Override past tense

Meaning of override

to cancel or set aside by exerting authority or power over something or someone.

Infinitive

Word: override /ˌoʊvəˈraɪd/

Examples:

1. The system administrator has the authority to override any settings configured by users.
2. In case of a conflict between local and national laws, the latter usually override the former.
3. The safety protocols are designed to override manual controls in the event of an emergency.

Past Simple

Word: overrode /ˌoʊvəˈroʊd/

Examples:

1. The manager overrode the decision made by the committee last week.
2. She overrode her initial reluctance and joined the project.
3. They overrode the computer's automatic process to fix the error manually.

Past Participle

Word: overridden /ˌoʊ.vəˈrɪd.ən/

Examples:

1. The decision was overridden by the committee's unanimous vote.
2. Her previous commands had been overridden by the new update.
3. The system settings are often overridden by default configurations.

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Bare infinitive

Habitual action. When referring to actions that happen regularly or habitually.
Example. 'The supervisor always overrides the automated system when there is a conflict.'
Example. 'The system allows administrators to override default settings.'
Example. 'The new policy to override manual checks kicks in next month.'
General truths or facts. When stating general truths or facts.
Example. 'The supervisor always overrides the automated system when there is a conflict.'
Example. 'The system allows administrators to override default settings.'
Example. 'The new policy to override manual checks kicks in next month.'
Scheduled future events (in contexts where the schedule is fixed like timetables or programs, often more formal or official than casual future intent).
Example. 'The supervisor always overrides the automated system when there is a conflict.'
Example. 'The system allows administrators to override default settings.'
Example. 'The new policy to override manual checks kicks in next month.'

Past Simple

Completed action in the past. When talking about an action that has been completed at some point in the past.
Example. 'Yesterday, the committee overrode the director's decision.'
Example. 'In the old system, the manager often overrode the automated recommendations, but that’s not possible anymore.'
Example. 'The board reviewed the proposal, overrode the objections, and finally approved the plan last week.'
Past habit which is no longer in practice. To talk about habits or recurring actions in the past that are not practiced in the present.
Example. 'Yesterday, the committee overrode the director's decision.'
Example. 'In the old system, the manager often overrode the automated recommendations, but that’s not possible anymore.'
Example. 'The board reviewed the proposal, overrode the objections, and finally approved the plan last week.'
Sequential past actions. When narrating a series of past actions, where 'overrode' signifies one of the actions that happened.
Example. 'Yesterday, the committee overrode the director's decision.'
Example. 'In the old system, the manager often overrode the automated recommendations, but that’s not possible anymore.'
Example. 'The board reviewed the proposal, overrode the objections, and finally approved the plan last week.'

Past Participle

Perfect tenses.
Example. 'The decision has been overridden by the higher authorities.'
Example. 'By the time the meeting took place, the initial instructions had already been overridden.'
Example. 'By next year, the outdated protocols will have been overridden by new regulations.'
Example. 'The employee's request was overridden by the management.'
Present Perfect. For actions that happened at an unspecified time before now or actions that started in the past but continue to the present.
Example. 'The decision has been overridden by the higher authorities.'
Example. 'By the time the meeting took place, the initial instructions had already been overridden.'
Example. 'By next year, the outdated protocols will have been overridden by new regulations.'
Example. 'The employee's request was overridden by the management.'
Past Perfect. For actions that were completed before another action in the past.
Example. 'The decision has been overridden by the higher authorities.'
Example. 'By the time the meeting took place, the initial instructions had already been overridden.'
Example. 'By next year, the outdated protocols will have been overridden by new regulations.'
Example. 'The employee's request was overridden by the management.'
Future Perfect. For actions that will have been completed by a certain future point.
Example. 'The decision has been overridden by the higher authorities.'
Example. 'By the time the meeting took place, the initial instructions had already been overridden.'
Example. 'By next year, the outdated protocols will have been overridden by new regulations.'
Example. 'The employee's request was overridden by the management.'
Passive voice. When the subject of the sentence is the recipient of the action rather than the doer.
Example. 'The decision has been overridden by the higher authorities.'
Example. 'By the time the meeting took place, the initial instructions had already been overridden.'
Example. 'By next year, the outdated protocols will have been overridden by new regulations.'
Example. 'The employee's request was overridden by the management.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

A common mistake is using the past simple form of 'override' (overrode) when the past participle form (overridden) is needed, and vice versa. For instance, incorrectly saying 'I have overrode the decision' instead of the correct 'I have overridden the decision.'

— 02

Incorrect past participle

Some people might mistakenly create the past participle of 'override' by simply adding -ed to the base form, leading to 'overrided' instead of the correct form, 'overridden.' This error stems from misunderstanding the irregular nature of the verb.

— 03

Misuse in passive constructions

Another common mistake involves Incorrectly Using Past Simple in passive voice constructions where the past participle is required. For example, saying 'The decision was overrode by the committee' instead of the correct 'The decision was overridden by the committee.' This mistake alters the grammatical accuracy and can lead to confusion about the intended meaning.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'override'?

The past simple form of 'override' is 'overrode'. It is used to describe an action that happened and was completed in the past. For example. 'Yesterday, the manager overrode the decision made by the committee.'

What is the past participle form of 'override'?

The past participle form of 'override' is 'overridden'. Past participles can be used in several ways, including in perfect tenses and as adjectives. For example, in the sentence 'The committee's decision has been overridden by the manager', 'overridden' is used with the auxiliary verb 'has been' to form the present perfect tense.

How do you use 'overrode' and 'overridden' in sentences?

Overrode (Past Simple). 'The software developer overrode the default settings to improve performance.' This sentence demonstrates the action in a specific moment in the past. Overridden (Past Participle). 'The safety protocols were overridden during the system update.' In this sentence, 'overridden' is used to indicate a state resulting from a past action, and it is part of the passive voice construction.

Can 'overridden' be used as an adjective?

Yes, 'overridden' can be used as an adjective to describe something that has been subjected to an overriding process or action. For example. 'The overridden commands caused the system to malfunction.' In this sentence, 'overridden' describes the state of the 'commands' due to an action that took place in the past.