Light-up past tense

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Meaning of light-up

illuminate or brighten.

Infinitive

Word: light up: /laɪt ʌp/
Examples:
  • 1. The street lamps light up automatically as soon as the sun sets.
  • 2. Fairy lights light up the entire garden during the festival.
  • 3. His face lights up whenever he hears his favorite song.

Past Simple

Word: lit up /lɪt ʌp/
Examples:
  • 1. The fireworks lit up the sky during the New Year's Eve celebration.
  • 2. She lit up the room with her smile when she heard the good news.
  • 3. The lanterns lit up the garden path, creating a magical atmosphere.

Past Participle

Word: lit up /lɪt ʌp/
Examples:
  • 1. The entire skyline was lit up by the fireworks during the celebration.
  • 2. His face is lit up with joy every time he talks about his hobby.
  • 3. The candles had been lit up to create a cozy atmosphere.

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Bare infinitive

  1. General Truths or Facts. When stating something that is always true.
    Example. The sun lights up the sky every morning.
    Example. He lights up his cigar every evening after dinner.
    Example. The ceremony lights up the town square every Christmas.
  2. Habits or Regular Actions. To describe actions that happen regularly, often guided by a certain schedule or routine.
    Example. The sun lights up the sky every morning.
    Example. He lights up his cigar every evening after dinner.
    Example. The ceremony lights up the town square every Christmas.
  3. Fixed Arrangements. For events that are scheduled or planned, and the arrangement is firmly established.
    Example. The sun lights up the sky every morning.
    Example. He lights up his cigar every evening after dinner.
    Example. The ceremony lights up the town square every Christmas.

Past Simple

  1. Completed Actions in the Past. When talking about actions that happened at a specific time in the past and are now finished.
    Example. The fireworks lit up the night sky last New Year's Eve.
    Example. He lit up a candle, read a book, and went to bed early yesterday.
    Example. When I was a kid, my grandfather used to light up the fireplace every winter.
  2. A Series of Completed Actions. To describe a sequence of actions or events that took place in the past.
    Example. The fireworks lit up the night sky last New Year's Eve.
    Example. He lit up a candle, read a book, and went to bed early yesterday.
    Example. When I was a kid, my grandfather used to light up the fireplace every winter.
  3. Past Habits. For actions that were regular in the past but no longer happen in the present.
    Example. The fireworks lit up the night sky last New Year's Eve.
    Example. He lit up a candle, read a book, and went to bed early yesterday.
    Example. When I was a kid, my grandfather used to light up the fireplace every winter.

Past Participle

  1. Present Perfect Tense. When talking about actions that happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important.
    Example. I have already lit up the candles for tonight's dinner.
    Example. By the time we arrived, the city had already lit up its landmarks.
    Example. The streets are lit up beautifully during the festival.
    Example. The room, lit up by natural light, looked welcoming.
  2. Past Perfect Tense. To talk about an action that occurred before another action in the past.
    Example. I have already lit up the candles for tonight's dinner.
    Example. By the time we arrived, the city had already lit up its landmarks.
    Example. The streets are lit up beautifully during the festival.
    Example. The room, lit up by natural light, looked welcoming.
  3. Passive Voice. To form the passive voice, where the focus is on the action or the result of the action, not who or what is performing the action.
    Example. I have already lit up the candles for tonight's dinner.
    Example. By the time we arrived, the city had already lit up its landmarks.
    Example. The streets are lit up beautifully during the festival.
    Example. The room, lit up by natural light, looked welcoming.
  4. Adjective Use. When forming adjectives to describe the state of something following the action.
    Example. I have already lit up the candles for tonight's dinner.
    Example. By the time we arrived, the city had already lit up its landmarks.
    Example. The streets are lit up beautifully during the festival.
    Example. The room, lit up by natural light, looked welcoming.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

Mistake. Many learners confuse or use interchangeably the past simple and past participle forms of irregular verbs. For the verb 'light,' the past simple form is 'lit,' and the past participle form is also 'lit.' A common mistake is using 'lighted' as the past simple or past participle form when it should be 'lit' for both. Incorrect. He lighted the candle yesterday. (Past Simple) Correct. He lit the candle yesterday.

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

Mistake. Misusing the past participle form in perfect tenses is another frequent error. The correct past participle form 'lit' should be used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses, but learners often mistakenly use the base form or the past simple form. Incorrect. I have light the lamp before you came. (Present Perfect) Correct. I have lit the lamp before you came.

— 03

Misusing Past Simple

Mistake. While 'lit' is the correct past simple and past participle form of 'light,' 'lighted' is sometimes correctly used as an adjective. However, learners often mistakenly use 'lit' where 'lighted' would be more appropriate, or vice versa, especially in more formal or literary contexts. Incorrect. The room was brightly lit when it should convey a more formal tone. Correct. The room was brightly lighted for the ceremony.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'light up'?

The past simple form of 'light up' is 'lit up.' It is used to describe an action that happened and was completed at a specific time in the past. For example, 'The fireworks lit up the sky last night.'

What is the past participle form of 'light up'?

The past participle form of 'light up' is also 'lit up.' This form is used in perfect tense constructions to describe actions that have an impact on the present or that happened at an unspecified time in the past. For example, 'The room has lit up since we opened the curtains.'

How do I use 'lit up' in a sentence to describe a past action?

To use 'lit up' in a sentence to describe a past action, you incorporate it as the main verb in the past simple tense. Ensure the subject of your sentence is followed by 'lit up' and then by the object or complement if there is one. For example, 'She lit up the room with her smile yesterday.'

Can 'lit up' be used in passive voice constructions? If so, how?

Yes, 'lit up' can be used in passive voice constructions, particularly when the focus is on the action or the object of the action rather than who or what is performing the action. In the passive voice, 'lit up' is used with the appropriate form of the verb 'to be' for the tense you're working in, followed by 'lit up.' For the past simple passive, it would be 'was/were lit up.' For example, 'The stage was lit up by hundreds of lights for the concert.'