Sew past tense

Meaning of sew

to join, fasten, or repair something by making stitches with a needle and thread or a sewing machine.

Infinitive

Word: sew /soʊ/

Examples:

1. She often sews her own clothes to ensure a perfect fit.
2. My grandmother teaches me to sew because she believes it's an essential skill.
3. He sews patches onto his backpack to commemorate his travels.

Past Simple

Word: sewed /soʊd, sɛd/

Examples:

1. She sewed a beautiful quilt for her granddaughter last year.
2. He sewed up the tear in his jacket with some thread he found.
3. They sewed their own costumes for the play and looked fantastic.

Past Participle

Word: sewn /soʊn/

Examples:

1. The dress was sewn by a skilled tailor.
2. By the time we arrived, the curtains had been sewn together.
3. The quilt will have been sewn together by the end of the month.

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Bare infinitive

To describe a habitual action or routine.
Example. She sews her own dresses because she loves the process.
Example. He sews with such precision that every piece looks perfect.
Example. First, you cut the fabric, then you sew the pieces together.
To state a general truth or fact.
Example. She sews her own dresses because she loves the process.
Example. He sews with such precision that every piece looks perfect.
Example. First, you cut the fabric, then you sew the pieces together.
To give instructions or directions.
Example. She sews her own dresses because she loves the process.
Example. He sews with such precision that every piece looks perfect.
Example. First, you cut the fabric, then you sew the pieces together.

Past Simple

To describe an action that started and finished at a specific time in the past.
Example. She sewed her first dress when she was only ten years old.
Example. Yesterday, I sewed the buttons on the coat and hemmed the pants.
Example. He sewed every weekend before he got a fulltime job.
To narrate a series of completed actions in the past.
Example. She sewed her first dress when she was only ten years old.
Example. Yesterday, I sewed the buttons on the coat and hemmed the pants.
Example. He sewed every weekend before he got a fulltime job.
To describe past habits or states.
Example. She sewed her first dress when she was only ten years old.
Example. Yesterday, I sewed the buttons on the coat and hemmed the pants.
Example. He sewed every weekend before he got a fulltime job.

Past Participle

To form the present perfect tense, referring to an action that occurred at an unspecified time in the past, with relevance to the present.
Example. She has sewn all her life and has become quite skilled.
Example. By the time the fashion show started, he had already sewn all the necessary adjustments.
Example. The wedding dress was sewn by a renowned designer.
To form the past perfect tense, referring to an action that was completed before another action in the past.
Example. She has sewn all her life and has become quite skilled.
Example. By the time the fashion show started, he had already sewn all the necessary adjustments.
Example. The wedding dress was sewn by a renowned designer.
To form passive voice sentences, where the focus is on the action rather than the subject.
Example. She has sewn all her life and has become quite skilled.
Example. By the time the fashion show started, he had already sewn all the necessary adjustments.
Example. The wedding dress was sewn by a renowned designer.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing 'sew' with 'sowed'

A common mistake is using 'sowed' instead of 'sewed' when referring to the action of joining or repairing something with stitches. 'Sowed' is the past tense of 'sow,' which means to plant seeds. The correct past simple form of 'sew' is 'sewed.' For example, it is incorrect to say, 'She sowed her torn dress.' The correct sentence is, 'She sewed her torn dress.'

— 02

Incorrect use of the past participle

Another frequent error involves the misuse of 'sewn' and 'sewed' as the past participle form of 'sew.' Both 'sewn' and 'sewed' are acceptable, but their usage can depend on the dialect or preference. The mistake arises when individuals consistently use only one form without recognizing the validity of the other. For example, it's correct to say both 'She had sewn her dress beautifully' and 'She had sewed her dress beautifully.' Awareness and acceptance of both forms prevent this mistake.

— 03

Omitting the Auxiliaries

A common error in using the past participle form 'sewn' or 'sewed' is Omitting Auxiliary Verb. For instance, saying 'She sewn the quilt by herself' instead of the correct 'She has sewn the quilt by herself.' The auxiliary verb 'has' is crucial for forming the present perfect tense, which indicates an action completed at an unspecified time in the past.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'sew'?

The past simple form of 'sew' is 'sewed.' This form is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I sewed a button onto my shirt.'

How is the past participle of 'sew' used and what is it?

The past participle of 'sew' is 'sewn' or 'sewed.' It is used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses. The form 'sewn' is more common when used in passive voice or perfect tenses, while 'sewed' can also be used, especially in American English. An example would be, 'I have sewn/sewed all the patches onto the quilt.'

Can you provide an example sentence using 'sewed' in past simple tense?

Sure! Here's an example. 'Last week, I sewed a new dress for the party.' In this sentence, 'sewed' indicates that the action of sewing the dress was completed at a specific time in the past, which is last week.

How would you use 'sewn' in a sentence?

An example sentence using 'sewn' could be, 'The curtains had been beautifully sewn by my grandmother.' In this case, 'sewn' is used as the past participle in a passive voice sentence, indicating the action of sewing was completed by my grandmother at some point in the past without specifying when.