Scan past tense

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Meaning of scan

to examine closely in order to discover or identify details.

Infinitive

Word: scan /skæn/
Examples:
  • 1. She scans the room for familiar faces as she enters the party.
  • 2. The computer program scans documents for errors before finalizing.
  • 3. The cashier scans each item quickly, ensuring a speedy checkout process.

Past Simple

Word: scanned /skænd/
Examples:
  • 1. I scanned the document before sending it via email.
  • 2. She quickly scanned the room for a familiar face.
  • 3. The cashier scanned all the items, and then told me the total price.

Past Participle

Word: scanned /skænd/
Examples:
  • 1. The documents were scanned by the office assistant before the meeting.
  • 2. All the products had been scanned before the store closed.
  • 3. The patient's records have been scanned into the electronic system.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual Actions
    Example. 'Every morning, I scan the headlines to catch up on the news.'
    Example. 'This scanner scans both photos and documents efficiently.'
    Example. 'The system scans for malware at midnight every day.'
    Example. 'First, scan the document, then attach it to your email.'
  2. It describes actions that happen regularly or habitually.
    Example. 'Every morning, I scan the headlines to catch up on the news.'
    Example. 'This scanner scans both photos and documents efficiently.'
    Example. 'The system scans for malware at midnight every day.'
    Example. 'First, scan the document, then attach it to your email.'
  3. General Truths
    Example. 'Every morning, I scan the headlines to catch up on the news.'
    Example. 'This scanner scans both photos and documents efficiently.'
    Example. 'The system scans for malware at midnight every day.'
    Example. 'First, scan the document, then attach it to your email.'
  4. It describes actions that are generally true or facts.
    Example. 'Every morning, I scan the headlines to catch up on the news.'
    Example. 'This scanner scans both photos and documents efficiently.'
    Example. 'The system scans for malware at midnight every day.'
    Example. 'First, scan the document, then attach it to your email.'
  5. Scheduled Events in the Near Future (especially in formal contexts)
    Example. 'Every morning, I scan the headlines to catch up on the news.'
    Example. 'This scanner scans both photos and documents efficiently.'
    Example. 'The system scans for malware at midnight every day.'
    Example. 'First, scan the document, then attach it to your email.'
  6. It's used for scheduled or planned events, particularly in formal contexts like schedules or timetables.
    Example. 'Every morning, I scan the headlines to catch up on the news.'
    Example. 'This scanner scans both photos and documents efficiently.'
    Example. 'The system scans for malware at midnight every day.'
    Example. 'First, scan the document, then attach it to your email.'
  7. Instructions or Directions
    Example. 'Every morning, I scan the headlines to catch up on the news.'
    Example. 'This scanner scans both photos and documents efficiently.'
    Example. 'The system scans for malware at midnight every day.'
    Example. 'First, scan the document, then attach it to your email.'
  8. It's used to give instructions or directions.
    Example. 'Every morning, I scan the headlines to catch up on the news.'
    Example. 'This scanner scans both photos and documents efficiently.'
    Example. 'The system scans for malware at midnight every day.'
    Example. 'First, scan the document, then attach it to your email.'

Past Simple

  1. Completed Actions in the Past
    Example. 'I scanned all the documents yesterday.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, scanned the audience, and started his speech.'
    Example. 'The room was scanned thoroughly, but nothing was found.'
    Example. 'We scanned the horizon every morning during the expedition.'
  2. It describes actions that were completed at some definite time in the past.
    Example. 'I scanned all the documents yesterday.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, scanned the audience, and started his speech.'
    Example. 'The room was scanned thoroughly, but nothing was found.'
    Example. 'We scanned the horizon every morning during the expedition.'
  3. A Series of Completed Actions
    Example. 'I scanned all the documents yesterday.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, scanned the audience, and started his speech.'
    Example. 'The room was scanned thoroughly, but nothing was found.'
    Example. 'We scanned the horizon every morning during the expedition.'
  4. It is used when listing a series of completed actions in the past.
    Example. 'I scanned all the documents yesterday.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, scanned the audience, and started his speech.'
    Example. 'The room was scanned thoroughly, but nothing was found.'
    Example. 'We scanned the horizon every morning during the expedition.'
  5. Past States or Conditions
    Example. 'I scanned all the documents yesterday.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, scanned the audience, and started his speech.'
    Example. 'The room was scanned thoroughly, but nothing was found.'
    Example. 'We scanned the horizon every morning during the expedition.'
  6. It indicates a state or situation that was true in the past.
    Example. 'I scanned all the documents yesterday.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, scanned the audience, and started his speech.'
    Example. 'The room was scanned thoroughly, but nothing was found.'
    Example. 'We scanned the horizon every morning during the expedition.'
  7. Habitual Actions in the Past
    Example. 'I scanned all the documents yesterday.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, scanned the audience, and started his speech.'
    Example. 'The room was scanned thoroughly, but nothing was found.'
    Example. 'We scanned the horizon every morning during the expedition.'
  8. It describes habits or routines that occurred in the past but no longer happen.
    Example. 'I scanned all the documents yesterday.'
    Example. 'He walked into the room, scanned the audience, and started his speech.'
    Example. 'The room was scanned thoroughly, but nothing was found.'
    Example. 'We scanned the horizon every morning during the expedition.'

Past Participle

  1. Perfect Tenses
    Example. Present Perfect. 'I have already scanned the documents you gave me.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'She had scanned all the pages before the meeting started.'
    Example. 'The items were scanned quickly and efficiently by the cashier.'
    Example. 'Feeling scanned and scrutinized, the applicant awaited the decision.'
  2. Used in perfect tenses (present perfect, past perfect) to talk about actions completed at the time of speaking or before another action.
    Example. Present Perfect. 'I have already scanned the documents you gave me.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'She had scanned all the pages before the meeting started.'
    Example. 'The items were scanned quickly and efficiently by the cashier.'
    Example. 'Feeling scanned and scrutinized, the applicant awaited the decision.'
  3. Passive Voice
    Example. Present Perfect. 'I have already scanned the documents you gave me.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'She had scanned all the pages before the meeting started.'
    Example. 'The items were scanned quickly and efficiently by the cashier.'
    Example. 'Feeling scanned and scrutinized, the applicant awaited the decision.'
  4. It's used to form the passive voice, focusing on the action rather than who performed it.
    Example. Present Perfect. 'I have already scanned the documents you gave me.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'She had scanned all the pages before the meeting started.'
    Example. 'The items were scanned quickly and efficiently by the cashier.'
    Example. 'Feeling scanned and scrutinized, the applicant awaited the decision.'
  5. Adjectives/Participial Phrases
    Example. Present Perfect. 'I have already scanned the documents you gave me.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'She had scanned all the pages before the meeting started.'
    Example. 'The items were scanned quickly and efficiently by the cashier.'
    Example. 'Feeling scanned and scrutinized, the applicant awaited the decision.'
  6. When used as an adjective or in participial phrases to describe a state resulting from an action.
    Example. Present Perfect. 'I have already scanned the documents you gave me.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'She had scanned all the pages before the meeting started.'
    Example. 'The items were scanned quickly and efficiently by the cashier.'
    Example. 'Feeling scanned and scrutinized, the applicant awaited the decision.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Use of Past Simple Form

Mistake. Many people mistakenly use 'scaned' as the past simple form of 'scan' due to a common misconception that adding '-ed' to the end of a verb is the standard way to form the past tense. Correct Form. The correct past simple form of 'scan' is 'scanned'. The rule here is that for verbs ending in a consonant preceded by a single vowel, you double the final consonant before adding '-ed'.

— 02

Incorrect Use of Past Participle Form

Mistake. A common error is using 'scaned' as the past participle form of 'scan', similar to the mistake made with the past simple form. This mistake stems from not recognizing that the verb follows the double consonant rule when forming its past participle. Correct Form. The correct past participle form of 'scan' is 'scanned', just like its past simple form. This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice, so recognizing and applying the correct form is crucial for grammatical accuracy.

— 03

Confusing forms

Mistake. Some learners of English confuse the past simple and past participle forms of verbs, especially those that are the same, like 'scanned'. They might incorrectly use one form where the other is required, not realizing that the form is the same for both but the usage depends on the grammatical structure (e.g., using 'scanned' incorrectly in a present perfect sentence because they think a different form is needed). Correct Understanding. It's important to know that 'scanned' serves as both the past simple and past participle form of 'scan'. The key is to understand how and when to use each form correctly based on the sentence structure (e.g., 'I scanned the document yesterday' vs. 'The document has been scanned').

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'scan'?

The past simple form of 'scan' is 'scanned.' You use this form when you are talking about an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example. 'I scanned the document yesterday.'

What is the past participle form of 'scan'?

The past participle form of 'scan' is also 'scanned.' This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice sentences. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have scanned all the pages,' and in a passive voice sentence, you could say, 'The documents were scanned by the clerk.'

How do I use 'scanned' in a sentence correctly?

To use 'scanned' correctly, you need to identify the tense and voice of your sentence. For a past simple sentence, you might say, 'She scanned the barcode and the price appeared.' For a sentence in the present perfect tense, you could use, 'They have already scanned the items for the inventory.' Remember, for passive voice constructions, place the actor after the verb if necessary, e.g., 'The tickets were scanned before entry was allowed.'

Can you give examples showing the difference in usage between the past simple and past participle forms of 'scan'?

Yes, here are examples to illustrate the difference. Past Simple. 'Yesterday, the technician scanned my computer for viruses.' (This sentence indicates an action that took place at a specific time in the past.) Past Participle in Present Perfect. 'The librarian has scanned all the books that were returned today.' (This sentence suggests that the action has relevance to the present moment or has been completed recently.) Past Participle in Passive Voice. 'The passports were scanned at the immigration desk.' (This sentence uses the passive voice to focus on the action rather than who performed it.) Understanding the context and the structure of the sentence will help you decide whether to use the past simple or the past participle form of 'scan.'