Send past tense

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Meaning of send

to cause to go or be taken to a particular destination; dispatch.

Infinitive

Word: send /sɛnd/
Examples:
  • 1. She sends a letter to her friend every month.
  • 2. He often sends emails late at night.
  • 3. The company sends out newsletters to its subscribers regularly.

Past Simple

Word: sent /sɛnt/
Examples:
  • 1. After writing the email, I clicked the button and sent it to my boss.
  • 2. The package was sent from the warehouse on Monday and is expected to arrive by the end of the week.
  • 3. As soon as they heard the news, they sent a team to investigate the situation.

Past Participle

Word: sent /sɛnt/
Examples:
  • 1. The invitations were sent by the event organizer last Monday.
  • 2. The parcel has been sent to the wrong address.
  • 3. A message was sent urgently to all staff members regarding the meeting.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Routine or habitual actions. Use 'send' when describing actions that happen regularly or are part of a routine.
    Example. 'She sends an email to her team every Monday morning.'
    Example. 'The post office sends thousands of letters every day.'
    Example. 'The company sends its new product samples next week according to the launch schedule.'
  2. General truths or facts. When stating a fact or a generally accepted truth.
    Example. 'The post office sends thousands of letters every day.'
    Example. 'The company sends its new product samples next week according to the launch schedule.'
  3. Scheduled events in the near future. Sometimes used for schedules or events that are officially arranged and expected to happen soon.
    Example. 'The post office sends thousands of letters every day.'
    Example. 'The company sends its new product samples next week according to the launch schedule.'

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions in the past. When the action is finished and occurred at a specific time in the past.
    Example. 'He sent the documents yesterday.'
    Example. 'I sent the invitation, then she confirmed her attendance.'
    Example. 'She sent a distress signal before the connection was lost.'
  2. A series of actions in the past. To describe actions that happened one after another in the past.
    Example. 'He sent the documents yesterday.'
    Example. 'I sent the invitation, then she confirmed her attendance.'
    Example. 'She sent a distress signal before the connection was lost.'
  3. When giving the background in a story. Used to set the scene for a narrative.
    Example. 'He sent the documents yesterday.'
    Example. 'I sent the invitation, then she confirmed her attendance.'
    Example. 'She sent a distress signal before the connection was lost.'

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses.
    Example. Present Perfect. 'They have already sent the contracts back to us.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time we arrived, she had already sent the invitations.'
    Example. Future Perfect. 'By next week, we will have sent all the newsletters.'
    Example. 'The parcel was sent by courier three days ago.'
    Example. 'If they had sent the email, we would have responded already.'
  2. Present Perfect. To describe actions that have occurred at an unspecified time before now or actions that have relevance to the present moment.
    Example. Present Perfect. 'They have already sent the contracts back to us.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time we arrived, she had already sent the invitations.'
    Example. Future Perfect. 'By next week, we will have sent all the newsletters.'
    Example. 'The parcel was sent by courier three days ago.'
    Example. 'If they had sent the email, we would have responded already.'
  3. Past Perfect. To talk about an action that was completed before another action took place in the past.
    Example. Present Perfect. 'They have already sent the contracts back to us.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time we arrived, she had already sent the invitations.'
    Example. Future Perfect. 'By next week, we will have sent all the newsletters.'
    Example. 'The parcel was sent by courier three days ago.'
    Example. 'If they had sent the email, we would have responded already.'
  4. Future Perfect. To describe actions that will be completed by a certain future point.
    Example. Present Perfect. 'They have already sent the contracts back to us.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time we arrived, she had already sent the invitations.'
    Example. Future Perfect. 'By next week, we will have sent all the newsletters.'
    Example. 'The parcel was sent by courier three days ago.'
    Example. 'If they had sent the email, we would have responded already.'
  5. Passive voice. When the focus is on the action or the object of the action rather than who or what is performing the action.
    Example. Present Perfect. 'They have already sent the contracts back to us.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time we arrived, she had already sent the invitations.'
    Example. Future Perfect. 'By next week, we will have sent all the newsletters.'
    Example. 'The parcel was sent by courier three days ago.'
    Example. 'If they had sent the email, we would have responded already.'
  6. Conditional sentences. Sometimes used in the if-clause of conditional sentences (Type III), referring to situations that did not happen in the past.
    Example. Present Perfect. 'They have already sent the contracts back to us.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time we arrived, she had already sent the invitations.'
    Example. Future Perfect. 'By next week, we will have sent all the newsletters.'
    Example. 'The parcel was sent by courier three days ago.'
    Example. 'If they had sent the email, we would have responded already.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

People often mix up the past simple 'sent' with the past participle 'sent' because, uniquely, they are the same for this verb. However, the mistake arises in recognizing when to use each form. The past simple is used for actions completed in the past at a specific time, while the past participle is used in perfect tenses, requiring 'have' or 'had.'

— 02

Misusing Base Form

This mistake occurs when the base form 'send' is incorrectly used in place of its past simple and past participle form 'sent'. It's essential to remember that the base form does not indicate a completed action in the past, which is the function of the past simple and past participle forms.

— 03

Incorrect Form

Some learners might mistakenly regularize irregular verbs like 'send' by adding '-ed' to create what they think is the past simple or past participle form. This error stems from overgeneralizing the rule that applies to regular verbs in English, not recognizing that 'send' is an irregular verb whose past simple and past participle forms are both 'sent'.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'send'?

The past simple form of 'send' is 'sent.' This form is used to describe actions that were completed at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I sent an email to my boss.'

What is the past participle form of 'send'?

The past participle form of 'send' is also 'sent.' This form is used in perfect tenses to talk about actions that have an impact on the present or were completed by a specific time in the past or future. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have sent the documents you asked for.'

How do you use 'sent' in a sentence when talking about a routine or repeated action in the past?

When talking about a routine or repeated action in the past, you still use 'sent' to indicate the action, but the context of the sentence will clarify the habitual nature. For example, 'When I was in college, I sent a letter home every month.' The past simple tense, including 'sent,' often goes with time expressions that indicate routine or repetition, such as 'every month' in this case.

Can 'sent' be used without an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses?

No, 'sent' cannot be used without an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses. The past participle 'sent' needs to be accompanied by an auxiliary verb like 'have,' 'has,' or 'had' to form the perfect tenses. For example, in the present perfect tense, you say, 'I have sent the email.' In the past perfect tense, you would say, 'I had sent the email before the meeting started.' The auxiliary verb is crucial for forming the correct tense and meaning.