Knock past tense

Meaning of knock

to strike something with a sharp blow or blows.

Infinitive

Word: knock /nɒk/

Examples:

1. She always knocks on the door before entering.
2. He knocks on the table to get everyone's attention during meetings.
3. The old clock knocks loudly every hour on the hour.

Past Simple

Word: knocked /nɒkt/

Examples:

1. He knocked on the door softly, hoping not to disturb anyone inside.
2. She accidentally knocked over the glass of water, spilling it all over the table.
3. They knocked on the neighbor's door to borrow some sugar.

Past Participle

Word: knocked /nɒkt/

Examples:

1. The door was knocked on loudly several times before it was finally opened.
2. I was knocked down by the sudden gust of wind while walking.
3. The mystery novel has been knocked off the bestseller list by a new release.

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Bare infinitive

To describe a habitual or regular action.
Example. He knocks on my door every morning to say hello.
Example. She always knocks before entering.
Example. Knock three times if you arrive after midnight.
Example. He knocks, waits, and then enters.
To state a fact or a general truth.
Example. He knocks on my door every morning to say hello.
Example. She always knocks before entering.
Example. Knock three times if you arrive after midnight.
Example. He knocks, waits, and then enters.
To give instructions or directions.
Example. He knocks on my door every morning to say hello.
Example. She always knocks before entering.
Example. Knock three times if you arrive after midnight.
Example. He knocks, waits, and then enters.
To describe an action in a simple present narrative.
Example. He knocks on my door every morning to say hello.
Example. She always knocks before entering.
Example. Knock three times if you arrive after midnight.
Example. He knocks, waits, and then enters.

Past Simple

To describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past.
Example. He knocked on the door yesterday but nobody answered.
Example. She knocked, paused, and then tried the handle.
Example. He always knocked on wood when mentioning his good fortune.
Example. I knocked on the door when the lights went out.
To narrate a series of past events or actions.
Example. He knocked on the door yesterday but nobody answered.
Example. She knocked, paused, and then tried the handle.
Example. He always knocked on wood when mentioning his good fortune.
Example. I knocked on the door when the lights went out.
To express a past habit or routine that is no longer practiced.
Example. He knocked on the door yesterday but nobody answered.
Example. She knocked, paused, and then tried the handle.
Example. He always knocked on wood when mentioning his good fortune.
Example. I knocked on the door when the lights went out.
To describe an action that was happening in the past when another action occurred.
Example. He knocked on the door yesterday but nobody answered.
Example. She knocked, paused, and then tried the handle.
Example. He always knocked on wood when mentioning his good fortune.
Example. I knocked on the door when the lights went out.

Past Participle

To form the perfect tenses Present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect.
Example. Present Perfect. She has knocked on every door of the neighborhood looking for her cat.
Example. Past Perfect. He had knocked many times before realizing the house was empty.
Example. Future Perfect. By tomorrow, they will have knocked on every possible door.
Example. The door was knocked on loudly by an unknown visitor.
Example. The mystery was a knocked puzzle, intriguing everyone who heard it.
To form the passive voice.
Example. Present Perfect. She has knocked on every door of the neighborhood looking for her cat.
Example. Past Perfect. He had knocked many times before realizing the house was empty.
Example. Future Perfect. By tomorrow, they will have knocked on every possible door.
Example. The door was knocked on loudly by an unknown visitor.
Example. The mystery was a knocked puzzle, intriguing everyone who heard it.
As an adjective to describe something.
Example. Present Perfect. She has knocked on every door of the neighborhood looking for her cat.
Example. Past Perfect. He had knocked many times before realizing the house was empty.
Example. Future Perfect. By tomorrow, they will have knocked on every possible door.
Example. The door was knocked on loudly by an unknown visitor.
Example. The mystery was a knocked puzzle, intriguing everyone who heard it.
Note. The word 'knock' does not change form between its Past Simple and Past Participle; both are 'knocked.' However, understanding the contexts in which these forms are used is essential for proper tense application in English.
Example. Present Perfect. She has knocked on every door of the neighborhood looking for her cat.
Example. Past Perfect. He had knocked many times before realizing the house was empty.
Example. Future Perfect. By tomorrow, they will have knocked on every possible door.
Example. The door was knocked on loudly by an unknown visitor.
Example. The mystery was a knocked puzzle, intriguing everyone who heard it.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

One common mistake involves interchanging the past simple form of the word 'knock' (knocked) with its past participle form (also knocked). While both forms are identical for regular verbs like 'knock,' the mistake becomes apparent when learners apply the same rule to irregular verbs. In sentences requiring a past participle, such as in perfect tenses or passive voice, some mistakenly use the past simple form of irregular verbs. It’s important to remember that 'knocked' serves as both the past simple and past participle form for 'knock,' but this is not a universal rule for all verbs.

— 02

Incorrect Past Simple

Another mistake is the incorrect formation of the past simple and past participle forms by adding an incorrect suffix or misinterpreting the verb as irregular. For 'knock,' the correct formation is by simply adding -ed to create 'knocked' for both past simple and past participle forms. However, learners sometimes erroneously believe that a regular verb like 'knock' might have an irregular form, leading to made-up forms such as 'knucken' or 'knack' in an attempt to mirror irregular verb patterns seen in verbs like 'sing' (sang, sung).

— 03

Misuse in Verb Tenses

A further mistake is misapplying the past simple or past participle forms in different verb tenses, particularly in perfect tenses or passive voice constructions. For example, using the past simple form when a past participle is needed, as in 'I have knocked the door yesterday' instead of 'I knocked on the door yesterday.' Understanding the role of 'knocked' as both the past simple and past participle form can avoid this error, ensuring the correct tense is used to convey the intended meaning accurately.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'knock'?

The past simple form of 'knock' is 'knocked.' It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I knocked on the door, but nobody answered.'

What is the past participle form of 'knock'?

The past participle form of 'knock' is also 'knocked.' It is used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses or the passive voice. For instance, in the sentence 'The door had been knocked on several times before it was finally opened,' 'knocked' is the past participle form, used here to construct the past perfect passive voice.

How do I use 'knocked' in a sentence to indicate a completed action in the past?

To indicate a completed action in the past using 'knocked,' you would typically use it in the past simple tense, often with a specific time indicator. For example. 'I knocked on the door at 3 PM.' This sentence shows that the action of knocking on the door was completed at a specific time in the past.

Can you give an example of a sentence using 'knocked' as a past participle in a passive voice construction?

Yes, here is an example of 'knocked' used as a past participle in a passive voice construction. 'The ancient door was knocked on by countless visitors over the years.' In this sentence, 'was knocked on' is a form of the passive voice, indicating that the action was performed by someone (in this case, 'countless visitors') on the subject ('The ancient door').