Provide past tense

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Meaning of provide

to supply or make available (something wanted or needed).

Infinitive

Word: provide /prəˈvaɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. She always provides excellent advice whenever we face difficult decisions.
  • 2. The program provides free meals to those in need every Saturday.
  • 3. The library provides access to a vast range of books and digital resources for the community.

Past Simple

Word: provided /prəˈvaɪdɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. She provided all the necessary documents for the application yesterday.
  • 2. They provided us with great service during our stay last summer.
  • 3. The teacher provided detailed feedback on the assignments last week.

Past Participle

Word: provided /prəˈvaɪdɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. The meal was provided by the host to ensure everyone was satisfied.
  • 2. The instructions had been provided before the exam commenced.
  • 3. The necessary equipment has been provided to complete the project on time.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual Actions.
    Example. 'I usually provide feedback to my team every Friday.'
    Example. 'Water provides nourishment to plants.'
    Example. 'The conference provides opportunities for networking next Monday.'
    Example. 'First, you provide your full name and address.'
    Example. 'If you provide good conditions, tomatoes grow well.'
  2. When describing actions that happen on a regular basis.
    Example. 'I usually provide feedback to my team every Friday.'
    Example. 'Water provides nourishment to plants.'
    Example. 'The conference provides opportunities for networking next Monday.'
    Example. 'First, you provide your full name and address.'
    Example. 'If you provide good conditions, tomatoes grow well.'
  3. General Truths.
    Example. 'I usually provide feedback to my team every Friday.'
    Example. 'Water provides nourishment to plants.'
    Example. 'The conference provides opportunities for networking next Monday.'
    Example. 'First, you provide your full name and address.'
    Example. 'If you provide good conditions, tomatoes grow well.'
  4. For statements that are generally true or facts.
    Example. 'I usually provide feedback to my team every Friday.'
    Example. 'Water provides nourishment to plants.'
    Example. 'The conference provides opportunities for networking next Monday.'
    Example. 'First, you provide your full name and address.'
    Example. 'If you provide good conditions, tomatoes grow well.'
  5. Scheduled Events in the Near Future (in some contexts).
    Example. 'I usually provide feedback to my team every Friday.'
    Example. 'Water provides nourishment to plants.'
    Example. 'The conference provides opportunities for networking next Monday.'
    Example. 'First, you provide your full name and address.'
    Example. 'If you provide good conditions, tomatoes grow well.'
  6. For scheduled or timetabled events, particularly in formal settings.
    Example. 'I usually provide feedback to my team every Friday.'
    Example. 'Water provides nourishment to plants.'
    Example. 'The conference provides opportunities for networking next Monday.'
    Example. 'First, you provide your full name and address.'
    Example. 'If you provide good conditions, tomatoes grow well.'
  7. Instructions or Directions.
    Example. 'I usually provide feedback to my team every Friday.'
    Example. 'Water provides nourishment to plants.'
    Example. 'The conference provides opportunities for networking next Monday.'
    Example. 'First, you provide your full name and address.'
    Example. 'If you provide good conditions, tomatoes grow well.'
  8. When giving instructions or directions.
    Example. 'I usually provide feedback to my team every Friday.'
    Example. 'Water provides nourishment to plants.'
    Example. 'The conference provides opportunities for networking next Monday.'
    Example. 'First, you provide your full name and address.'
    Example. 'If you provide good conditions, tomatoes grow well.'
  9. Conditional Statements.
    Example. 'I usually provide feedback to my team every Friday.'
    Example. 'Water provides nourishment to plants.'
    Example. 'The conference provides opportunities for networking next Monday.'
    Example. 'First, you provide your full name and address.'
    Example. 'If you provide good conditions, tomatoes grow well.'
  10. In the ifclause of the zero conditional, generally for universal truths.
    Example. 'I usually provide feedback to my team every Friday.'
    Example. 'Water provides nourishment to plants.'
    Example. 'The conference provides opportunities for networking next Monday.'
    Example. 'First, you provide your full name and address.'
    Example. 'If you provide good conditions, tomatoes grow well.'

Past Simple

  1. Completed Actions in the Past.
    Example. 'The organization provided aid to the victims last year.'
    Example. 'She always provided insightful comments during meetings.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, provided the documents, and left.'
    Example. 'He said he provided all the necessary documents.'
  2. For actions that were completed at a specific time in the past.
    Example. 'The organization provided aid to the victims last year.'
    Example. 'She always provided insightful comments during meetings.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, provided the documents, and left.'
    Example. 'He said he provided all the necessary documents.'
  3. Past Habit.
    Example. 'The organization provided aid to the victims last year.'
    Example. 'She always provided insightful comments during meetings.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, provided the documents, and left.'
    Example. 'He said he provided all the necessary documents.'
  4. To talk about habits or repeated actions in the past.
    Example. 'The organization provided aid to the victims last year.'
    Example. 'She always provided insightful comments during meetings.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, provided the documents, and left.'
    Example. 'He said he provided all the necessary documents.'
  5. Sequential Past Events.
    Example. 'The organization provided aid to the victims last year.'
    Example. 'She always provided insightful comments during meetings.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, provided the documents, and left.'
    Example. 'He said he provided all the necessary documents.'
  6. When listing actions that happened one after the other in the past.
    Example. 'The organization provided aid to the victims last year.'
    Example. 'She always provided insightful comments during meetings.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, provided the documents, and left.'
    Example. 'He said he provided all the necessary documents.'
  7. Indirect Speech.
    Example. 'The organization provided aid to the victims last year.'
    Example. 'She always provided insightful comments during meetings.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, provided the documents, and left.'
    Example. 'He said he provided all the necessary documents.'
  8. When transforming direct speech into reported speech.
    Example. 'The organization provided aid to the victims last year.'
    Example. 'She always provided insightful comments during meetings.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, provided the documents, and left.'
    Example. 'He said he provided all the necessary documents.'

Past Participle

  1. Perfect Tenses.
    Example. 'Free meals are provided to children at the school.'
    Example. 'The provided information was crucial to making the decision.'
  2. In combination with 'have' to form perfect tenses.
    Example. 'Free meals are provided to children at the school.'
    Example. 'The provided information was crucial to making the decision.'
  3. Present Perfect. 'I have provided feedback already.'
    Example. 'Free meals are provided to children at the school.'
    Example. 'The provided information was crucial to making the decision.'
  4. Past Perfect. 'They had provided all the necessary details before the deadline.'
    Example. 'Free meals are provided to children at the school.'
    Example. 'The provided information was crucial to making the decision.'
  5. Future Perfect. 'We will have provided all the required documentation by next week.'
    Example. 'Free meals are provided to children at the school.'
    Example. 'The provided information was crucial to making the decision.'
  6. Passive Voice.
    Example. 'Free meals are provided to children at the school.'
    Example. 'The provided information was crucial to making the decision.'
  7. To form the passive voice where the emphasis is on the action, not who performed the action.
    Example. 'Free meals are provided to children at the school.'
    Example. 'The provided information was crucial to making the decision.'
  8. Adjectives/Participle Adjectives.
    Example. 'Free meals are provided to children at the school.'
    Example. 'The provided information was crucial to making the decision.'
  9. As an adjective to describe a state resulting from an action.
    Example. 'Free meals are provided to children at the school.'
    Example. 'The provided information was crucial to making the decision.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake is confusing the past simple form ('provided') with the past participle form ('provided'). Though they are the same for the verb 'provide,' this might lead to misunderstanding the correct usage in different verb tenses. For example, in perfect tenses, the past participle form is used with auxiliary verbs (has, have, had), as in 'She has provided the necessary documents.' Incorrect usage would be treating the past simple as different and saying something like 'She has provide the documents,' which is incorrect for any verb.

— 02

Incorrect Structure

When forming negative sentences or questions in the past simple, some might mistakenly add 'did' directly to the past participle form instead of using the base form of the verb. The correct form should use 'did' plus the base form for questions and negatives. For example, the correct question form is 'Did you provide the information?' A common mistake would be saying 'Did you provided the information?' Similarly, the correct negative form is 'I did not provide the information,' not 'I did not provided the information.'

— 03

Misusing Past Participle

Another mistake is using the past participle form without an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses or passive voice constructions. For instance, the correct construction in the present perfect tense is 'I have provided the details.' A common error would be omitting the auxiliary verb and saying 'I provided the details' when intending to use the present perfect tense. This mistake changes the meaning from an action that has relevance to the present moment to a simple past action. Similarly, in passive voice, the correct form is 'The details were provided by me,' not 'The details provided by me,' which lacks the auxiliary verb 'were' and might be confused with an active voice construction.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'provide'?

The past simple form of 'provide' is 'provided.' It is used to describe actions that were completed at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, the charity provided meals for the homeless.'

What is the past participle form of 'provide'?

The past participle form of 'provide' is also 'provided.' It is used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For example, 'By the end of the day, meals had been provided to all the refugees.'

How do I use 'provided' in a sentence to indicate a past action?

To indicate a past action, you can use 'provided' in the past simple tense for actions completed at a specific time or in the past perfect tense to describe an action that was completed before another past action. Examples. Past Simple. 'They provided support during the crisis.' Past Perfect. 'By the time help arrived, the community had already provided shelter to the victims.'

Can 'provided' be used in conditional sentences, and how does it relate to its past forms?

Yes, 'provided' can be used in conditional sentences as a part of a condition, often unrelated to its role as the past form of 'provide.' In such cases, 'provided' means 'if' or 'on the condition that.' This usage is separate from its past simple and past participle forms related to time. For example, 'You can join the trip, provided (if) you complete your work on time.' This conditional use doesn't reflect the action's timing but sets a condition.