Find past tense
Meaning of find
discover or perceive by chance or unexpectedly.
Infinitive
- 1. She always finds the best deals when she goes shopping.
- 2. He finds comfort in reading books by his favorite author.
- 3. The dog finds its way home, even from miles away.
Past Simple
- 1. Yesterday, I found a lost kitten hiding under my car.
- 2. She found her old diary while cleaning the attic last weekend.
- 3. After hours of searching, they finally found the hidden treasure.
Past Participle
- 1. The lost treasure was found by the explorers after years of searching.
- 2. The keys have been found under the sofa.
- 3. All the missing documents were finally found in the old filing cabinet.
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Bare infinitive
- Habitual Actions. For actions that happen regularly or habits.Example. 'She finds joy in reading every night.'Example. 'The meeting finds its start at 10 a.m. tomorrow.'
- Fixed Arrangements. For scheduled events in the near future, often with a fixed time.Example. 'She finds joy in reading every night.'Example. 'The meeting finds its start at 10 a.m. tomorrow.'
Past Simple
- Completed Actions in the Past. For actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past.Example. 'Last year, I found a rare coin in my backyard.'Example. 'We found a nice cafe, ordered coffee, and talked for hours.'Example. 'When I was a child, I always found solace in the woods.'Example. 'She found herself confused by the rules.'
- Sequences of Actions in the Past. When describing a series of past actions or events.Example. 'Last year, I found a rare coin in my backyard.'Example. 'We found a nice cafe, ordered coffee, and talked for hours.'Example. 'When I was a child, I always found solace in the woods.'Example. 'She found herself confused by the rules.'
- Past Habits. For habits or routines that were true in the past but not anymore.Example. 'Last year, I found a rare coin in my backyard.'Example. 'We found a nice cafe, ordered coffee, and talked for hours.'Example. 'When I was a child, I always found solace in the woods.'Example. 'She found herself confused by the rules.'
- Past States. Describing a state or situation that was true in the past.Example. 'Last year, I found a rare coin in my backyard.'Example. 'We found a nice cafe, ordered coffee, and talked for hours.'Example. 'When I was a child, I always found solace in the woods.'Example. 'She found herself confused by the rules.'
Past Participle
- Perfect Tenses.Example. 'I have found many interesting books in that store.'Example. 'By the time the concert started, we had already found our seats.'Example. 'By this time next year, they will have found a new solution.'Example. 'A new species has been found in the Amazon.'
- Present Perfect. For actions that happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important.Example. 'I have found many interesting books in that store.'Example. 'By the time the concert started, we had already found our seats.'Example. 'By this time next year, they will have found a new solution.'Example. 'A new species has been found in the Amazon.'
- Past Perfect. For actions that were completed before another action or time in the past.Example. 'I have found many interesting books in that store.'Example. 'By the time the concert started, we had already found our seats.'Example. 'By this time next year, they will have found a new solution.'Example. 'A new species has been found in the Amazon.'
- Future Perfect. For actions that will be completed before a specified future time.Example. 'I have found many interesting books in that store.'Example. 'By the time the concert started, we had already found our seats.'Example. 'By this time next year, they will have found a new solution.'Example. 'A new species has been found in the Amazon.'
- Passive Voice. When the focus is on the action, not who or what is performing the action.Example. 'I have found many interesting books in that store.'Example. 'By the time the concert started, we had already found our seats.'Example. 'By this time next year, they will have found a new solution.'Example. 'A new species has been found in the Amazon.'
Common mistakes
— 01
Confusing forms
A common mistake is using the past simple form 'found' when the past participle form is required, and vice versa. For example, in perfect tenses or passive voice, the past participle 'found' is correct, not the past simple. Incorrect. 'I have find the keys.' Correct. 'I have found the keys.' Similarly, for passive voice, it should be 'The keys were found by me,' not 'The keys were find by me.'
— 02
Incorrectly using the base form
Another mistake is using the base form 'find' when referring to actions in the past, which can lead to confusion about the timing of the action. Incorrect. 'Yesterday, I find the book you were looking for.' Correct. 'Yesterday, I found the book you were looking for.' This mistake overlooks the need to change the verb form to indicate the past action.
— 03
Misusing Patterns
Some learners mistakenly apply regular verb endings (-ed) to 'find' because they assume it follows the same pattern as regular verbs for forming the past simple and past participle. They might incorrectly say 'finded' instead of 'found' for both past simple and past participle forms. Correct usage. 'I found the letter' (past simple) and 'I have found the letter' (past participle). This mistake shows a misunderstanding of irregular verb forms in English.
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