Give past tense
Meaning of give
to freely transfer the possession of something to someone.
Infinitive
- 1. She always gives honest feedback on my work.
- 2. This charity gives support to families in need.
- 3. He gives a lot of his time to volunteer at the local shelter.
Past Simple
- 1. She gave a powerful speech on human rights that moved the entire audience.
- 2. He gave his old coat to a homeless person to help them through the cold winter.
- 3. They gave their time and effort to organize a successful charity event for the local animal shelter.
Past Participle
- 1. The trophy was given to the winning team by the tournament organizers.
- 2. The final decision had been given much thought before being announced.
- 3. By the end of the day, all assignments must have been given to the teacher.
Learn more words on the go
Master verb forms with Promova!
Bare infinitive
- To describe habitual actions or routines.Example. I always give my dog a walk in the morning.
- To convey universal truths or facts.Example. The sun gives us light and warmth.
- In the first-person singular (I) and the plural (we, you, they), and the second and third persons singular without any additional ending.Example. He gives a lot of money to charity every year.
- For giving instructions or directives.Example. Please give me the book on the top shelf.
Past simple
- To describe an action that happened and was completed at a specific time in the past.Example. I gave a speech at the conference last month.
- When telling a story or recounting past events in chronological order.Example. She gave him a smile before leaving the room.
- To express an action that occurred regularly in the past but does not happen in the present.Example. We gave monthly donations to the charity last year.
Past participle
- Used in perfect tenses to talk about actions that have a connection to the present or recent past.Example. I have given all my old clothes to charity.
- To form passive voice sentences, indicating an action done to the subject.Example. The award was given to the most innovative company.
- In conditional sentences to imply hypothetical situations or regrets.Example. If I had given him the opportunity, he could have proven his dedication.
Common mistakes
— 01
Using the regular pattern
One common mistake is treating 'give' as a regular verb by adding -ed for its past simple and past participle forms, resulting in 'gived.' The correct forms are 'gave' (past simple) and 'given' (past participle). This error stems from the general rule that many English verbs form their past tenses by adding -ed, but 'give' is an irregular verb, so it doesn't follow this pattern. Thus, remembering its correct forms is essential for accurate usage.
— 02
Confusing forms
Another frequent mistake is using the past simple form 'gave' when the past participle 'given' is needed, and vice versa. This error often occurs in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For example, incorrectly saying 'I have gave you my answer' instead of the correct 'I have given you my answer.' Understanding the role of each form in different tenses and constructions is crucial to avoid this mistake.
— 03
Past Participle without auxiliaries
The past participle 'given' must be used with auxiliary verbs (e.g., has, have, had) to form perfect tenses or with 'be' in passive voice constructions. A common mistake is using 'given' standalone as the main verb in a sentence, as in 'I given it to him yesterday,' instead of the correct 'I gave it to him yesterday' for past simple or 'I have given it to him' for present perfect. Recognizing the need for auxiliary verbs with past participles is essential for grammatical accuracy.
Past tense quiz
Check your skills and find areas for improvement
Frequently asked questions
What are the past simple and past participle forms of 'give'?
How do you use 'gave' in a sentence?
How is 'given' correctly used in sentences?
Can you explain the difference between 'gave' and 'given' with examples?