Pretend past tense

Type your word here
Try:

Learn past tenses to communicate in English accurately

Meaning of pretend

to behave as if something is true when you know that it is not, especially in order to deceive people or as a game.

Infinitive

Word: pretend /prɪˈtɛnd/
Examples:
  • 1. Every night before bed, my little brother likes to pretend he's a superhero saving the world from villains.
  • 2. During their playdates, the children often pretend they are explorers discovering new lands.
  • 3. When the teacher asks a difficult question, some students pretend to be busy writing to avoid answering.

Past Simple

Word: pretended /prɪˈtɛndɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. She pretended not to hear him when he called her name across the crowded room.
  • 2. They pretended they had never met before to avoid any awkward questions.
  • 3. He pretended to be sick so he could stay home from school yesterday.

Past Participle

Word: pretended /prɪˈtɛndɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. She has always pretended to be someone she's not.
  • 2. The secret had been pretended away for years, as if it never existed.
  • 3. The children had pretended to be asleep when their parents walked in.

Learn more words on the go

Master verb forms with Promova!

Download the app
cta-section-decorative-line-left
cta-section-decorative-line-left

Bare infinitive

  1. General Truths or Facts
    Example. Water pretends to be calm, but it can be powerful.
    Example. He pretends not to care, but I know he does.
    Example. She always pretends everything is fine.
  2. Habits or Regular Actions
    Example. Water pretends to be calm, but it can be powerful.
    Example. He pretends not to care, but I know he does.
    Example. She always pretends everything is fine.
  3. States or Situations
    Example. Water pretends to be calm, but it can be powerful.
    Example. He pretends not to care, but I know he does.
    Example. She always pretends everything is fine.

Past Simple

  1. Completed Actions in the Past
    Example. Yesterday, he pretended to be sick to avoid going to school.
    Example. When we were children, we often pretended to be superheroes.
    Example. First, she pretended not to hear me, and then she walked away.
  2. Past Habits
    Example. Yesterday, he pretended to be sick to avoid going to school.
    Example. When we were children, we often pretended to be superheroes.
    Example. First, she pretended not to hear me, and then she walked away.
  3. Sequences of Past Events
    Example. Yesterday, he pretended to be sick to avoid going to school.
    Example. When we were children, we often pretended to be superheroes.
    Example. First, she pretended not to hear me, and then she walked away.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect Tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, etc.)
    Example. Present Perfect. They have never pretended to be something they're not.
    Example. Past Perfect. She had pretended to understand, even when she didn't.
    Example. The role was pretended to be filled convincingly by the actor.
    Example. Pretended ignorance is sometimes more annoying than genuine ignorance.
  2. Passive Voice
    Example. Present Perfect. They have never pretended to be something they're not.
    Example. Past Perfect. She had pretended to understand, even when she didn't.
    Example. The role was pretended to be filled convincingly by the actor.
    Example. Pretended ignorance is sometimes more annoying than genuine ignorance.
  3. Adjectival Use (Describing a State)
    Example. Present Perfect. They have never pretended to be something they're not.
    Example. Past Perfect. She had pretended to understand, even when she didn't.
    Example. The role was pretended to be filled convincingly by the actor.
    Example. Pretended ignorance is sometimes more annoying than genuine ignorance.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake is confusing the past simple form of 'pretend' with its past participle form. The past simple form is 'pretended,' used to describe an action that occurred and was completed in the past. The past participle form is also 'pretended,' which might contribute to the confusion but is primarily used in perfect tenses and passive voice. For example, 'I pretended to be sick yesterday' (past simple) versus 'I have pretended to be sick before' (present perfect).

— 02

Incorrect Use in Perfect Tenses

Another mistake involves the misuse of the past participle form in perfect tenses. Since 'pretended' serves as both the past simple and past participle form, some might incorrectly substitute it with an irregular form or misuse it in the construction of perfect tenses. Correct usage in the present perfect tense would be, 'She has pretended to understand the joke,' not 'She has pretend to understand the joke,' which mistakenly uses the base form instead of the past participle.

— 03

Errors in Passive Voice

When constructing sentences in the passive voice, some might incorrectly use the past simple form instead of the past participle. The correct construction in passive voice requires the past participle form. For example, 'The role was pretended by him with great skill,' demonstrates the correct use of 'pretended' in passive voice, whereas 'The role was pretend by him with great skill,' incorrectly uses the base form.

Past tense quiz

Check your skills and find areas for improvement

Take quiz

Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'pretend'?

The past simple form of 'pretend' is 'pretended.' It is used to describe actions that were completed in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I pretended to be a superhero.'

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

The past participle form of 'pretend' is also 'pretended.' It is commonly used in perfect tense constructions to describe actions that have been completed at some point in the past or that have relevance to the present or future. For instance, in the sentence 'She has pretended to be asleep to avoid conversation,' 'pretended' is the past participle form, combining with the auxiliary verb 'has' to form the present perfect tense.

Can you provide an example of 'pretended' used in a sentence in the past perfect tense?

Certainly. In the past perfect tense, 'pretended' helps to describe an action that was completed before another action or time in the past. An example sentence would be, 'By the time her parents arrived, she had already pretended to finish her homework.' Here, 'had pretended' indicates that the pretending occurred before the parents' arrival. Is there a difference in meaning or usage between the past simple and past participle forms of 'pretend'