Reach past tense

Meaning of reach

to stretch out or put forth (a body part); extend.

Infinitive

Word: reach /riːtʃ/

Examples:

1. She always reaches the office on time despite the heavy traffic.
2. He reaches into his pocket to find his keys.
3. Their new campaign reaches a much broader audience.

Past Simple

Word: reached /riːtʃt/

Examples:

1. She reached the top of the mountain just as the sun began to set.
2. They reached an agreement after hours of negotiation.
3. I finally reached him on the phone after trying several times.

Past Participle

Word: reached /riːtʃt/

Examples:

1. He has finally reached the top of the mountain after hours of hiking.
2. They had reached a consensus after a long discussion.
3. The message has reached its intended audience with great success.

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Bare infinitive

General facts or truths.
Example. The sun reaches its peak around noon.
Example. She reaches the office at 8 am every day.
Example. The train reaches the station at 6 pm.
Example. He reaches a conclusion after a lot of thought.
Habitual actions or routines.
Example. The sun reaches its peak around noon.
Example. She reaches the office at 8 am every day.
Example. The train reaches the station at 6 pm.
Example. He reaches a conclusion after a lot of thought.
Fixed arrangements, timetabled events.
Example. The sun reaches its peak around noon.
Example. She reaches the office at 8 am every day.
Example. The train reaches the station at 6 pm.
Example. He reaches a conclusion after a lot of thought.
Expressing feelings, opinions, or states that are not expected to change.
Example. The sun reaches its peak around noon.
Example. She reaches the office at 8 am every day.
Example. The train reaches the station at 6 pm.
Example. He reaches a conclusion after a lot of thought.

Past Simple

Completed actions or events at a specific time in the past.
Example. We reached the summit last Saturday.
Example. She walked to the podium, reached for her notes, and began her speech.
Example. He reached for his glasses every morning before anything else.
Example. The show ended, and the audience reached for their coats and left.
Sequential actions in the past.
Example. We reached the summit last Saturday.
Example. She walked to the podium, reached for her notes, and began her speech.
Example. He reached for his glasses every morning before anything else.
Example. The show ended, and the audience reached for their coats and left.
Habits or general truths in the past (often with time expressions like 'when I was a child,' 'in those days,' etc.).
Example. We reached the summit last Saturday.
Example. She walked to the podium, reached for her notes, and began her speech.
Example. He reached for his glasses every morning before anything else.
Example. The show ended, and the audience reached for their coats and left.
Events or actions that happened immediately one after another in the past.
Example. We reached the summit last Saturday.
Example. She walked to the podium, reached for her notes, and began her speech.
Example. He reached for his glasses every morning before anything else.
Example. The show ended, and the audience reached for their coats and left.

Past Participle

Present Perfect Tense (for actions that happened at an unspecified time or have an effect on the present moment).
Example. They have finally reached a consensus after hours of discussion.
Example. By the time she arrived, the team had already reached the final stage of planning.
Example. A unanimous decision was reached after considerable debate.
Example. If a compromise is reached, the legislation will pass.
Past Perfect Tense (to describe an action that was completed before another action or time in the past).
Example. They have finally reached a consensus after hours of discussion.
Example. By the time she arrived, the team had already reached the final stage of planning.
Example. A unanimous decision was reached after considerable debate.
Example. If a compromise is reached, the legislation will pass.
Passive voice (to describe an action done to the subject, rather than by the subject).
Example. They have finally reached a consensus after hours of discussion.
Example. By the time she arrived, the team had already reached the final stage of planning.
Example. A unanimous decision was reached after considerable debate.
Example. If a compromise is reached, the legislation will pass.
Conditional sentences and in other structures requiring a Past Participle.
Example. They have finally reached a consensus after hours of discussion.
Example. By the time she arrived, the team had already reached the final stage of planning.
Example. A unanimous decision was reached after considerable debate.
Example. If a compromise is reached, the legislation will pass.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

One of the most common mistakes involves mixing up the past simple form of 'reach' (reached) with its past participle form (also reached). While both forms are identical for regular verbs like 'reach,' the confusion typically arises in their application. The past simple is used for actions completed at a specific time in the past, as in 'I reached the summit yesterday.' In contrast, the past participle is used in perfect tenses and passive voice, requiring an auxiliary verb, as in 'I have reached the summit' (present perfect) or 'The summit was reached at noon' (passive voice).

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

Although 'reach' is a regular verb and its past participle is correctly formed by adding -ed (reached), a common mistake with other verbs is irregularly forming their past participles. Learners often apply the -ed rule universally, leading to errors with irregular verbs. For example, saying 'I have goed there' instead of 'I have gone there.' Understanding that 'reach' follows the regular pattern is crucial, but remembering that not all verbs do is equally important to avoid generalization errors.

— 03

Omitting the Auxiliary Verb

A frequent error when using the past participle form is omitting the necessary auxiliary verb, such as 'have' or 'had,' in perfect tense constructions. For instance, saying 'I reached there' when intending to use the present perfect tense, which should be 'I have reached there.' This mistake alters the tense and can significantly change the meaning of a sentence, leading to misunderstandings about the timing or nature of the action being described.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'reach'?

The past simple form of 'reach' is 'reached'. It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'I reached the station at 9 PM last night.'

What is the past participle form of 'reach'?

The past participle form of 'reach' is also 'reached'. It is used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For example, in the perfect tense, you might say, 'I have reached my goal.' In a passive voice construction, you could say, 'The top shelf was reached with the help of a ladder.'

How do I use 'reached' in a sentence to describe a past action that is complete?

To describe a past action that is complete, you would typically use the past simple form. Make sure the context of the sentence provides a specific time frame (even if it's broad, like 'last year' or 'yesterday'). For example, 'We reached the mountain's summit before sunrise.' This sentence indicates that the action of reaching the summit is complete and happened at a specific time in the past.

Can you provide an example of how 'reached' is used in a present perfect sentence?

Certainly. In a present perfect sentence, 'reached' serves to connect the past action to the present moment in some way. An example would be, 'She has reached a decision after weeks of deliberation.' This sentence suggests that the action of reaching a decision happened at some point in the past, but its result or consequence is relevant to the present moment.