Set past tense
Meaning of set
to put or place in a specific position or location.
Infinitive
- 1. Every morning, I set my alarm for 6 am to start my day early.
- 2. She sets the table beautifully for dinner every night.
- 3. He sets aside a few hours each week to practice his guitar.
Past Simple
- 1. She set the book down on the table before leaving the room.
- 2. They set the alarm for 6 a.m. but still woke up late.
- 3. He set a new personal record at the track meet yesterday.
Past Participle
- 1. The table was set by the staff early in the morning for the event.
- 2. The rules have been set by the committee for the upcoming competition.
- 3. His fate was set the moment he made that choice.
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Bare infinitive
- Routine or Habitual ActionsExample. I set my alarm for 6 AM every day.Example. The meeting sets at 3 PM tomorrow.
- Scheduled Events in the Near Future (especially in timetables or programs)Example. I set my alarm for 6 AM every day.Example. The meeting sets at 3 PM tomorrow.
Past Simple
- Completed Actions at a Specific Time in the PastExample. He set the table for dinner last night.Example. I finished my homework, set my books away, and went to bed early.Example. When I was a child, I set my toys neatly on the shelf every evening.
- Actions in a Sequence in the PastExample. He set the table for dinner last night.Example. I finished my homework, set my books away, and went to bed early.Example. When I was a child, I set my toys neatly on the shelf every evening.
- Past Habits or StatesExample. He set the table for dinner last night.Example. I finished my homework, set my books away, and went to bed early.Example. When I was a child, I set my toys neatly on the shelf every evening.
Past Participle
- The word 'set' is one of those unique verbs in English where the base form, the past simple, and the past participle all have the same spelling. However, in terms of usage, the past participle is used in the following ways.Example. I have already set the table.Example. By the time they arrived, she had set everything up.Example. By next year, they will have set a new precedent.Example. The rules were set by the committee earlier this year.Example. If he had studied harder, he might have set a new record.
- Perfect Tenses.Example. I have already set the table.Example. By the time they arrived, she had set everything up.Example. By next year, they will have set a new precedent.Example. The rules were set by the committee earlier this year.Example. If he had studied harder, he might have set a new record.
- Present Perfect for actions completed at an unspecified time in the past or that have relevance to the present.Example. I have already set the table.Example. By the time they arrived, she had set everything up.Example. By next year, they will have set a new precedent.Example. The rules were set by the committee earlier this year.Example. If he had studied harder, he might have set a new record.
- Past Perfect for actions completed before another action in the past.Example. I have already set the table.Example. By the time they arrived, she had set everything up.Example. By next year, they will have set a new precedent.Example. The rules were set by the committee earlier this year.Example. If he had studied harder, he might have set a new record.
- Future Perfect for actions that will be completed before a specified future time.Example. I have already set the table.Example. By the time they arrived, she had set everything up.Example. By next year, they will have set a new precedent.Example. The rules were set by the committee earlier this year.Example. If he had studied harder, he might have set a new record.
- Passive Voice to indicate an action done to the subject.Example. I have already set the table.Example. By the time they arrived, she had set everything up.Example. By next year, they will have set a new precedent.Example. The rules were set by the committee earlier this year.Example. If he had studied harder, he might have set a new record.
- Conditional Sentences Used in the conditional perfect form.Example. I have already set the table.Example. By the time they arrived, she had set everything up.Example. By next year, they will have set a new precedent.Example. The rules were set by the committee earlier this year.Example. If he had studied harder, he might have set a new record.
Common mistakes
— 01
Confusing forms
One common mistake is assuming that the word 'set' changes form in its past simple and past participle forms. Unlike many other verbs in English, 'set' remains the same in its base, past simple, and past participle forms. For example, it is incorrect to say 'I had setted the table' or 'I setted the alarm.' The correct usage is 'I set the table' for the past simple and 'I have set the alarm' for the past participle.
— 02
Misuse in Perfect Tense Constructions
Another mistake involves using 'set' incorrectly in perfect tense constructions, such as present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect tenses, due to confusion with its past participle form. Some might mistakenly alter the form of 'set' thinking it needs to change to fit the tense. For instance, saying 'I have sett the clock' instead of the correct 'I have set the clock' demonstrates a misunderstanding of how 'set' functions as both the past simple and past participle form.
— 03
Incorrect Inflection
A less common but notable mistake is attempting to inflect 'set' for emphasis or to denote habitual action in the past, which can happen with verbs that have distinct past simple and past participle forms. For example, saying 'I used to setted the table every evening' to emphasize a regular past action is incorrect. The correct form is 'I used to set the table every evening.' This mistake stems from misunderstanding that 'set' does not change form and that emphasis or habitual action in the past is conveyed through context or auxiliary verbs, not through altering the verb 'set' itself.
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