Joke past tense

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Meaning of joke

to speak or act in a playful or humorous way.

Infinitive

Word: joke /dʒoʊk/
Examples:
  • 1. She always tells a joke to lighten the mood during meetings.
  • 2. He never understands a joke, even when it's obvious.
  • 3. A good joke can make anyone's day better.

Past Simple

Word: joked /dʒoʊkt/
Examples:
  • 1. He joked about the situation to lighten the mood.
  • 2. She joked with her friends all evening long.
  • 3. They joked around until it was time to get serious and focus on the project.

Past Participle

Word: joked /dʒoʊkt/
Examples:
  • 1. As we relaxed around the campfire, we had joked and laughed until the early hours of the morning, enjoying each other's company.
  • 2. Despite the tense situation, he had joked to lighten the mood, eliciting chuckles from those around him.
  • 3. Throughout the long journey, we had joked to pass the time, finding humor in the most mundane of situations.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual actions or routines.
    Example. She jokes about everything all the time; it's just her way of dealing with stress.
  2. General truths or facts.
    Example. Good friends joke with each other without getting offended.
  3. Fixed arrangements in the near future (often found in informal contexts).
    Example. We joke about our bosses today at the lunch break.

Past Simple

  1. Actions completed at a specific time in the past.
    Example. We joked about the situation yesterday evening to lighten the mood.
  2. A series of completed actions in the past.
    Example. They met, joked around, and then decided to start a comedy podcast together.
  3. Past habits or states, not happening anymore.
    Example. He often joked about his own clumsiness, but he has become quite graceful now.
  4. Indirect speech, referring to something said in the past.
    Example. She said she just joked about moving to Canada if she didn't get the job.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect aspects, indicating actions that are completed at the time of speaking or at a specified time in the past or future. Present Perfect. I have joked about it enough; now it's time to be serious. Past Perfect. By the time the teacher arrived, everyone had already joked about the typo on the board. Future Perfect. By this time next week, we will have joked about every topic we could think of.
  2. Passive voice, describing actions done to the subject, not by the subject.
    Example. It was joked by many that the project would never get finished, yet here we are.
  3. As an adjective phrase to describe a feeling or state resulting from an action.
    Example. Left joked out after the meeting, she decided not to take things so personally anymore.
  4. Conditional sentences to imply hypothetical situations or outcomes.
    Example. If you had joked about it then, he might not have taken it so hard.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake is using the base form of the verb ('joke') instead of its past simple or past participle form ('joked') in contexts that require a past tense or a completed action. This can lead to incorrect sentences like 'I joke about it yesterday' instead of the correct 'I joked about it yesterday.'

— 02

Incorrect Pronunciation

While the spelling of the past simple and past participle forms of 'joke' is straightforward, learners might mispronounce '/dʒoʊkt/'. They might not properly voice the final 'ed' sound, leading to a mispronunciation that can confuse the intended tense or aspect. The correct pronunciation incorporates a distinct 't' sound at the end, following the voiced 'oʊk' sound.

— 03

Omitting Auxiliary Verb

In perfect tenses, the past participle form ('joked') needs to be used with an auxiliary verb (have/has/had). A common mistake is omitting the auxiliary verb, resulting in sentences like 'I joked about it' instead of 'I have joked about it' when intending to use the present perfect tense. This can change the meaning or make the sentence grammatically incorrect within the context.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'joke'?

The past simple form of 'joke' is 'joked.' It is used to describe an action that happened and was completed in the past. For example, 'She joked about her day at work.'

What is the past participle form of 'joke'?

The past participle form of 'joke' is also 'joked.' It is used in perfect tenses and passive voice. For example, in the sentence 'He has joked about this before,' 'joked' is used as the past participle in the present perfect tense.

How do you use 'joked' in a sentence in the past perfect tense?

In the past perfect tense, 'joked' is used with 'had' to indicate an action that was completed before another action in the past. For example. 'By the time they arrived, I had already joked about leaving early.' This sentence indicates that the joking occurred before the arrival.

Can you give an example of 'joked' in a passive voice sentence?

Yes, in the passive voice, 'joked' is used to emphasize the action rather than the subject. An example would be. 'The odd remark was joked about by everyone at the party.' This sentence focuses on the fact that everyone at the party made jokes about the odd remark, rather than who initiated the joking.