Melt past tense

Meaning of melt

change a solid substance to a liquid by heating it.

Infinitive

Word: melt /mɛlt/

Examples:

1. Ice melts quickly in hot weather.
2. The sun often melts the snow on the mountain tops.
3. Butter melts easily when heated in a pan.

Past Simple

Word: melted /ˈmɛltɪd/

Examples:

1. The ice cream melted quickly in the hot summer sun.
2. All the snow melted away by the afternoon.
3. As I held the chocolate in my hand, it melted and left a sticky mess.

Past Participle

Word: melted /ˈmɛltɪd/

Examples:

1. The ice has melted in the warm sun.
2. The chocolate was melted slowly in a double boiler.
3. The candles have melted down to stubs.

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Bare infinitive

To describe habits or routines.
Example. Every summer, the ice cream melts before I can eat it.
Example. To make a cake, first melt the butter and then mix it with sugar.
To give instructions or directions.
Example. Every summer, the ice cream melts before I can eat it.
Example. To make a cake, first melt the butter and then mix it with sugar.

Past Simple

To talk about a specific action in the past that started and finished.
Example. Yesterday, the chocolate bar melted in my car because it was so hot.
Example. Last summer, the candles melted during the power outage.
Example. The ice melted quickly in the sun last June.
To describe a series of completed actions in the past.
Example. Yesterday, the chocolate bar melted in my car because it was so hot.
Example. Last summer, the candles melted during the power outage.
Example. The ice melted quickly in the sun last June.
To mention past states or conditions.
Example. Yesterday, the chocolate bar melted in my car because it was so hot.
Example. Last summer, the candles melted during the power outage.
Example. The ice melted quickly in the sun last June.

Past Participle

To form the present perfect tense, talking about actions in the past that still affect the present.
Example. I have never melted chocolate for a recipe before.
Example. By the time we remembered the ice sculpture, it had already melted.
Example. The snow has been melted by the early morning sun.
Example. This sculpture is made of melted wax.
To form the past perfect tense, talking about actions that were completed before another action in the past.
Example. I have never melted chocolate for a recipe before.
Example. By the time we remembered the ice sculpture, it had already melted.
Example. The snow has been melted by the early morning sun.
Example. This sculpture is made of melted wax.
To make passive voice sentences.
Example. I have never melted chocolate for a recipe before.
Example. By the time we remembered the ice sculpture, it had already melted.
Example. The snow has been melted by the early morning sun.
Example. This sculpture is made of melted wax.
As an adjective to describe a condition or state resulting from an action.
Example. I have never melted chocolate for a recipe before.
Example. By the time we remembered the ice sculpture, it had already melted.
Example. The snow has been melted by the early morning sun.
Example. This sculpture is made of melted wax.

Common mistakes

— 01

Regular Verb Pattern

One common mistake is treating 'melt' as a regular verb by adding -ed for its past simple and past participle forms. The correct past simple form of 'melt' is 'melted,' which is used correctly, but the confusion often arises with the past participle. While 'melted' is also the correct past participle for the regular usage (e.g., 'The ice cream has melted in the sun'), 'molten' is an alternative past participle form used in specific contexts, especially in materials science (e.g., 'molten lava'). Misusing 'molten' as a regular past form (e.g., 'The candle molten quickly') instead of 'melted' is a mistake.

— 02

Confusing spelling

Another mistake involves the confusion between 'melted' and 'molten.' While both can be past participles of 'melt,' 'molten' is used for describing the liquid state of something that has been melted, especially metals or other materials at very high temperatures. It is a mistake to use 'molten' interchangeably with 'melted' in all contexts. For example, saying 'I have molten the cheese' instead of 'I have melted the cheese' is incorrect.

— 03

Incorrect Tense for 'Melt'

A third common mistake is choosing the wrong tense form between the past simple and the past participle when constructing sentences. Some might incorrectly use the past participle 'melted' without an auxiliary verb where the past simple 'melted' is required, or vice versa. For instance, saying 'I melted the chocolate' (correct) versus 'I have melt the chocolate' (incorrect, should be 'I have melted the chocolate') demonstrates confusion between the use of the past simple and the past participle form.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'melt'?

The past simple form of 'melt' is 'melted'. It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, the ice cream melted before I could eat it.'

What is the past participle form of 'melt'?

The past participle form of 'melt' is also 'melted'. This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice sentences. For example, in the sentence 'The ice has melted due to the heat,' 'melted' is used as the past participle in the present perfect tense.

Can 'melt' have an irregular past participle form?

Yes, in certain contexts, especially related to metalworking or chemistry, 'melt' can have an irregular past participle form, 'molten'. 'Molten' is used to describe something that has been melted and is in a liquid form, particularly metals. For example, 'molten lava' or 'molten iron'. However, it's important to note that 'molten' is used more as an adjective rather than the past participle in modern usage.

How do I use 'melted' and 'molten' correctly in a sentence?

Using 'melted'. When you want to talk about the action of something turning from a solid to a liquid due to heat, you use 'melted'. For example, 'She was sad to find her chocolate bar had melted in the sun.' Using 'molten'. This is typically used as an adjective to describe something in a liquid state due to extreme heat, often metals or geological substances. For instance, 'The molten lava from the volcano destroyed everything in its path.'