Forget past tense

Meaning of forget

fail to remember.

Infinitive

Word: forget /fərˈɡɛt/

Examples:

1. She always forgets to lock the door when she leaves the house.
2. He forgets his password at least once a week.
3. They never forget to call their parents on Sundays.

Past Simple

Word: forgot /fəˈɡɒt/

Examples:

1. I forgot my keys at the office yesterday and had to go back to retrieve them.
2. He forgot the password to his computer and couldn't log in all day.
3. She forgot to call her mother on her birthday and felt really guilty about it.

Past Participle

Word: forgotten /fərˈɡɒt.n̩/

Examples:

1. The keys have been forgotten on the table countless times.
2. All the mistakes were forgotten as soon as the apologies were accepted.
3. The message was forgotten as soon as it was read.

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Bare infinitive

To describe habits or general truths
Example. 'I always forget to take my keys when I leave the house.'
Example. 'My train leaves in five minutes. I forget why I even planned this trip.'
To express scheduled events in the near future (often used in informal contexts)
Example. 'I always forget to take my keys when I leave the house.'
Example. 'My train leaves in five minutes. I forget why I even planned this trip.'

Past Simple

To describe a completed action in the past
Example. 'I forgot to send the email yesterday.'
Example. 'I forgot how beautiful the city looks at night.'
Example. 'If only I hadn't forgotten her birthday.'
To express a past state of having not remembered something
Example. 'I forgot to send the email yesterday.'
Example. 'I forgot how beautiful the city looks at night.'
Example. 'If only I hadn't forgotten her birthday.'
Used in conditional sentences to express regret or missed action
Example. 'I forgot to send the email yesterday.'
Example. 'I forgot how beautiful the city looks at night.'
Example. 'If only I hadn't forgotten her birthday.'

Past Participle

Used in perfect tenses to describe actions/situations that have a connection to the present or are relevant at the time of speaking
Example. Present Perfect. 'I have forgotten his name already.'
Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time I remembered, I had already forgotten the answer.'
Example. Present Perfect. 'I've forgotten to bring my umbrella more times than I can count.'
Example. 'This is a forgotten chapter in history.'
To describe a past action without specifying when it happened if the time is not important
Example. Present Perfect. 'I have forgotten his name already.'
Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time I remembered, I had already forgotten the answer.'
Example. Present Perfect. 'I've forgotten to bring my umbrella more times than I can count.'
Example. 'This is a forgotten chapter in history.'
As an adjective to describe something that is not remembered
Example. Present Perfect. 'I have forgotten his name already.'
Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time I remembered, I had already forgotten the answer.'
Example. Present Perfect. 'I've forgotten to bring my umbrella more times than I can count.'
Example. 'This is a forgotten chapter in history.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

A common mistake is mixing up the past simple form 'forgot' with the past participle 'forgotten.' For instance, some might incorrectly use 'forgot' in a perfect tense construction, saying 'I have forgot to call you,' instead of the correct form 'I have forgotten to call you.' The past simple 'forgot' is used for actions that happened at a specific time in the past, whereas 'forgotten' is used in perfect tenses to discuss actions affecting the present.

— 02

Incorrect Use in Passive

Another mistake involves using the wrong form in passive voice sentences. Since passive constructions require the past participle, the correct form after 'be' verbs or auxiliary verbs is 'forgotten.' However, some might mistakenly use the past simple, saying 'The keys was forgot on the table,' instead of the correct 'The keys were forgotten on the table.' This mistake changes the grammatical structure and can lead to confusion about the intended meaning.

— 03

Past Participle in Phrasal Verbs

The verb 'forget' can be part of phrasal verbs, such as 'forget about.' A common error is omitting the use of 'forgotten' in these constructions, especially in perfect tenses, saying 'I have forget about the meeting,' rather than 'I have forgotten about the meeting.' This mistake not only disrupts the grammatical integrity of the sentence but also affects its clarity and accuracy.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'forget'?

The past simple form of 'forget' is 'forgot'. It is used to describe an action or situation that was completed in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I forgot my keys at home.'

What is the past participle form of 'forget'?

The past participle form of 'forget' is 'forgotten'. It is commonly used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses. For instance, 'I have forgotten his name.'

How do I use 'forgot' and 'forgotten' in sentences?

Forgot (Past Simple). Use 'forgot' when referring to a specific action in the past. Example. 'I forgot to lock the door when I left.' Forgotten (Past Participle). 'Forgotten' is used in perfect tenses or as an adjective. As part of perfect tenses. 'She has already forgotten the incident.' As an adjective. 'The forgotten ruins were rediscovered after centuries.'

Can 'forgotten' be used interchangeably with 'forgot' in sentences?

No, 'forgotten' and 'forgot' cannot be used interchangeably because they serve different grammatical purposes. 'Forgot' is the past simple form used for actions completed in the past, while 'forgotten' is the past participle used with auxiliary verbs in perfect tenses or as an adjective. Misusing them can lead to grammatical errors. For example, 'I forgot my password' is correct, whereas 'I have forgot my password' is incorrect; it should be 'I have forgotten my password.'