Rely past tense

Type your word here
Try:

Learn past tenses to communicate in English accurately

Meaning of rely

to depend on with full trust or confidence.

Infinitive

Word: rely /rɪˈlaɪ/
Examples:
  • 1. I rely on my alarm clock to wake me up every morning.
  • 2. She relies on public transport to get to work.
  • 3. They rely on the support of their community to keep the local library running.

Past Simple

Word: relied /rɪˈlaɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. She relied on her intuition to make the final decision.
  • 2. We relied heavily on the guidebook while traveling through Europe last summer.
  • 3. They relied on each other for support during the tough times.

Past Participle

Word: relied /rɪˈlaɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. The success of the event had been heavily relied upon by the entire team.
  • 2. All our plans have been relied on the weather being favorable.
  • 3. The strategies were relied upon by the soldiers to ensure their victory.

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. Habitual actions. When discussing habits or routines.
    Example. I rely on my morning coffee to start my day.
    Example. One can rely on the sun rising every morning.
    Example. The train relies on a strict schedule to avoid delays.
    Example. First, rely on the instruction manual to assemble the furniture.
  2. General truths or facts. Referencing situations or conditions that are generally true.
    Example. I rely on my morning coffee to start my day.
    Example. One can rely on the sun rising every morning.
    Example. The train relies on a strict schedule to avoid delays.
    Example. First, rely on the instruction manual to assemble the furniture.
  3. Scheduled events in the near future (especially, in formal contexts). When referencing future events that are on a timetable or schedule.
    Example. I rely on my morning coffee to start my day.
    Example. One can rely on the sun rising every morning.
    Example. The train relies on a strict schedule to avoid delays.
    Example. First, rely on the instruction manual to assemble the furniture.
  4. Instructions or directions. Providing stepbystep guidance.
    Example. I rely on my morning coffee to start my day.
    Example. One can rely on the sun rising every morning.
    Example. The train relies on a strict schedule to avoid delays.
    Example. First, rely on the instruction manual to assemble the furniture.

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions in the past. Discussing actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past.
    Example. I relied on my GPS, but it led me to the wrong address yesterday.
    Example. Last night, I finished my work, relied on a quick dinner, and went straight to bed.
    Example. She relied on public transport before she bought her car.
    Example. Before the internet, people relied more heavily on libraries for information.
  2. A series of completed actions in the past. Enumerating actions that occurred one after another in the past.
    Example. I relied on my GPS, but it led me to the wrong address yesterday.
    Example. Last night, I finished my work, relied on a quick dinner, and went straight to bed.
    Example. She relied on public transport before she bought her car.
    Example. Before the internet, people relied more heavily on libraries for information.
  3. Past habits. Talking about habits or routines that were true in the past but no longer exist.
    Example. I relied on my GPS, but it led me to the wrong address yesterday.
    Example. Last night, I finished my work, relied on a quick dinner, and went straight to bed.
    Example. She relied on public transport before she bought her car.
    Example. Before the internet, people relied more heavily on libraries for information.
  4. Past facts or generalizations. Mentioning facts or generalizations that were true in the past.
    Example. I relied on my GPS, but it led me to the wrong address yesterday.
    Example. Last night, I finished my work, relied on a quick dinner, and went straight to bed.
    Example. She relied on public transport before she bought her car.
    Example. Before the internet, people relied more heavily on libraries for information.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses. Present Perfect. Describing actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past or actions that started in the past and continue in the present.
    Example. I have relied on you too much in the past.
    Example. By the time she asked for help, I had already relied on someone else.
    Example. By next year, I will have relied on solar energy for a decade.
    Example. The success of the project had been heavily relied upon by the team.
  2. Past Perfect. Discussing actions that happened before a certain point in the past.
    Example. I have relied on you too much in the past.
    Example. By the time she asked for help, I had already relied on someone else.
    Example. By next year, I will have relied on solar energy for a decade.
    Example. The success of the project had been heavily relied upon by the team.
  3. Future Perfect. Talking about actions that will have been completed by a certain point in the future.
    Example. I have relied on you too much in the past.
    Example. By the time she asked for help, I had already relied on someone else.
    Example. By next year, I will have relied on solar energy for a decade.
    Example. The success of the project had been heavily relied upon by the team.
  4. Passive voice. Constructing sentences where the focus is on the action or the recipient of the action, rather than who performed the action.
    Example. I have relied on you too much in the past.
    Example. By the time she asked for help, I had already relied on someone else.
    Example. By next year, I will have relied on solar energy for a decade.
    Example. The success of the project had been heavily relied upon by the team.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Patterns

One of the most common mistakes when using the past simple and past participle forms of the word 'rely' is confusing it with regular verbs that simply add '-ed' or '-d' for their past forms. 'Rely' is an irregular verb, and its correct past simple form is 'relied,' not 'relieded' or 'relyed,' as some might incorrectly assume by trying to follow the regular verb pattern. The past participle form is also 'relied.' This mistake often stems from the incorrect assumption that all verbs follow the same pattern for their past forms.

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

Another common error is using the past simple form 'relied' when the past participle form is required, especially in perfect tenses. For example, saying 'I have relied on you' is correct, whereas saying 'I have rely on you' is incorrect. This mistake usually happens because of a misunderstanding of the structure of perfect tenses, which require the past participle form, not the past simple form.

— 03

Misuse in Passive

A further mistake involves the incorrect formation of passive voice sentences. Some might incorrectly conjugate 'rely' in passive structures due to confusion over its past participle form. The correct construction should use 'relied' as in 'You were relied upon.' Incorrect versions might mistakenly use 'relied' as if it were not the past participle, leading to awkward or incorrect sentences like 'You were rely upon,' which fails to convey the intended meaning and disrupts the grammatical integrity of the sentence.

Past tense quiz

Check your skills and find areas for improvement

Take quiz

Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'rely'?

The past simple form of 'rely' is 'relied.' It is used to describe an action or situation that was true in the past but is no longer true now. For example. 'I relied on public transport to get to work when I lived in the city.'

What is the past participle form of 'rely'?

The past participle form of 'rely' is also 'relied.' It is used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses. For example. 'I have relied on my friends for support during difficult times.'

How do you use 'relied' in a sentence to indicate a past action?

To indicate a past action, 'relied' should be used with a subject and can be complemented by additional information to specify the action. For example. 'He relied on his instincts to make the decision.' This sentence indicates that at a specific time in the past, he trusted his instincts to decide.

Can you give an example of a sentence using 'relied' in the present perfect tense?

Yes, to use 'relied' in the present perfect tense, you combine it with 'have' or 'has' depending on the subject, to indicate an action that occurred at an unspecified time in the past and may still be relevant in the present. For example. 'We have relied on traditional methods for years.' This sentence suggests that the reliance on traditional methods started in the past and continues up to now.