Set-up past tense

Type your word here
Try:

Learn past tenses to communicate in English accurately

Meaning of set-up

to establish or initiate.

Infinitive

Word: set up /sɛt ʌp/
Examples:
  • 1. Every weekend, we set up a lemonade stand at the park.
  • 2. The team set up the equipment before the meeting begins.
  • 3. She always set up reminders on her phone so she won't forget any appointments.

Past Simple

Word: set up /sɛt ʌp/
Examples:
  • 1. They set up the equipment for the concert last night.
  • 2. She set up a meeting with the new clients on Monday.
  • 3. We set up a surprise party for his birthday over the weekend.

Past Participle

Word: set up /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/
Examples:
  • 1. The exhibition was set up by the art students last week.
  • 2. All the arrangements have been set up for the conference.
  • 3. By noon, the stage had been set up for the evening concert.

Learn more words on the go

Master verb forms with Promova!

Download the app
cta-section-decorative-line-left
cta-section-decorative-line-left

Bare infinitive

  1. Regular actions or habits.
    Example. She sets up her coffee machine every morning.
    Example. Water sets up when it freezes.
    Example. The meeting sets up at nine o'clock sharp on Mondays.
    Example. He sets up a strong argument for his case.
  2. General truths or facts.
    Example. She sets up her coffee machine every morning.
    Example. Water sets up when it freezes.
    Example. The meeting sets up at nine o'clock sharp on Mondays.
    Example. He sets up a strong argument for his case.
  3. Fixed arrangements, schedules, or timetables.
    Example. She sets up her coffee machine every morning.
    Example. Water sets up when it freezes.
    Example. The meeting sets up at nine o'clock sharp on Mondays.
    Example. He sets up a strong argument for his case.
  4. To express feelings, opinions, and desires.
    Example. She sets up her coffee machine every morning.
    Example. Water sets up when it freezes.
    Example. The meeting sets up at nine o'clock sharp on Mondays.
    Example. He sets up a strong argument for his case.

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions at a specific time in the past.
    Example. They set up the exhibition yesterday.
    Example. She finished her homework, set up her books, and went to bed.
    Example. When I was a child, I set up lemonade stands in the summer.
    Example. He set up his company in 200
  2. A series of completed actions in the past.
    Example. They set up the exhibition yesterday.
    Example. She finished her homework, set up her books, and went to bed.
    Example. When I was a child, I set up lemonade stands in the summer.
    Example. He set up his company in 200
  3. Past habits or states which are no longer true.
    Example. They set up the exhibition yesterday.
    Example. She finished her homework, set up her books, and went to bed.
    Example. When I was a child, I set up lemonade stands in the summer.
    Example. He set up his company in 200
  4. To mention when something started in the past.
    Example. They set up the exhibition yesterday.
    Example. She finished her homework, set up her books, and went to bed.
    Example. When I was a child, I set up lemonade stands in the summer.
    Example. He set up his company in 200

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect).
    Example. The stage was set up by the crew last night.
    Example. The game was delayed, set up by unexpected weather conditions.
  2. Present Perfect.
    Example. They have set up all the decorations for the party.
    Example. The stage was set up by the crew last night.
    Example. The game was delayed, set up by unexpected weather conditions.
  3. Past Perfect.
    Example. She had set up the entire plan by the time we arrived.
    Example. The stage was set up by the crew last night.
    Example. The game was delayed, set up by unexpected weather conditions.
  4. Future Perfect.
    Example. By next week, we will have set up the new software system.
    Example. The stage was set up by the crew last night.
    Example. The game was delayed, set up by unexpected weather conditions.
  5. Passive voice to denote an action done to the subject.
    Example. The stage was set up by the crew last night.
    Example. The game was delayed, set up by unexpected weather conditions.
  6. To describe conditions or causeeffect relationships.
    Example. The stage was set up by the crew last night.
    Example. The game was delayed, set up by unexpected weather conditions.
  7. Each tense and use case provides a framework for understanding how to conjugate and utilize 'set up' appropriately across various contexts and grammatical structures.
    Example. The stage was set up by the crew last night.
    Example. The game was delayed, set up by unexpected weather conditions.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake is mixing up the past simple form of a verb with its past participle form. For regular verbs, the past simple and past participle forms are the same, e.g., 'set up' remains 'set up' for both. However, learners often apply this rule incorrectly to irregular verbs, expecting a different form for the past participle. It's crucial to remember that 'set up' is both the past simple and past participle form and does not change.

— 02

Incorrect Use in Perfect Tenses

Another frequent error involves the misuse of the past participle form in perfect tenses. Since 'set up' does not change its form, it can lead to confusion when forming present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect tenses. For instance, the correct construction for the present perfect tense is 'have set up' or 'has set up.' Mistakenly, learners might say 'have setted up' or use another incorrect form, not realizing that 'set up' does not change.

— 03

Double-Part Verb Structure

'Set up' is a phrasal verb, consisting of a verb and a preposition (or adverb). A common mistake is neglecting the two-part structure of phrasal verbs in past forms. Users might incorrectly merge the words or alter the structure, especially in past participle usage within passive voice or perfect aspect sentences. The correct structure should always maintain the integrity of the phrasal verb, as in 'The event was set up by the committee' or 'They have set up a new department.'

Past tense quiz

Check your skills and find areas for improvement

Take quiz

Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'set up'?

The past simple form of 'set up' remains 'set up.' Unlike many other verbs in English, 'set' does not change form between the present and past tense. Therefore, when using it in the past simple, you keep the base form and add the necessary context to indicate the past action, e.g., 'Yesterday, they set up the equipment for the concert.'

What is the past participle form of 'set up'?

Just like the past simple form, the past participle form of 'set up' also remains unchanged as 'set up.' This means that when you're using it in perfect tenses or passive voice, the verb form is the same, e.g., 'By the time we arrived, the team had already set up the display.'

How do I use 'set up' in a sentence correctly when referring to the past?

When using 'set up' to refer to a past action, the context of the sentence will help indicate the timing. For past simple usage, you directly follow 'set up' with the object and provide a time reference if needed, e.g., 'They set up the stage last night.' For the past participle, it's often used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses or passive constructions, e.g., 'The equipment has been set up by the volunteers.'

Can you give examples of 'set up' in both the past simple and past participle in a sentence?

Sure! Here are examples illustrating both cases. Past Simple. 'We set up the meeting room before everyone arrived.' This sentence indicates a completed action in the past, using the past simple form of 'set up.' Past Participle in Perfect Tense. 'They have already set up the new software on all the computers.' In this example, 'set up' is used as the past participle in a present perfect construction to indicate an action that has been completed at some point before now. Past Participle in Passive Voice. 'The exhibition was set up by a group of dedicated volunteers.' Here, 'set up' is used in the passive voice to emphasize the action and the doer of the action is mentioned later.