Rot past tense

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Meaning of rot

to decay by a natural process.

Infinitive

Word: rot /rɒt/
Examples:
  • 1. If you leave fruit out for too long, it starts to rot.
  • 2. Vegetables rot quickly if they are not stored properly.
  • 3. To avoid health hazards, we must ensure that no food is left to rot in the kitchen.

Past Simple

Word: rotted /ˈrɒtɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. The vegetables in the garden rotted after weeks of heavy rain.
  • 2. The wooden fence post rotted at the base and eventually fell over.
  • 3. The forgotten leftovers in the back of the fridge had completely rotted by the time they were found.

Past Participle

Word: rotted /ˈrɒtɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. The food had rotted away by the time we remembered it was in the fridge.
  • 2. All the timber in the old house has rotted, making it unsafe to live in.
  • 3. The fruits were left out so long that they had rotted completely.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual Actions or Routines
    Example. 'The food rot if not stored properly.'
    Example. 'Organic matter rot over time.'
    Example. 'The waste management seminar on how to control food rot starts next Monday.'
  2. When describing actions that are done regularly or habitually.
    Example. 'The food rot if not stored properly.'
    Example. 'Organic matter rot over time.'
    Example. 'The waste management seminar on how to control food rot starts next Monday.'
  3. General Truths or Facts
    Example. 'The food rot if not stored properly.'
    Example. 'Organic matter rot over time.'
    Example. 'The waste management seminar on how to control food rot starts next Monday.'
  4. For statements that are generally true or describe regular occurrences in nature or society.
    Example. 'The food rot if not stored properly.'
    Example. 'Organic matter rot over time.'
    Example. 'The waste management seminar on how to control food rot starts next Monday.'
  5. Scheduled Events in the Near Future (in some contexts)
    Example. 'The food rot if not stored properly.'
    Example. 'Organic matter rot over time.'
    Example. 'The waste management seminar on how to control food rot starts next Monday.'
  6. To talk about scheduled or timetabled events, particularly in a formal context.
    Example. 'The food rot if not stored properly.'
    Example. 'Organic matter rot over time.'
    Example. 'The waste management seminar on how to control food rot starts next Monday.'

Past Simple

  1. Completed Actions in the Past
    Example. 'The fruits rotted because we forgot to refrigerate them last week.'
    Example. 'We left the meat out overnight, and it rotted by morning.'
    Example. 'When we lived in the tropics, food rotted so quickly we had to shop daily.'
  2. When describing actions that were completed at a definite time in the past.
    Example. 'The fruits rotted because we forgot to refrigerate them last week.'
    Example. 'We left the meat out overnight, and it rotted by morning.'
    Example. 'When we lived in the tropics, food rotted so quickly we had to shop daily.'
  3. Sequences of Actions in the Past
    Example. 'The fruits rotted because we forgot to refrigerate them last week.'
    Example. 'We left the meat out overnight, and it rotted by morning.'
    Example. 'When we lived in the tropics, food rotted so quickly we had to shop daily.'
  4. To describe a series of completed actions or events that happened one after another in the past.
    Example. 'The fruits rotted because we forgot to refrigerate them last week.'
    Example. 'We left the meat out overnight, and it rotted by morning.'
    Example. 'When we lived in the tropics, food rotted so quickly we had to shop daily.'
  5. Past Habits or States
    Example. 'The fruits rotted because we forgot to refrigerate them last week.'
    Example. 'We left the meat out overnight, and it rotted by morning.'
    Example. 'When we lived in the tropics, food rotted so quickly we had to shop daily.'
  6. Describing habits or situations that were true in the past but are no longer the case.
    Example. 'The fruits rotted because we forgot to refrigerate them last week.'
    Example. 'We left the meat out overnight, and it rotted by morning.'
    Example. 'When we lived in the tropics, food rotted so quickly we had to shop daily.'

Past Participle

  1. Perfect Tenses
    Example. 'We can't use these vegetables because they have rotted.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the leftovers had already rotted.'
    Example. 'By next month, all the uncollected waste will have rotted.'
    Example. 'The crops were rotted by the unexpected flood.'
  2. a. Present Perfect
    Example. 'We can't use these vegetables because they have rotted.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the leftovers had already rotted.'
    Example. 'By next month, all the uncollected waste will have rotted.'
    Example. 'The crops were rotted by the unexpected flood.'
  3. For actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past or actions that started in the past and continue to the present.
    Example. 'We can't use these vegetables because they have rotted.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the leftovers had already rotted.'
    Example. 'By next month, all the uncollected waste will have rotted.'
    Example. 'The crops were rotted by the unexpected flood.'
  4. b. Past Perfect
    Example. 'We can't use these vegetables because they have rotted.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the leftovers had already rotted.'
    Example. 'By next month, all the uncollected waste will have rotted.'
    Example. 'The crops were rotted by the unexpected flood.'
  5. Describing actions that were completed before another action in the past.
    Example. 'We can't use these vegetables because they have rotted.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the leftovers had already rotted.'
    Example. 'By next month, all the uncollected waste will have rotted.'
    Example. 'The crops were rotted by the unexpected flood.'
  6. c. Future Perfect
    Example. 'We can't use these vegetables because they have rotted.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the leftovers had already rotted.'
    Example. 'By next month, all the uncollected waste will have rotted.'
    Example. 'The crops were rotted by the unexpected flood.'
  7. To indicate that an action will be completed before a specified time in the future.
    Example. 'We can't use these vegetables because they have rotted.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the leftovers had already rotted.'
    Example. 'By next month, all the uncollected waste will have rotted.'
    Example. 'The crops were rotted by the unexpected flood.'
  8. Passive Voice
    Example. 'We can't use these vegetables because they have rotted.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the leftovers had already rotted.'
    Example. 'By next month, all the uncollected waste will have rotted.'
    Example. 'The crops were rotted by the unexpected flood.'
  9. To describe an action that happened to the subject or when the focus is on the action rather than who performed it.
    Example. 'We can't use these vegetables because they have rotted.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the leftovers had already rotted.'
    Example. 'By next month, all the uncollected waste will have rotted.'
    Example. 'The crops were rotted by the unexpected flood.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing 'rot'

A common mistake is treating 'rot' as a regular verb and adding -ed for its past simple and past participle forms. The correct forms are 'rotted' for both past simple and past participle, not 'roted'. Understanding that 'rot' follows the pattern of adding -ted for its past forms is crucial for correct usage.

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

Another mistake involves using 'rotted' incorrectly as the past participle in perfect tenses. Some may mistakenly use 'rot' (the base form) instead of 'rotted' when forming perfect tenses, such as in 'have rotted' or 'had rotted'. Remembering that 'rotted' is the correct past participle form ensures proper construction of perfect tenses.

— 03

Misapplying the past simple

It's common to see the past simple form 'rotted' mistakenly used as the past participle in passive constructions or perfect aspect sentences. The error usually arises from not recognizing that both the past simple and past participle forms of 'rot' are the same ('rotted'), leading to sentences that might confuse the two or misuse them. Being aware that 'rotted' serves both as the past simple and past participle form allows for accurate sentence construction in various tenses.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'rot' is 'rotted,' and the past participle form is also 'rotted.' These forms are used to indicate actions in the past related to decay or decomposition. When should I use the past simple form 'rotted'

How do I correctly use the past participle form 'rotted'?

The past participle form 'rotted' is typically used with helping verbs to form perfect tenses or the passive voice. For instance, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'The wood has rotted through.' In a passive voice construction, you could say, 'The leftovers were rotted by mold.'

Can 'rotted' be used in both active and passive sentences?

Yes, 'rotted' can be used in both active and passive constructions, depending on the context. In an active sentence, the subject is performing the action of rotting, as in 'The fruit rotted on the vine.' In a passive sentence, the subject is receiving the action, as in 'The fruit was rotted by excessive heat.'