Retell past tense

Meaning of retell

to tell (something) again or differently.

Infinitive

Word: retell /riːˈtɛl/

Examples:

1. Every time she hears a good story, she loves to retell it to her friends with her own embellishments.
2. Teachers often ask students to retell a story in their own words to check their understanding.
3. He finds it amusing to retell jokes he overhears at comedy clubs.

Past Simple

Word: retold /rɪˈtoʊld/

Examples:

1. She retold the story with such enthusiasm that it felt like we were hearing it for the first time.
2. They retold their adventure in the mountains, adding details that made everyone laugh.
3. He retold the instructions clearly to ensure everyone understood the procedure.

Past Participle

Word: retold /riˈtoʊld/

Examples:

1. The story was retold with great enthusiasm by the campfire.
2. Every detail had been carefully retold by the witnesses.
3. The legend has been retold through generations without losing its essence.

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Bare infinitive

a. General Facts or Truths
Example. 'I retell this story to highlight the importance of honesty.'
Example. 'Every summer, she retells tales from her childhood to entertain us.'
Example. 'He retells his journey tomorrow at the community center.'
b. Habitual Actions
Example. 'I retell this story to highlight the importance of honesty.'
Example. 'Every summer, she retells tales from her childhood to entertain us.'
Example. 'He retells his journey tomorrow at the community center.'
c. Scheduled Events in the Near Future (less common for 'retell')
Example. 'I retell this story to highlight the importance of honesty.'
Example. 'Every summer, she retells tales from her childhood to entertain us.'
Example. 'He retells his journey tomorrow at the community center.'

Past Simple

a. Actions Completed in the Past at a Specific Time
Example. 'Last night, she retold the events of her adventure.'
Example. 'As a child, he often retold the same stories to anyone who would listen.'
Example. 'First, she described the setting, then she retold the main incident.'
b. Past Habits
Example. 'Last night, she retold the events of her adventure.'
Example. 'As a child, he often retold the same stories to anyone who would listen.'
Example. 'First, she described the setting, then she retold the main incident.'
c. Sequential Past Actions
Example. 'Last night, she retold the events of her adventure.'
Example. 'As a child, he often retold the same stories to anyone who would listen.'
Example. 'First, she described the setting, then she retold the main incident.'

Past Participle

Used primarily in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions.
Example. 'He has retold that tale many times over the years.'
Example. 'By the time the reunion came, she had already retold the story to most of her friends.'
Example. 'By next month, I will have retold this lesson to all my students.'
Example. 'The legendary tale was retold by the elder with great enthusiasm.'
a. Present Perfect Tense (Actions Completed at an Undetermined Time in the Past)
Example. 'He has retold that tale many times over the years.'
Example. 'By the time the reunion came, she had already retold the story to most of her friends.'
Example. 'By next month, I will have retold this lesson to all my students.'
Example. 'The legendary tale was retold by the elder with great enthusiasm.'
b. Past Perfect Tense (Actions Completed Before Another Action in the Past)
Example. 'He has retold that tale many times over the years.'
Example. 'By the time the reunion came, she had already retold the story to most of her friends.'
Example. 'By next month, I will have retold this lesson to all my students.'
Example. 'The legendary tale was retold by the elder with great enthusiasm.'
c. Future Perfect Tense (Actions that Will Be Completed by a Certain Future Time)
Example. 'He has retold that tale many times over the years.'
Example. 'By the time the reunion came, she had already retold the story to most of her friends.'
Example. 'By next month, I will have retold this lesson to all my students.'
Example. 'The legendary tale was retold by the elder with great enthusiasm.'
d. Passive Voice (Object of the Action is Highlighted)
Example. 'He has retold that tale many times over the years.'
Example. 'By the time the reunion came, she had already retold the story to most of her friends.'
Example. 'By next month, I will have retold this lesson to all my students.'
Example. 'The legendary tale was retold by the elder with great enthusiasm.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Irregular Verbs

One of the most common mistakes involves Confusing Forms of irregular verbs. Unlike regular verbs, which simply add '-ed' for both forms (e.g., 'walked' for both past simple and past participle), irregular verbs have unique forms that must be memorized (e.g., 'go' becomes 'went' in past simple and 'gone' in past participle). Learners often mistakenly use one form in place of the other, such as using 'went' as the past participle in a perfect tense ('I have went' instead of 'I have gone').

— 02

Omitting 'Have' in Perfect Tenses

Another common mistake is omitting the auxiliary verb 'have' when using the past participle in perfect tenses. This leads to sentences that mistakenly use the past simple form instead of the correct past participle form following 'have.' For example, saying 'I have ate' instead of the correct form 'I have eaten.' The omission of 'have' results in a grammatically incorrect structure that confuses the time aspect the speaker intends to convey.

— 03

Forming the Past Participle

While regular verbs typically add '-ed' to form both the past simple and past participle, learners sometimes mistakenly apply irregular verb patterns to them or misuse the '-ed' ending. This can lead to incorrect forms such as 'teached' instead of the correct 'taught' for an irregular verb, or mispronounced or misspelled forms of regular verbs, like 'eated' instead of 'ate' (incorrect for an irregular verb) or the correct 'eaten.' Understanding the distinction between regular and irregular verb forms and applying the rules consistently is crucial to avoid this mistake.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'retell'?

The past simple form of 'retell' is 'retold'. It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, he retold the story of his adventure.'

What is the past participle form of 'retell'?

The past participle form of 'retell' is also 'retold'. This form is used in perfect tenses to describe actions that have been completed at the time of speaking or by a specific time in the past or future. For example, 'She has retold that tale many times.'

How do I use the past simple form of 'retell' in a sentence?

To use the past simple form, focus on a specific time in the past when the action (retelling) occurred. You should conjugate 'retell' to 'retold' and ensure your sentence reflects a completed action. Example. 'Last week, I retold my grandfather's story to my friends.'

Can you give an example of how to use the past participle form of 'retell' in a sentence?

Yes, to use the past participle form, you typically need to have an auxiliary verb such as 'have' or 'had' to form perfect tense structures. For instance, in the present perfect tense. 'I have retold this legend several times already.' This sentence suggests that the action of retelling has occurred multiple times up to the present moment. In the past perfect tense. 'By the time the reunion happened, she had retold the incident to everyone.' This indicates that the action of retelling was completed before another past event.