.'
Example. 'The vase fell and shattered last night.'
Example. 'As she ran to catch the bus, she fell and scraped her knee.'
Example. 'When I heard the news, my heart fell.'

Past Participle

To form the present perfect tense. Use 'have/has fallen' to discuss actions that occurred at an unspecified time in the past or actions that started in the past and are relevant to or continue in the present.
Example. 'The stock prices have fallen dramatically since last week.'
Example. 'Many empires have fallen over the centuries.'
Example. 'The city has fallen to the invaders.'
Example. 'The mighty have fallen, leaving a void in leadership.'
Example. 'By the time we arrived, the first snow had already fallen.'
Example. 'She realized that she had fallen in love with him only after he left.'
To form the passive voice. Use 'fallen' to emphasize the action or condition rather than the doer of the action.
Example. 'The stock prices have fallen dramatically since last week.'
Example. 'Many empires have fallen over the centuries.'
Example. 'The city has fallen to the invaders.'
Example. 'The mighty have fallen, leaving a void in leadership.'
Example. 'By the time we arrived, the first snow had already fallen.'
Example. 'She realized that she had fallen in love with him only after he left.'
To form the past perfect tense. Use 'had fallen' to discuss something that occurred before another action or point in time in the past.
Example. 'The stock prices have fallen dramatically since last week.'
Example. 'Many empires have fallen over the centuries.'
Example. 'The city has fallen to the invaders.'
Example. 'The mighty have fallen, leaving a void in leadership.'
Example. 'By the time we arrived, the first snow had already fallen.'
Example. 'She realized that she had fallen in love with him only after he left.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Past Simple

This error typically arises in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For instance, some might incorrectly say, 'I have fell down the stairs,' instead of the correct form, 'I have fallen down the stairs.' Understanding the distinction is crucial for correct tense formation, as the past participle is used with auxiliary verbs to create perfect aspect tenses and passive voice, not the past simple form.

— 02

Misusing with 'Be' verbs

Another mistake involves using the past simple 'fell' instead of the past participle 'fallen' in sentences that require a form of 'be' to construct the passive voice or to describe a state of being. For example, saying, 'The tree was fell during the storm,' instead of the correct 'The tree had fallen during the storm,' or 'The tree was fallen during the storm,' in passive voice. This error stems from misunderstanding how to convey actions that have been completed by someone or something else.

— 03

Incorrect tense consistency

Learners might start a story with 'Yesterday, I fell off the ladder,' but then mistakenly switch to 'By the time help arrived, I have fallen unconscious.' The shift from past simple to present perfect within a past-tense narrative disrupts the flow and coherence of the story. Maintaining consistent use of the past simple ('fell') for actions completed in the past is crucial for clarity and narrative flow.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'fall'?

The past simple form of 'fall' is 'fell.' It is used to describe an action that occurred and was completed at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I fell off the ladder.'

How do you use the past participle form of 'fall'?

The past participle form of 'fall' is 'fallen.' It is mainly used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have fallen in love with that song.' It indicates an action that happened at an unspecified time before now.

Can 'fallen' ever be used as an adjective?

Yes, 'fallen' can also be used as an adjective to describe something or someone that has fallen, often with a sense of having lost a former status or position. For example, 'The ruins of the fallen empire are spread across the land,' or 'He is a fallen hero, remembered for his past glory.' Is there a difference in using 'fell' and 'fallen' in a sentence