Hew past tense
Meaning of hew
to cut or shape (something) with a tool such as an axe, knife, or chisel.
Infinitive
- 1. He hews wood in the backyard every weekend to prepare for winter.
- 2. The sculptor hews stone meticulously to create his masterpieces.
- 3. In ancient times, people hewed trees by hand to build their homes.
Past Simple
- 1. The craftsmen hewed the logs into fine pieces of lumber for the construction.
- 2. In days gone by, workers hewed coal from the depths of the earth with their picks and shovels.
- 3. She hewed a canoe out of a single large tree trunk, using only traditional tools.
Past Participle
- 1. The ancient monoliths had been hewn from the mountainside by our ancestors.
- 2. The logs were hewn into rough shapes before being crafted into furniture.
- 3. The path through the dense forest was hewn by early settlers over decades of labor.
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Bare infinitive
- Habitual actions or routines.Example. He hews wood every morning for the fireplace.Example. They hew to the traditions of their ancestors.Example. He hews to a strict training regimen every week.
- General truths or facts.Example. He hews wood every morning for the fireplace.Example. They hew to the traditions of their ancestors.Example. He hews to a strict training regimen every week.
- Fixed arrangements or schedules (in the near future).Example. He hews wood every morning for the fireplace.Example. They hew to the traditions of their ancestors.Example. He hews to a strict training regimen every week.
Past Simple
- Completed actions in the past at a specific time.Example. They hewed the fallen tree into logs yesterday.Example. He hewed the logs, then stacked them neatly by the shed.Example. When they were younger, they hewed their own path through the forest.
- Sequences of actions in the past.Example. They hewed the fallen tree into logs yesterday.Example. He hewed the logs, then stacked them neatly by the shed.Example. When they were younger, they hewed their own path through the forest.
- Habitual actions in the past (often with time expressions like 'when I was a child').Example. They hewed the fallen tree into logs yesterday.Example. He hewed the logs, then stacked them neatly by the shed.Example. When they were younger, they hewed their own path through the forest.
Past Participle
- Perfect tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect) to indicate actions that have been completed at some point in time.Example. Present Perfect. They have hewn the marble for the statue beautifully.Example. Past Perfect. By the time the exhibition started, the sculptor had already hewn his masterpiece.Example. Future Perfect. By next year, they will have hewn a new path through the woods.Example. The great oaks had been hewn by the settlers to clear the land.Example. The hewn edges of the stone were smooth to the touch.
- Passive voice to indicate when the subject is acted upon.Example. Present Perfect. They have hewn the marble for the statue beautifully.Example. Past Perfect. By the time the exhibition started, the sculptor had already hewn his masterpiece.Example. Future Perfect. By next year, they will have hewn a new path through the woods.Example. The great oaks had been hewn by the settlers to clear the land.Example. The hewn edges of the stone were smooth to the touch.
- As adjectives to describe the state of something.Example. Present Perfect. They have hewn the marble for the statue beautifully.Example. Past Perfect. By the time the exhibition started, the sculptor had already hewn his masterpiece.Example. Future Perfect. By next year, they will have hewn a new path through the woods.Example. The great oaks had been hewn by the settlers to clear the land.Example. The hewn edges of the stone were smooth to the touch.
Common mistakes
— 01
Confusion between 'hewed' and 'hewn'
A common mistake is Confusing Forms of 'hew.' The simple past form is 'hewed,' which is used to describe an action that was completed in the past, typically without any auxiliary verb. For example. 'Yesterday, he hewed logs for the fireplace.' The past participle form is 'hewn,' which is used in perfect tenses and usually requires an auxiliary verb. For example. 'The logs have been hewn to the perfect size.' Mixing these up, such as using 'hewn' instead of 'hewed' for simple past actions or vice versa, is a frequent error.
— 02
Misuse of 'hewed'
Another mistake involves using 'hewed' where 'hewn' should be used, particularly in perfect tense constructions. For instance, saying 'The logs had hewed finely' is incorrect; it should be 'The logs had been hewn finely.' This mistake arises because many English verbs have the same form for both the past simple and past participle, leading to confusion with verbs like 'hew' that do not follow this pattern.
— 03
Regular Verb Patterns
A third common mistake is applying the regular verb pattern -ed for both the simple past and past participle forms to 'hew,' which is an irregular verb. Some might incorrectly assume 'hewed' for both forms due to the regular pattern seen in most English verbs (e.g., 'walked' for both past simple and past participle of 'walk'). However, 'hew' follows an irregular conjugation pattern, resulting in 'hewed' for the simple past and 'hewn' for the past participle. Misapplying the regular verb conjugation rule and saying 'hewned' as a mistaken attempt to create a past participle form is another manifestation of this error.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple form of 'hew'?
What is the past participle form of 'hew'?
Can you give an example sentence using both the past simple and past participle forms of 'hew'?