Kneel past tense

Type your word here
Try:

Learn past tenses to communicate in English accurately

Meaning of kneel

to place oneself or remain on the knees.

Infinitive

Word: kneel /niːl/
Examples:
  • 1. Every morning, she kneels by her bed to pray.
  • 2. He often kneels in the garden to remove the weeds.
  • 3. At the museum, visitors sometimes kneel to get a closer look at the lower exhibits.

Past Simple

Word: knelt /nɛlt/
Examples:
  • 1. He knelt before the altar to pray.
  • 2. She knelt down to tie her shoe lace.
  • 3. The knight knelt before the king to swear his loyalty.

Past Participle

Word: knelt or kneeled /nɛlt/ or /niːld/
Examples:
  • 1. The knight had knelt before the queen to pledge his loyalty.
  • 2. The proposal was romantically made as he knelt before his partner.
  • 3. Prayers had been silently offered while they knelt at the shrine.

Learn more words on the go

Master verb forms with Promova!

Download the app
cta-section-decorative-line-left
cta-section-decorative-line-left

Bare infinitive

  1. To describe a habitual action or a general truth.
    Example. He kneels to pray every morning.
    Example. She kneels by her bed to pray as part of her nightly routine.
  2. To describe a fixed arrangement in the near future (often found in a timetable or schedule).
    Example. He kneels to pray every morning.
    Example. She kneels by her bed to pray as part of her nightly routine.

Past Simple

  1. To describe an action that was completed at a specific time in the past.
    Example. He knelt to tie his shoelaces yesterday.
    Example. When the queen entered, everyone knelt, and then the ceremony began.
  2. To narrate a series of completed actions in the past.
    Example. He knelt to tie his shoelaces yesterday.
    Example. When the queen entered, everyone knelt, and then the ceremony began.

Past Participle

  1. To form the perfect tenses.
  2. Example (Present Perfect). She has knelt there for an hour.
  3. To form the passive voice.
  4. Example (Passive Voice). The knights were knelt before being knighted.
  5. As an adjective in certain constructions.
  6. Example (Adjectival). The knelt figure in the painting symbolizes humility.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake is using the past simple form 'knelt' as the past participle, or vice versa, not realizing that 'knelt' can serve as both the past simple and past participle forms for the verb 'kneel.' This confusion can lead to incorrect verb tense constructions, especially in perfect tenses. For instance, one might incorrectly say or write 'I have kneel down' instead of the correct 'I have knelt down.'

— 02

Using 'kneeled' inconsistently

While both 'knelt' and 'kneeled' are acceptable past forms of 'kneel,' some may mistakenly believe that only 'kneeled' is correct and consistently use it in all contexts, not recognizing 'knelt' as an equally valid and often preferred option. This can lead to inconsistencies in usage, especially in formal writing where 'knelt' is more commonly expected.

— 03

Misuse of '-ed'

A less common but notable mistake is attempting to form the past tense of 'kneel' by simply adding -ed to the base form, resulting in the incorrect 'kneeled' for those who are unaware that 'knelt' is an option. This mistake stems from overgeneralizing the rule that the past tense and past participle of regular verbs are formed by adding -ed to the base form, without recognizing that 'kneel' can follow an irregular pattern with 'knelt' as an acceptable or preferred form.

Past tense quiz

Check your skills and find areas for improvement

Take quiz

Frequently asked questions

What are the past simple and past participle forms of 'kneel'?

The past simple form of 'kneel' is 'knelt' or 'kneeled'. Both forms are correct, but 'knelt' is more commonly used, especially in British English. The past participle form is also 'knelt' or 'kneeled'. Again, usage can depend on regional preferences, but both are grammatically correct.

How do you use 'knelt' in a sentence?

'Knelt' is used to describe an action that occurred in the past where someone was in a position on their knees. For example. 'She knelt by the bedside to say her nightly prayers.' In this sentence, 'knelt' indicates that the action of kneeling happened at a specific time in the past.

Can you give an example of how to use 'kneeled' in a sentence?

Yes, 'kneeled' can be used in the same way as 'knelt'. An example sentence would be. 'He kneeled on the ground to tie his shoelaces.' This sentence shows 'kneeled' being used to describe a past action of moving into a kneeling position. Is there a difference in meaning between 'knelt' and 'kneeled'