Occur past tense

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Meaning of occur

to happen or take place.

Infinitive

Word: occur /əˈkɜːr/
Examples:
  • 1. Thunderstorms frequently occur in this region during the summer.
  • 2. Errors occur in even the most carefully edited texts.
  • 3. Changes in policy occur more often than you might think.

Past Simple

Word: occurred /əˈkɜrd/
Examples:
  • 1. The power outage occurred during the night, leaving us without electricity until morning.
  • 2. As I walked through the eerie forest, an unexpected noise occurred, making me halt in my tracks.
  • 3. The meeting that occured yesterday was stopped due to unexpected circumstances.

Past Participle

Word: occurred /əˈkɜːrd/
Examples:
  • 1. The event has occurred just as planned.
  • 2. The mistake was occurred by an oversight in our system.
  • 3. Many changes have occurred in the company over the past year.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Repeated Actions or Habits
    Example. Accidents occur frequently at that intersection.
    Example. Random mutations occur in the DNA of living organisms.
    Example. The next solar eclipse occurs on April 8th.
    Example. First, you mix the dry ingredients, then add water slowly until a dough forms.
  2. When describing actions that happen regularly or are habits.
    Example. Accidents occur frequently at that intersection.
    Example. Random mutations occur in the DNA of living organisms.
    Example. The next solar eclipse occurs on April 8th.
    Example. First, you mix the dry ingredients, then add water slowly until a dough forms.
  3. General Truths or Facts
    Example. Accidents occur frequently at that intersection.
    Example. Random mutations occur in the DNA of living organisms.
    Example. The next solar eclipse occurs on April 8th.
    Example. First, you mix the dry ingredients, then add water slowly until a dough forms.
  4. When stating facts or truths that are generally accepted.
    Example. Accidents occur frequently at that intersection.
    Example. Random mutations occur in the DNA of living organisms.
    Example. The next solar eclipse occurs on April 8th.
    Example. First, you mix the dry ingredients, then add water slowly until a dough forms.
  5. Scheduled Events in the Near Future (in a timetable)
    Example. Accidents occur frequently at that intersection.
    Example. Random mutations occur in the DNA of living organisms.
    Example. The next solar eclipse occurs on April 8th.
    Example. First, you mix the dry ingredients, then add water slowly until a dough forms.
  6. When referring to scheduled events, mostly in timetables or itineraries.
    Example. Accidents occur frequently at that intersection.
    Example. Random mutations occur in the DNA of living organisms.
    Example. The next solar eclipse occurs on April 8th.
    Example. First, you mix the dry ingredients, then add water slowly until a dough forms.
  7. Instructions or Directions
    Example. Accidents occur frequently at that intersection.
    Example. Random mutations occur in the DNA of living organisms.
    Example. The next solar eclipse occurs on April 8th.
    Example. First, you mix the dry ingredients, then add water slowly until a dough forms.
  8. When giving instructions or directions.
    Example. Accidents occur frequently at that intersection.
    Example. Random mutations occur in the DNA of living organisms.
    Example. The next solar eclipse occurs on April 8th.
    Example. First, you mix the dry ingredients, then add water slowly until a dough forms.

Past Simple

  1. Completed Actions in the Past
    Example. The accident occurred last night near my house.
    Example. We arrived at the theater, and immediately the show occurred.
    Example. The idea first occurred to me a month ago.
  2. When referring to actions that happened at a specific time in the past and have already finished.
    Example. The accident occurred last night near my house.
    Example. We arrived at the theater, and immediately the show occurred.
    Example. The idea first occurred to me a month ago.
  3. Sequential Actions in the Past
    Example. The accident occurred last night near my house.
    Example. We arrived at the theater, and immediately the show occurred.
    Example. The idea first occurred to me a month ago.
  4. When narrating events that happened consecutively in the past.
    Example. The accident occurred last night near my house.
    Example. We arrived at the theater, and immediately the show occurred.
    Example. The idea first occurred to me a month ago.
  5. With Time Expressions Referring to the Past
    Example. The accident occurred last night near my house.
    Example. We arrived at the theater, and immediately the show occurred.
    Example. The idea first occurred to me a month ago.
  6. When mentioning actions that happened at a specific time in the past, which is indicated by a time expression.
    Example. The accident occurred last night near my house.
    Example. We arrived at the theater, and immediately the show occurred.
    Example. The idea first occurred to me a month ago.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect Tenses
    Example. Changes have occurred since you were last here.
    Example. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already occurred.
    Example. By 2050, a significant shift in climate patterns will have occurred.
  2. Present Perfect Tense (Actions That Have Occurred at an Unspecified Time Before Now)
    Example. Changes have occurred since you were last here.
    Example. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already occurred.
    Example. By 2050, a significant shift in climate patterns will have occurred.
  3. When talking about actions that have happened at some point in the past but don't specify when.
    Example. Changes have occurred since you were last here.
    Example. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already occurred.
    Example. By 2050, a significant shift in climate patterns will have occurred.
  4. Past Perfect Tense (Actions That Had Occurred Before Another Past Action)
    Example. Changes have occurred since you were last here.
    Example. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already occurred.
    Example. By 2050, a significant shift in climate patterns will have occurred.
  5. To describe an action that was completed before another took place in the past.
    Example. Changes have occurred since you were last here.
    Example. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already occurred.
    Example. By 2050, a significant shift in climate patterns will have occurred.
  6. Future Perfect Tense (Actions That Will Have Occurred by a Certain Future Point)
    Example. Changes have occurred since you were last here.
    Example. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already occurred.
    Example. By 2050, a significant shift in climate patterns will have occurred.
  7. When projecting that something will happen before a certain point in the future.
    Example. Changes have occurred since you were last here.
    Example. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already occurred.
    Example. By 2050, a significant shift in climate patterns will have occurred.

Common mistakes

— 01

Misuse of 'occured'

A common mistake is using 'occur' instead of 'occurred' when referring to events in the simple past tense. The correct form for the past simple of 'occur' is 'occurred', with double 'r'. For example, it's incorrect to say, 'The event occur last night.' The correct form is, 'The event occurred last night.'

— 02

Misusing the Past Participle

Another mistake involves improperly using 'occurred' as the past participle without the auxiliary verb 'have' or 'had'. The past participle form of 'occur' is also 'occurred', and it should be used with an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses. For instance, saying 'The event occurred last year' is correct for simple past, but in perfect tenses, one should say, 'The event has occurred last year' (noting that this specific sentence might also be incorrect in terms of tense use, as typically 'last year' would not use present perfect but simple past, so a better example would be 'The event has occurred recently').

— 03

Confusing 'Occurred' and 'Occurred's'

A less common but notable mistake is adding an unnecessary possessive 's to 'occurred' when attempting to use its past participle form. This mistake stems from confusion around verb forms and possessive nouns. For instance, writing 'The problem occurred's solution was innovative' instead of the correct 'The solution to the problem that occurred was innovative.' Remember, 'occurred' does not have a possessive form because it is not a noun, and using 's with verbs is generally incorrect.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the past simple and past participle forms of 'occur'?

The past simple form of 'occur' is 'occurred'. The past participle form is also 'occurred'. It's important to remember that both the past simple and past participle forms are spelled with double 'r'.

How do I use the past simple form of 'occur'?

The past simple form, 'occurred', is used to talk about actions or events that happened at a specific time in the past. It does not require an auxiliary verb in affirmative sentences. For example. The incident occurred last night. The meeting occurred as planned.

How is the past participle form of 'occur' used?

The past participle form, 'occurred', is commonly used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. In perfect tenses, it is used with auxiliary verbs like 'has', 'have', or 'had'. In passive voice, it may be used with forms of 'to be'. Examples include. Perfect tenses. The incident has occurred. They had occurred before we arrived. Passive voice. Mistakes were occurred during the process. (Note. This passive construction is grammatically incorrect for 'occur' as it doesn't naturally lend itself to passive voice due to its intransitive nature. A correct passive sentence doesn't typically involve 'occur', e.g., 'Mistakes were made during the process.')

Can 'occurred' be used in both active and passive sentences?

'Occurred' is generally used in active sentences because 'occur' is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object. Therefore, it does not fit well into passive constructions because there is no object to become the subject of the sentence. Correct usage focuses on when or where something happened, not on what was acted upon. For example. Correct. The event occurred at the park. Incorrect in passive. The park was occurred by the event. (This is incorrect because 'occur' cannot be used in a passive construction due to its intransitive nature.) It's essential to be mindful of the context and the verb's transitivity when choosing between active and passive voice, especially with verbs like 'occur' that do not transitively act upon an object.