Heave past tense
Meaning of heave
lift or haul (a heavy thing) with great effort.
Infinitive
- 1. Every morning, the fishermen heave their nets into the sea, hoping for a good catch.
- 2. During the exercise class, the instructor always tells us to heave our weights up with controlled movements.
- 3. They heave a sigh of relief whenever the difficult part of the project is completed successfully.
Past Simple
- 1. He hove the heavy box onto the shelf with great effort.
- 2. She hove a sigh of relief when she finally finished the project.
- 3. The exhausted climbers hove themselves over the last ridge before the summit.
Past Participle
- 1. The old treasure chest was heaved onto the ship by the crew.
- 2. The rocks had been heaved from the path by morning.
- 3. The heavy gates had been heaved open by the soldiers.
Learn more words on the go
Master verb forms with Promova!
Bare infinitive
- Habitual ActionsExample. She always heaves a sigh of relief when she finishes her work.Example. This old ship always heaves in rough weather.Example. The ferry heaves off at dawn tomorrow.
- We use the Present Simple form to describe an action that is a habit or a routine.Example. She always heaves a sigh of relief when she finishes her work.Example. This old ship always heaves in rough weather.Example. The ferry heaves off at dawn tomorrow.
- General TruthsExample. She always heaves a sigh of relief when she finishes her work.Example. This old ship always heaves in rough weather.Example. The ferry heaves off at dawn tomorrow.
- It's used to state a general truth or a fact.Example. She always heaves a sigh of relief when she finishes her work.Example. This old ship always heaves in rough weather.Example. The ferry heaves off at dawn tomorrow.
- Timetabled Events (in the future)Example. She always heaves a sigh of relief when she finishes her work.Example. This old ship always heaves in rough weather.Example. The ferry heaves off at dawn tomorrow.
- When talking about scheduled events in the near future, especially in a timetable or a program.Example. She always heaves a sigh of relief when she finishes her work.Example. This old ship always heaves in rough weather.Example. The ferry heaves off at dawn tomorrow.
Past Simple
- Completed Actions in the PastExample. The crew heaved the cargo onto the deck last night.Example. They heaved the nets, sorted the catch, and headed back before sunrise.Example. He always heaved a loud sigh when disappointed, but he doesn't do that anymore.
- When the action was completed at a specific time in the past.Example. The crew heaved the cargo onto the deck last night.Example. They heaved the nets, sorted the catch, and headed back before sunrise.Example. He always heaved a loud sigh when disappointed, but he doesn't do that anymore.
- A Series of Completed ActionsExample. The crew heaved the cargo onto the deck last night.Example. They heaved the nets, sorted the catch, and headed back before sunrise.Example. He always heaved a loud sigh when disappointed, but he doesn't do that anymore.
- Used to describe a series of completed actions or events in the past.Example. The crew heaved the cargo onto the deck last night.Example. They heaved the nets, sorted the catch, and headed back before sunrise.Example. He always heaved a loud sigh when disappointed, but he doesn't do that anymore.
- Habit in the PastExample. The crew heaved the cargo onto the deck last night.Example. They heaved the nets, sorted the catch, and headed back before sunrise.Example. He always heaved a loud sigh when disappointed, but he doesn't do that anymore.
- Describing a habit which stopped in the past.Example. The crew heaved the cargo onto the deck last night.Example. They heaved the nets, sorted the catch, and headed back before sunrise.Example. He always heaved a loud sigh when disappointed, but he doesn't do that anymore.
Past Participle
- Perfect TensesExample. She has heaved so many boxes today.Example. The ship had heaved to the port before the storm hit.Example. By tomorrow, we will have heaved all the supplies onto the ship.Example. The anchor was heaved by the sailors at dawn.
- Present Perfect. For actions that happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important.Example. She has heaved so many boxes today.Example. The ship had heaved to the port before the storm hit.Example. By tomorrow, we will have heaved all the supplies onto the ship.Example. The anchor was heaved by the sailors at dawn.
- Past Perfect. For actions that were completed before another action or time in the past.Example. She has heaved so many boxes today.Example. The ship had heaved to the port before the storm hit.Example. By tomorrow, we will have heaved all the supplies onto the ship.Example. The anchor was heaved by the sailors at dawn.
- Future Perfect. For actions that will be completed before a specified time in the future.Example. She has heaved so many boxes today.Example. The ship had heaved to the port before the storm hit.Example. By tomorrow, we will have heaved all the supplies onto the ship.Example. The anchor was heaved by the sailors at dawn.
- Passive VoiceExample. She has heaved so many boxes today.Example. The ship had heaved to the port before the storm hit.Example. By tomorrow, we will have heaved all the supplies onto the ship.Example. The anchor was heaved by the sailors at dawn.
- Used in the passive voice to indicate that the subject of the sentence is acted upon.Example. She has heaved so many boxes today.Example. The ship had heaved to the port before the storm hit.Example. By tomorrow, we will have heaved all the supplies onto the ship.Example. The anchor was heaved by the sailors at dawn.
Common mistakes
— 01
Confusing 'Heaved' with 'Hove'
One common mistake is confusing the simple past tense of 'heave' between 'heaved' and 'hove.' While both forms are correct, 'heaved' is more commonly used in modern contexts to indicate the past action of lifting or throwing something with effort. 'Hove,' on the other hand, is an archaic or nautical term often used in past contexts, especially to describe a ship moving in a certain way. People might mistakenly use 'hove' in non-nautical contexts or favor 'heaved' in historical or nautical narratives, leading to anachronisms or stylistic inconsistencies.
— 02
Incorrectly Using 'Heaved'
Another mistake involves using 'heaved' as the past participle instead of recognizing that both 'heaved' and 'hove' can serve this function, depending on the dialect or stylistic choice. For instance, in standard American English, 'heaved' is commonly accepted as both the past and past participle form ('I have heaved'). However, in British English or in nautical contexts, 'hove' might be preferred as the past participle ('The ship has hove into view'). Using the incorrect form can confuse the intended meaning or reveal a misunderstanding of regional language variations.
— 03
Omitting Irregular Forms
Learners of English might focus solely on regular verb forms and overlook the irregular past simple and past participle forms of verbs like 'heave.' This leads to the incorrect application of regular verb conjugation rules to 'heave,' resulting in forms like 'heaved' for both past and past participle without recognizing 'hove' as an alternative. This mistake can lead to a lack of precision in language use and might hinder understanding in contexts where the traditional or nautical form 'hove' would be more appropriate.
Past tense quiz
Check your skills and find areas for improvement