Mow past tense

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Meaning of mow

to cut down (grass or grain) with a scythe or a machine.

Infinitive

Word: mow /moʊ/
Examples:
  • 1. She mows the lawn every Saturday morning to keep the yard looking neat.
  • 2. He always mows his neighbor's grass for free when they are out of town.
  • 3. The city mows the public parks weekly to ensure they are safe and accessible for everyone.

Past Simple

Word: mowed /moʊd/
Examples:
  • 1. Last weekend, she mowed the lawn before the rain started.
  • 2. He mowed the tall grass in the backyard to prepare for the barbecue.
  • 3. The gardener mowed the lawns of the entire estate by early afternoon.

Past Participle

Word: mown /moʊn/
Examples:
  • 1. The lawn had been mown by the time we arrived home.
  • 2. All the grass in the park was mown early this morning.
  • 3. By the end of the day, the entire field will have been mown.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual actions or routines
    Example. 'I mow the lawn every Saturday morning.'
    Example. 'He mows his yard very carefully to keep it neat.'
    Example. 'The groundskeeper mows the football field before every home game.'
  2. General truths or facts
    Example. 'I mow the lawn every Saturday morning.'
    Example. 'He mows his yard very carefully to keep it neat.'
    Example. 'The groundskeeper mows the football field before every home game.'
  3. Scheduled events in the near future (often used in formal or timetable contexts)
    Example. 'I mow the lawn every Saturday morning.'
    Example. 'He mows his yard very carefully to keep it neat.'
    Example. 'The groundskeeper mows the football field before every home game.'

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions at a specific time in the past
    Example. 'I mowed the lawn yesterday afternoon.'
    Example. 'Last weekend, I mowed the lawn, trimmed the hedges, and planted some flowers.'
    Example. 'Back then, everyone in the neighborhood mowed their lawns on Sundays.'
  2. A series of completed actions in the past
    Example. 'I mowed the lawn yesterday afternoon.'
    Example. 'Last weekend, I mowed the lawn, trimmed the hedges, and planted some flowers.'
    Example. 'Back then, everyone in the neighborhood mowed their lawns on Sundays.'
  3. Facts or generalizations about the past
    Example. 'I mowed the lawn yesterday afternoon.'
    Example. 'Last weekend, I mowed the lawn, trimmed the hedges, and planted some flowers.'
    Example. 'Back then, everyone in the neighborhood mowed their lawns on Sundays.'

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses
    Example. 'I have already mowed the lawn today.'
    Example. 'By the time it started raining, I had mowed the lawn.'
    Example. 'By this time next week, I will have mowed the lawn five times.'
    Example. 'The lawn has been mowed, so we can play soccer now.'
  2. Present Perfect – actions that occurred at an unspecified time before now or actions that started in the past and continue to the present.
    Example. 'I have already mowed the lawn today.'
    Example. 'By the time it started raining, I had mowed the lawn.'
    Example. 'By this time next week, I will have mowed the lawn five times.'
    Example. 'The lawn has been mowed, so we can play soccer now.'
  3. Past Perfect – actions that were completed before another action in the past.
    Example. 'I have already mowed the lawn today.'
    Example. 'By the time it started raining, I had mowed the lawn.'
    Example. 'By this time next week, I will have mowed the lawn five times.'
    Example. 'The lawn has been mowed, so we can play soccer now.'
  4. Future Perfect – actions that will be completed by a certain future point.
    Example. 'I have already mowed the lawn today.'
    Example. 'By the time it started raining, I had mowed the lawn.'
    Example. 'By this time next week, I will have mowed the lawn five times.'
    Example. 'The lawn has been mowed, so we can play soccer now.'
  5. Passive voice – when the focus is on the action or the fact that it has been done, rather than who did it.
    Example. 'I have already mowed the lawn today.'
    Example. 'By the time it started raining, I had mowed the lawn.'
    Example. 'By this time next week, I will have mowed the lawn five times.'
    Example. 'The lawn has been mowed, so we can play soccer now.'
  6. These examples cover various scenarios for using the present simple, past simple, and past participle forms of the verb 'mow,' offering a comprehensive understanding of its application.
    Example. 'I have already mowed the lawn today.'
    Example. 'By the time it started raining, I had mowed the lawn.'
    Example. 'By this time next week, I will have mowed the lawn five times.'
    Example. 'The lawn has been mowed, so we can play soccer now.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusion Between Forms

One common mistake is mixing up the simple past form 'mowed' with the past participle 'mown' when constructing sentences. The simple past 'mowed' is used for the basic narration of past events, e.g., 'Yesterday, I mowed the lawn.' The past participle 'mown,' however, is typically used in perfect tenses or passive voice, e.g., 'The lawn has been mown.' Mistaking these forms can lead to grammatical inaccuracies, such as saying 'The lawn was mowed' when aiming for a passive construction, which should correctly be 'The lawn was mown.'

— 02

Incorrect Verb Tense Usage

Another mistake involves using the simple past when the past participle is needed, especially in perfect tense constructions. For instance, saying 'I have mowed the lawn last week' instead of the correct 'I have mown the lawn last week.' This error stems from not recognizing that perfect tenses (have/has/had + past participle) are used to link past actions to the present or other past actions, requiring the use of 'mown' rather than 'mowed.'

— 03

Regular Verb Patterns

A less common but notable mistake is the overgeneralization of the '-ed' ending for past participles, leading to 'mowed' being incorrectly used as the past participle instead of 'mown.' This mistake happens because many English verbs form their past simple and past participle by adding '-ed' or '-d.' However, 'mow' is an irregular verb, and its correct past participle form is 'mown,' not 'mowed.' This error reflects a misunderstanding of irregular verb patterns in English.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'mow'?

The past simple form of 'mow' is 'mowed.' It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I mowed the lawn before it started raining.'

How do you use the past participle form of 'mow'?

The past participle form of 'mow' can be either 'mowed' or 'mown,' but 'mown' is more commonly used in passive constructions or perfect tenses. It is used to describe actions that have been completed in the past. For example, in the perfect tense, you might say, 'I have mown the lawn every weekend this summer.' In a passive construction, you could say, 'The field was mown just in time for the festival.'

Can you give an example of a sentence using 'mowed' and 'mown' to highlight the difference?

Certainly! Using 'mowed' in a sentence. 'She mowed the backyard yesterday afternoon.' This sentence is in the past simple tense and indicates a specific action completed in the past. Using 'mown' in a sentence. 'The grass has never been mown so neatly before.' This sentence employs the past participle in a present perfect tense, indicating an action that has an impact on the present or is a general statement about past actions. Is there a regional preference for using 'mowed' vs. 'mown'