Listen past tense

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Meaning of listen

to pay attention to someone or something in order to hear what is being said, sung, played, etc.

Infinitive

Word: listen /ˈlɪs.ən/
Examples:
  • 1. Every morning, I listen to the news while having breakfast.
  • 2. She listens attentively whenever her grandmother tells stories about the past.
  • 3. They always listen to their teacher's instructions carefully to understand the lesson better.

Past Simple

Word: listened /ˈlɪs.ənd/
Examples:
  • 1. I listened to my favorite album all night long.
  • 2. They listened carefully to the instructions before starting the exam.
  • 3. She listened to the birds singing outside her window early in the morning.

Past Participle

Word: listened /ˈlɪs.ənd/
Examples:
  • 1. The whole album was listened to with great enthusiasm by the fans.
  • 2. Instructions had been listened to carefully by the team before they started.
  • 3. The whispered secrets were listened to with bated breath.

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Bare infinitive

  1. To express habits or routines.
    Example. I listen to the radio every morning.
    Example. She listens carefully in class.
    Example. First, you listen to the question, then you write the answer.
    Example. The concert starts at 8 pm.
  2. To state facts or general truths.
    Example. I listen to the radio every morning.
    Example. She listens carefully in class.
    Example. First, you listen to the question, then you write the answer.
    Example. The concert starts at 8 pm.
  3. To give instructions or directions.
    Example. I listen to the radio every morning.
    Example. She listens carefully in class.
    Example. First, you listen to the question, then you write the answer.
    Example. The concert starts at 8 pm.
  4. To express scheduled future events (usually related to a timetable).
    Example. I listen to the radio every morning.
    Example. She listens carefully in class.
    Example. First, you listen to the question, then you write the answer.
    Example. The concert starts at 8 pm.

Past Simple

  1. To describe actions that happened at a specific time in the past and are now finished.
    Example. They listened to the new album yesterday.
    Example. We listened to the lecture, took notes, and then discussed the topic.
    Example. He always listened to classical music before he discovered jazz.
  2. To talk about sequences of actions in the past.
    Example. They listened to the new album yesterday.
    Example. We listened to the lecture, took notes, and then discussed the topic.
    Example. He always listened to classical music before he discovered jazz.
  3. To express habits or states in the past.
    Example. They listened to the new album yesterday.
    Example. We listened to the lecture, took notes, and then discussed the topic.
    Example. He always listened to classical music before he discovered jazz.

Past Participle

  1. To form the perfect aspects (present perfect, past perfect, etc.).
    Example. Present Perfect. I have listened to that song three times today.
    Example. Past Perfect. She had listened to the entire podcast before it became popular.
    Example. The speech was listened to by hundreds of people.
    Example. She is a welllistened person, knowledgeable in many subjects.
  2. To form the passive voice.
    Example. Present Perfect. I have listened to that song three times today.
    Example. Past Perfect. She had listened to the entire podcast before it became popular.
    Example. The speech was listened to by hundreds of people.
    Example. She is a welllistened person, knowledgeable in many subjects.
  3. As an adjective in certain expressions.
    Example. Present Perfect. I have listened to that song three times today.
    Example. Past Perfect. She had listened to the entire podcast before it became popular.
    Example. The speech was listened to by hundreds of people.
    Example. She is a welllistened person, knowledgeable in many subjects.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

One common mistake is confusing the past simple form of a verb with its past participle form. For the verb 'listen,' the past simple form is 'listened,' and this is the same as its past participle form. However, with irregular verbs, the forms can be quite different, leading to confusion. For example, the verb 'sing' has the past simple form 'sang' and the past participle form 'sung.' Users may mistakenly use 'sang' when the correct form should be 'sung' in perfect tenses or vice versa.

— 02

Incorrect Use in Perfect Tenses

Another mistake involves the Incorrect Past Participle. Since 'listened' serves as both the past simple and past participle for 'listen,' it might seem straightforward. However, learners often mistakenly apply this pattern to irregular verbs. For instance, they might say 'I have went' instead of 'I have gone' (from the verb 'go'). The correct construction of perfect tenses requires the past participle, so recognizing the correct form is crucial.

— 03

Omitting Auxiliary Verbs

A third mistake is omitting auxiliary verbs when using the past participle in perfect tenses. For example, saying 'I have listened to the music' is correct, but learners might mistakenly say 'I listened to the music' when they mean to use the present perfect tense to emphasize the action's relevance to the present. This mistake changes the tense and potentially the meaning of the sentence, leading to confusion.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'listen'?

The past simple form of 'listen' is 'listened'. This form is used to describe an action that was completed at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I listened to my favorite podcast.'

What is the past participle form of 'listen'?

The past participle form of 'listen' is also 'listened'. This form is used in perfect tenses to describe actions that have a connection to the present or were completed at an unspecified time in the past. For example, 'I have listened to that song many times.'

How do you use 'listened' in a sentence to indicate a past action?

To use 'listened' to indicate a past action, you simply conjugate 'listen' into its past simple form, 'listened', and ensure the sentence reflects a specific time in the past. For instance, 'Last night, I listened to a lecture on astronomy.' This sentence clearly indicates that the listening occurred at a specific time, which is last night.

Can 'listened' be used in passive voice sentences? If so, how?

Yes, 'listened' can be used in passive voice sentences, particularly when emphasizing the action rather than the subject. However, since 'listen' is an intransitive verb (meaning it does not take a direct object), its usage in passive constructions is limited and often requires creative rephrasing. For example, instead of saying 'The lecture was listened to by me,' which is awkward and rarely used, you might rephrase it to focus on the experience or effect, such as 'The lecture was heard by many,' using a different verb that better suits passive voice. Remember, direct passive constructions with 'listened' are uncommon because of the intransitive nature of 'listen.'