Pry past tense

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Meaning of pry

to inquire too closely into a person's private affairs.

Infinitive

Word: pry /praɪ/
Examples:
  • 1. She always tries to pry into other people's business.
  • 2. If you pry open the lid, you'll find the documents inside.
  • 3. Cats often pry around the house looking for hidden treats.

Past Simple

Word: pried /praɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. She pried open the lock with a screwdriver because she lost her key.
  • 2. After hours of delicate work, the archaeologist finally pried the ancient artifact from the earth.
  • 3. They carefully pried the cover off the old book to inspect its binding.

Past Participle

Word: pried /praɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. The lock had been pried open by the burglars before the police arrived.
  • 2. The secrets of the ancient manuscript were pried loose after years of study.
  • 3. The lid to the time capsule has been pried off by the eager historians.

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Bare infinitive

  1. To denote a habitual action or general truth.
    Example. Every day, she tries to pry into her neighbor's business.
    Example. The meeting at which we pry open the topic of budget allocation is scheduled for next Monday.
    Example. First, pry off the lid gently to avoid damaging the contents.
    Example. If you pry too much, you might not like what you find.
  2. To indicate a scheduled event in the near future (often used in a more formal context such as a timetable or schedule, less common for 'pry').
    Example. Every day, she tries to pry into her neighbor's business.
    Example. The meeting at which we pry open the topic of budget allocation is scheduled for next Monday.
    Example. First, pry off the lid gently to avoid damaging the contents.
    Example. If you pry too much, you might not like what you find.
  3. To give instructions or directions.
    Example. Every day, she tries to pry into her neighbor's business.
    Example. The meeting at which we pry open the topic of budget allocation is scheduled for next Monday.
    Example. First, pry off the lid gently to avoid damaging the contents.
    Example. If you pry too much, you might not like what you find.
  4. In a conditional sentence.
    Example. Every day, she tries to pry into her neighbor's business.
    Example. The meeting at which we pry open the topic of budget allocation is scheduled for next Monday.
    Example. First, pry off the lid gently to avoid damaging the contents.
    Example. If you pry too much, you might not like what you find.

Past Simple

  1. To describe an action that occurred at a specific point in the past.
    Example. Last night, she pried the lock open with a paperclip.
    Example. He knocked, waited, and then pried open the door when there was no answer.
    Example. She said she pried into his affairs to ensure he was not in trouble.
    Example. If you pried into their secrets, you were bound to uncover something.
  2. To narrate a series of past events.
    Example. Last night, she pried the lock open with a paperclip.
    Example. He knocked, waited, and then pried open the door when there was no answer.
    Example. She said she pried into his affairs to ensure he was not in trouble.
    Example. If you pried into their secrets, you were bound to uncover something.
  3. In reported speech.
    Example. Last night, she pried the lock open with a paperclip.
    Example. He knocked, waited, and then pried open the door when there was no answer.
    Example. She said she pried into his affairs to ensure he was not in trouble.
    Example. If you pried into their secrets, you were bound to uncover something.
  4. In a conditional sentence.
    Example. Last night, she pried the lock open with a paperclip.
    Example. He knocked, waited, and then pried open the door when there was no answer.
    Example. She said she pried into his affairs to ensure he was not in trouble.
    Example. If you pried into their secrets, you were bound to uncover something.

Past Participle

  1. To form the present perfect tense, indicating an action that happened at an unspecified time before now.
    Example. They have pried into too many secrets already.
    Example. She had pried the truth from him before making her decision.
    Example. The safe was pried open by an unknown thief.
    Example. If the documents had been pried from the locked file, we would know the truth by now.
  2. To form the past perfect tense, describing an action completed before another took place.
    Example. They have pried into too many secrets already.
    Example. She had pried the truth from him before making her decision.
    Example. The safe was pried open by an unknown thief.
    Example. If the documents had been pried from the locked file, we would know the truth by now.
  3. To form the passive voice.
    Example. They have pried into too many secrets already.
    Example. She had pried the truth from him before making her decision.
    Example. The safe was pried open by an unknown thief.
    Example. If the documents had been pried from the locked file, we would know the truth by now.
  4. In perfect and passive conditional forms.
    Example. They have pried into too many secrets already.
    Example. She had pried the truth from him before making her decision.
    Example. The safe was pried open by an unknown thief.
    Example. If the documents had been pried from the locked file, we would know the truth by now.

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect pattern

A common mistake is to treat 'pry' as if it were an irregular verb, similar to 'fly' (flew, flown) or 'buy' (bought, bought), leading to incorrect past forms. The correct past simple and past participle form of 'pry' is 'pried,' not 'pryed' or an irregular form like 'prawn' or 'prought.'

— 02

Using 'pryed' instead of 'pried'

A frequent error is misspelling the past simple and past participle form of 'pry' by adding an 'e' after the 'y,' but before the 'ed' ending. The correct spelling is 'pried,' adhering to the rule of changing the 'y' to 'i' before adding 'ed' for regular verbs ending in 'y' that are preceded by a consonant.

— 03

Confusion with noun

Another mistake involves misunderstanding when 'pry' is used as a noun (which is rare and usually pertains to an act of prying or a tool used for prying) as opposed to its usage as a verb. This can lead to confusion about when it is appropriate to use the past forms. It's important to remember that the past tense and past participle forms ('pried') are only relevant when 'pry' is used as a verb, meaning to inquire too closely into a person's private affairs or to use force to open something.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'pry' is 'pried,' and the past participle form is also 'pried.' It's important to remember that both forms use the same spelling.

Can you give an example of a sentence using 'pry' in the past simple?

Sure! Here's an example. 'Yesterday, I pried open the stuck drawer to retrieve my documents.' In this sentence, 'pried' is used to indicate an action that was completed in the past.

How can I use the past participle form of 'pry' in a sentence?

The past participle form 'pried' is often used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses. For example. 'By the time we arrived, they had already pried the door open.' In this sentence, 'had pried' is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. Is it common to confuse the past simple and past participle forms of 'pry'