Pour past tense

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Meaning of pour

cause (liquid) to flow from a container in a steady stream.

Infinitive

Word: pour /pɔːr/
Examples:
  • 1. Every morning, she pours herself a cup of coffee to start her day.
  • 2. The farmer pours water into the trough for the animals to drink.
  • 3. He pours a little sugar into the recipe to balance the flavors.

Past Simple

Word: poured /pɔːd/
Examples:
  • 1. She poured the milk slowly into the bowl, trying not to spill any.
  • 2. He poured his heart out to me, revealing his deepest fears and hopes.
  • 3. The rain poured down heavily throughout the night, leaving the streets flooded by morning.

Past Participle

Word: poured /pɔːrd/
Examples:
  • 1. The foundation for the new building was poured by the construction team by early morning.
  • 2. By the end of the ceremony, the champagne had been poured into all the glasses elegantly.
  • 3. The information was poured into the database by a diligent team of researchers over several months.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual Actions
    Example. I pour a glass of water for myself every morning.
    Example. Water pours easily at room temperature.
    Example. The bartender pours drinks at 8 PM sharp every night.
    Example. First, pour the milk into the bowl, then add cereal.
  2. General Truths or Facts
    Example. I pour a glass of water for myself every morning.
    Example. Water pours easily at room temperature.
    Example. The bartender pours drinks at 8 PM sharp every night.
    Example. First, pour the milk into the bowl, then add cereal.
  3. Fixed Arrangements
    Example. I pour a glass of water for myself every morning.
    Example. Water pours easily at room temperature.
    Example. The bartender pours drinks at 8 PM sharp every night.
    Example. First, pour the milk into the bowl, then add cereal.
  4. Instructions or Directions
    Example. I pour a glass of water for myself every morning.
    Example. Water pours easily at room temperature.
    Example. The bartender pours drinks at 8 PM sharp every night.
    Example. First, pour the milk into the bowl, then add cereal.

Past Simple

  1. Actions Completed in the Past
    Example. I poured the concrete for the driveway yesterday.
    Example. He always poured a little milk into his coffee in those days.
    Example. She poured the tea, served the biscuits, and then joined us in the living room.
    Example. We poured the foundation last week.
  2. Past Habit or Routine
    Example. I poured the concrete for the driveway yesterday.
    Example. He always poured a little milk into his coffee in those days.
    Example. She poured the tea, served the biscuits, and then joined us in the living room.
    Example. We poured the foundation last week.
  3. Sequence of Actions in the Past
    Example. I poured the concrete for the driveway yesterday.
    Example. He always poured a little milk into his coffee in those days.
    Example. She poured the tea, served the biscuits, and then joined us in the living room.
    Example. We poured the foundation last week.
  4. With Time Expressions Referring to the Past
    Example. I poured the concrete for the driveway yesterday.
    Example. He always poured a little milk into his coffee in those days.
    Example. She poured the tea, served the biscuits, and then joined us in the living room.
    Example. We poured the foundation last week.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect Tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect)
    Example. Present Perfect. I have poured three cups of coffee already this morning.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time the guests arrived, we had poured the drinks.
    Example. Future Perfect. By tomorrow, they will have poured the concrete for the new pathway.
    Example. The ceremony was concluded as the wine was poured into the ceremonial goblet.
  2. Passive Voice
    Example. Present Perfect. I have poured three cups of coffee already this morning.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time the guests arrived, we had poured the drinks.
    Example. Future Perfect. By tomorrow, they will have poured the concrete for the new pathway.
    Example. The ceremony was concluded as the wine was poured into the ceremonial goblet.

Common mistakes

— 01

Mixing Up Forms

A frequent mistake is treating regular verbs like irregular ones or vice versa. 'Pour' is a regular verb, meaning its past simple and past participle forms are created by adding -ed to the base form (resulting in 'poured'). Learners might mistakenly believe that a verb like 'pour' should follow patterns of irregular verbs, creating nonexistent forms such as 'pore' or 'pourn,' influenced by irregular verbs like 'fly' (flew, flown) or 'take' (took, taken).

— 02

Incorrect Spelling

Some learners struggle with spelling when forming perfect tenses. Since 'pour' is regular, its past participle form 'poured' is used with have/has/had to form perfect aspects (e.g., has poured, had poured). However, learners might misspell the participle, especially under the influence of verbs that change spelling significantly in their past forms (like 'write' becoming 'written'). They might erroneously write 'pourred' or omit the -ed ending due to confusion with other verbs or misunderstanding the rule that regular verbs get an -ed ending.

— 03

Misapplication in Sentence

Another mistake involves using the past simple form when the past participle is needed, or vice versa, within a specific sentence context. This often happens in compound sentences where tense consistency is key. For example, incorrectly saying 'After he has pour the water, we started to drink' instead of 'After he had poured the water, we started to drink.' This mistake shows confusion between the use of 'pour' as an infinitive versus its correct past participle form 'poured' in a past perfect tense context.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'pour' is 'poured,' and the past participle form is also 'poured.' When do I use the past simple form of 'pour'

How is the past participle form of 'pour' used in sentences?

The past participle form 'poured' is primarily used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have poured milk into the cup.' In a passive voice construction, you could say, 'The milk was poured into the cup by me.' Both of these examples show the action of pouring as either completed in the past with relevance to the present or emphasize the action over the subject.

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

Yes, here's an example that incorporates both forms. 'Yesterday, I poured the foundation for the new house, and now it has been poured, we can start the next phase of construction.' In this sentence, 'poured' is first used in the past simple to denote the specific action taken yesterday. The second 'poured' is part of the passive structure 'has been poured,' indicating that the action is completed and relevant to the present moment, thus moving the project to its next phase.