Retake past tense

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Meaning of retake

to take back or capture again.

Infinitive

Word: retake /riːˈteɪk/
Examples:
  • 1. I always retake my notes to ensure they are accurate and thorough.
  • 2. She decides to retake the course to improve her understanding of the subject.
  • 3. They often retake their family photos to keep their memories up to date.

Past Simple

Word: retook /riˈtʊk/
Examples:
  • 1. She retook the exam after she failed it the first time.
  • 2. They retook the photograph because the first one was blurry.
  • 3. The army managed to retook the fort from the enemy forces after a fierce battle.

Past Participle

Word: retaken /ˌriːˈteɪ.kən/
Examples:
  • 1. The test has been retaken by the entire class after the error was discovered.
  • 2. The movie scenes were retaken after the director demanded more emotion.
  • 3. The territory has been retaken by the troops after a fierce battle.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual actions or routines
    Example. We retake this route every summer when we visit my grandparents.
    Example. You need to retake the course if you fail the final exam.
  2. General truths or facts
    Example. We retake this route every summer when we visit my grandparents.
    Example. You need to retake the course if you fail the final exam.
  3. Scheduled events in the near future (especially in a timetable or schedule)
    Example. We retake this route every summer when we visit my grandparents.
    Example. You need to retake the course if you fail the final exam.
  4. The students retake the test next Monday.
    Example. We retake this route every summer when we visit my grandparents.
    Example. You need to retake the course if you fail the final exam.

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions at a specific time in the past
    Example. I retake the math exam last semester because I was not satisfied with my grade.
    Example. He finished his project, retake the missed exams, and then went on a vacation last year.
    Example. Every semester, some students had to retake courses they failed.
    Example. She always retake her coffee order if it wasn’t made right.
  2. A series of completed actions
    Example. I retake the math exam last semester because I was not satisfied with my grade.
    Example. He finished his project, retake the missed exams, and then went on a vacation last year.
    Example. Every semester, some students had to retake courses they failed.
    Example. She always retake her coffee order if it wasn’t made right.
  3. Habitual actions or situations in the past
    Example. I retake the math exam last semester because I was not satisfied with my grade.
    Example. He finished his project, retake the missed exams, and then went on a vacation last year.
    Example. Every semester, some students had to retake courses they failed.
    Example. She always retake her coffee order if it wasn’t made right.
  4. Past facts or generalizations
    Example. I retake the math exam last semester because I was not satisfied with my grade.
    Example. He finished his project, retake the missed exams, and then went on a vacation last year.
    Example. Every semester, some students had to retake courses they failed.
    Example. She always retake her coffee order if it wasn’t made right.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect) to indicate completed action
    Example. Present Perfect. They have retake the entrance exam to get better scores.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time she realized her error, the system had already retake her data for processing.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next year, I will have retake the course to improve my understanding.
    Example. The quiz was retake by the whole class due to a mistake in the questions.
    Example. The retake examination usually has different questions from the original.
  2. Passive voice to show an action done to the subject
    Example. Present Perfect. They have retake the entrance exam to get better scores.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time she realized her error, the system had already retake her data for processing.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next year, I will have retake the course to improve my understanding.
    Example. The quiz was retake by the whole class due to a mistake in the questions.
    Example. The retake examination usually has different questions from the original.
  3. As an adjective to describe a state resulting from an action
    Example. Present Perfect. They have retake the entrance exam to get better scores.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time she realized her error, the system had already retake her data for processing.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next year, I will have retake the course to improve my understanding.
    Example. The quiz was retake by the whole class due to a mistake in the questions.
    Example. The retake examination usually has different questions from the original.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

One of the most common mistakes is confusing the past simple form of 'retake' (which is 'retook') with its past participle form (which is 'retaken'). For example, incorrectly saying 'I have retake the exam yesterday' instead of the correct 'I retook the exam yesterday' for past simple, or saying 'I have retake the exam' instead of the correct 'I have retaken the exam' for past participle use.

— 02

Misusing Past Participle

Another mistake is using the past participle form 'retaken' without an auxiliary verb, which is necessary for forming perfect tenses. For instance, saying 'I retaken the exam' instead of correctly using an auxiliary verb to form the present perfect tense, 'I have retaken the exam.'

— 03

Wrong Tense

Sometimes, learners might use the past simple when the context requires the past participle (with an appropriate auxiliary verb) to express an action's relevance to the present, or vice versa. For example, mistakenly saying 'I retook the exam, so my knowledge is up-to-date' instead of the correct 'I have retaken the exam, so my knowledge is up-to-date,' which properly indicates that the action of retaking the exam has an impact on the present situation.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'retake'?

The past simple form of 'retake' is 'retook'. This form is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, you might say, 'I retook the exam last month because I was unhappy with my initial score.'

How do you form the past participle of 'retake'?

The past participle form of 'retake' is 'retaken'. This form is often used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For instance, in the sentence 'The course has been retaken by several students to improve their grades,' 'retaken' is used as the past participle.

Can you give an example of 'retake' in the past perfect tense?

Yes, an example of 'retake' in the past perfect tense would be. 'By the time the semester ended, I had retaken the test twice.' In this sentence, 'had retaken' is the past perfect form, indicating that the action of retaking the test occurred before the semester ended. Is there a difference in usage between the past simple and past participle forms of 'retake' in sentences