Outrun past tense

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Meaning of outrun

to move faster than and thus escape from or evade someone or something.

Infinitive

Word: outrun /ˌaʊtˈrʌn/
Examples:
  • 1. He always outruns his competitors in the final lap of the race.
  • 2. This new technology outruns the old version in both efficiency and speed.
  • 3. No matter how fast I go, I can never outrun my brother in our morning jogs.

Past Simple

Word: outran /ˌaʊtˈræn/
Examples:
  • 1. The athlete outran all his competitors in the final sprint of the race.
  • 2. Despite our efforts, the storm outran our car as we tried to escape the city.
  • 3. The news of the scandal outran the company's attempt to keep it under wraps, spreading across social media within hours.

Past Participle

Word: outrun /ˌaʊtˈrʌn/
Examples:
  • 1. The thief was outrun by the diligent police officer.
  • 2. Every record at the school had been outrun by the new sprinter.
  • 3. The rumors were quickly outrun by the spread of the truth.

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Bare infinitive

  1. To describe a general action, habit, or fact in the present.
    Example. He outruns his competitors in every race.
    Example. To win, you must outrun the others.
    Example. Tomorrow, our team outruns the others in the charity marathon.
  2. To give instructions or directions.
    Example. He outruns his competitors in every race.
    Example. To win, you must outrun the others.
    Example. Tomorrow, our team outruns the others in the charity marathon.
  3. To describe scheduled events in the near future, often found in timetables or itineraries.
    Example. He outruns his competitors in every race.
    Example. To win, you must outrun the others.
    Example. Tomorrow, our team outruns the others in the charity marathon.

Past Simple

  1. To talk about a completed action at a specific time in the past.
    Example. Yesterday, she outran her opponent and won the race.
    Example. In the last game, he caught the ball and then outran the defender to score a goal.
    Example. When he was younger, he regularly outran everyone at school events.
  2. To describe a series of completed actions in the past.
    Example. Yesterday, she outran her opponent and won the race.
    Example. In the last game, he caught the ball and then outran the defender to score a goal.
    Example. When he was younger, he regularly outran everyone at school events.
  3. To mention past habits or states.
    Example. Yesterday, she outran her opponent and won the race.
    Example. In the last game, he caught the ball and then outran the defender to score a goal.
    Example. When he was younger, he regularly outran everyone at school events.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses (present perfect, past perfect, etc.) to talk about actions in relation to other time frames.
    Example. The thief was finally outrun by the police after a lengthy chase.
    Example. They were breathless and outrun after the marathon but filled with joy.
  2. Example (Present Perfect). He has always outrun his siblings in friendly competitions.
    Example. The thief was finally outrun by the police after a lengthy chase.
    Example. They were breathless and outrun after the marathon but filled with joy.
  3. Example (Past Perfect). By the time the storm hit, they had already outrun the danger.
    Example. The thief was finally outrun by the police after a lengthy chase.
    Example. They were breathless and outrun after the marathon but filled with joy.
  4. Passive voice to emphasize the action or the receiver of the action rather than the doer.
    Example. The thief was finally outrun by the police after a lengthy chase.
    Example. They were breathless and outrun after the marathon but filled with joy.
  5. As an adjective to describe something or someone in a particular state.
    Example. The thief was finally outrun by the police after a lengthy chase.
    Example. They were breathless and outrun after the marathon but filled with joy.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing past simple

One common mistake is using 'outrun' instead of 'outran' when referring to the past simple tense. The correct past simple form of 'outrun' is 'outran,' which is used to describe an event that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I outran my competitor in the race,' not 'Yesterday, I outrun my competitor in the race.' This error often occurs because of the regular pattern of adding -ed to form the past tense in many English verbs, leading learners to mistakenly apply this rule to irregular verbs like 'outrun.'

— 02

Using 'outrunned'

Another mistake involves creating a nonexistent form 'outrunned' by incorrectly applying the regular verb conjugation rule. The correct past participle form of 'outrun' is 'outrun,' not 'outrunned.' This error typically arises from the misconception that all verbs must add -ed or -d to form their past tense and past participle forms. For instance, the correct construction is 'I have outrun my fears,' instead of the incorrect 'I have outrunned my fears.'

— 03

Misusing the past participle

Sometimes, learners incorrectly use the past participle 'outrun' when they should use the past simple 'outran.' This mistake can lead to confusion about the timing of the action. For example, 'Last year, I outrun all my opponents in the marathon' should correctly be 'Last year, I outran all my opponents in the marathon.' This confusion often stems from the fact that for regular verbs, the past simple and past participle forms are identical, leading to incorrect application of this pattern to irregular verbs.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'outrun'?

The past simple form of 'outrun' is 'outran.' It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I outran my competitor in the race.'

What is the past participle form of 'outrun'?

The past participle form of 'outrun' is 'outrun.' It might seem a bit confusing, but the past participle form is the same as the base form for this verb. This form is used in perfect tenses, for example, 'I have outrun my opponent every time we've raced.'

How do you use the past participle 'outrun' in a sentence?

The past participle 'outrun' is often used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses. Here’s an example in a sentence. 'By the end of the marathon, I had outrun many seasoned athletes.' In this sentence, 'had outrun' is used to indicate an action completed before a certain point in the past.

Can you give an example of a sentence using both the past simple and past participle forms of 'outrun'?

Yes, here's a sentence that uses both forms. 'Last year, I outran my rival in a sprint, but I have never outrun him in a marathon.' In this sentence, 'outran' is used to describe a specific event that occurred in the past, while 'have never outrun' is used to describe an experience up to the present.