Outgrow past tense
Meaning of outgrow
to grow too large for something.
Infinitive
- 1. Children often outgrow their shoes much faster than parents expect.
- 2. She outgrows her fear of the dark as she gets older.
- 3. It's common for teenagers to outgrow their childhood hobbies.
Past Simple
- 1. As she entered her teenage years, she quickly outgrew her childhood clothes, necessitating a whole new wardrobe.
- 2. He outgrew his peanut allergy by the time he turned twelve, much to the relief of his parents.
- 3. Their startup rapidly outgrew the small office space they had initially rented, forcing them to look for a bigger location.
Past Participle
- 1. The clothes were quickly outgrown by the rapidly growing child.
- 2. The small office had been outgrown by the expanding company.
- 3. The children’s interests were outgrown as they matured into teenagers.
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Bare infinitive
- General truths or facts. Used to express something that is generally true or a fact that remains constant.Example. Children often outgrow their clothes quickly.Example. He always outgrows his sneakers by the end of the school year.
- Habitual actions or routines. Describes actions that are habitual or part of a routine.Example. Children often outgrow their clothes quickly.Example. He always outgrows his sneakers by the end of the school year.
Past Simple
- Completed actions in the past. Indicates an action or situation that was completed in the past at a specific time.Example. Last year, she outgrew her favorite jacket.Example. When I was a child, I outgrew my clothes almost every six months.Example. By the age of ten, I had outgrown my allergy to nuts.
- Past habits. Describes habits or routines that were regular in the past but not necessarily in the present.Example. Last year, she outgrew her favorite jacket.Example. When I was a child, I outgrew my clothes almost every six months.Example. By the age of ten, I had outgrown my allergy to nuts.
- Past states or situations. Indicates a state, situation, or relationship in the past, usually for a period that has ended.Example. Last year, she outgrew her favorite jacket.Example. When I was a child, I outgrew my clothes almost every six months.Example. By the age of ten, I had outgrown my allergy to nuts.
Past Participle
- Present Perfect. Used to indicate an action that occurred at an unspecified time in the past and has relevance to the present.Example. She has outgrown all her dresses from last summer.Example. The old family car had been outgrown by everyone, so it was finally sold.Example. If it hadn't been outgrown, the skateboard would still be in use.Example. The outgrown shoes were donated to charity.
- Past Perfect. Indicates an action that was completed before another action or time in the past.Example. Before moving out, he had outgrown his interest in video games.Example. The old family car had been outgrown by everyone, so it was finally sold.Example. If it hadn't been outgrown, the skateboard would still be in use.Example. The outgrown shoes were donated to charity.
- Passive Voice. When the subject is the recipient of the action.Example. The old family car had been outgrown by everyone, so it was finally sold.Example. If it hadn't been outgrown, the skateboard would still be in use.Example. The outgrown shoes were donated to charity.
- Conditional sentences and other structures. In some conditional sentences and in other complex sentences, the Past Participle can be used.Example. The old family car had been outgrown by everyone, so it was finally sold.Example. If it hadn't been outgrown, the skateboard would still be in use.Example. The outgrown shoes were donated to charity.
- As an adjective. the Past Participle can describe a noun.Example. The old family car had been outgrown by everyone, so it was finally sold.Example. If it hadn't been outgrown, the skateboard would still be in use.Example. The outgrown shoes were donated to charity.
Common mistakes
— 01
Confusing Forms
A common mistake is mixing up the past simple form 'outgrew' with the past participle form 'outgrown.' While 'outgrew' is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past (e.g., 'I outgrew my clothes last year'), 'outgrown' should be used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses or as an adjective (e.g., 'I have outgrown my old habits' or 'These shoes are outgrown'). Confusing these two can lead to grammatical errors and misunderstandings in the intended message.
— 02
Incorrect Verb Tense Usage
Another mistake is using the past simple or past participle form incorrectly within a sentence, which disrupts the consistency of verb tenses. For instance, mistakenly saying 'I have outgrew my shoes' instead of the correct form 'I have outgrown my shoes.' This error typically arises from not recognizing the need to use the past participle with the auxiliary verb 'have' to construct the present perfect tense, leading to a blend of past simple and present perfect that is grammatically incorrect.
— 03
Using Regular Verb Rules
Many learners mistakenly apply regular verb suffix rules, such as adding '-ed' to the base form, to irregular verbs like 'outgrow.' This can result in incorrect forms like 'outgrewed' or 'outgrowed' instead of the correct past simple 'outgrew' and past participle 'outgrown.' Understanding that 'outgrow' is an irregular verb and memorizing its correct forms can help avoid these errors, as the standard '-ed' rule for forming past tenses does not apply.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple form of 'outgrow'?
What is the past participle form of 'outgrow'?
How do I use 'outgrew' and 'outgrown' in sentences correctly?
Can 'outgrow' only refer to physical growth, or can it be used in other contexts as well?