Shave past tense

Meaning of shave

to remove hair from the body with a razor or another sharp instrument.

Infinitive

Word: shave /ʃeɪv/

Examples:

1. Every morning, he shaves his beard to maintain a clean look.
2. She shaves her legs regularly during the summer months.
3. They always shave before going out for a special event to look their best.

Past Simple

Word: shaved /ʃeɪvd/

Examples:

1. He shaved his beard off for the first time in years, revealing a much younger-looking face.
2. He shaved his beard to feel more prepared before the meating.
3. They shaved the dog's fur short to help him stay cool during the summer heatwave.

Past Participle

Word: shaven /ˈʃeɪ.vən/

Examples:

1. The beard has been shaven smoothly by the expert barber.
2. His face was shaven meticulously before the meeting.
3. All the participants had been shaven as part of the initiation ceremony.

Learn more words on the go

Master verb forms with Promova!

Download the app

Bare infinitive

Habitual or Routine Actions
Example. He shaves every morning before breakfast.

Past Simple

Completed Actions at a Specific Time in the Past
Example. He shaved his beard off yesterday.
Example. He shaved, took a shower, and then went to bed early last night.
Example. When he was in the army, he shaved every day.
Example. She never shaved her legs during the winter months.
A Series of Completed Actions in the Past
Example. He shaved his beard off yesterday.
Example. He shaved, took a shower, and then went to bed early last night.
Example. When he was in the army, he shaved every day.
Example. She never shaved her legs during the winter months.
Habitual Actions in the Past (With a Mention of a Specific Time)
Example. He shaved his beard off yesterday.
Example. He shaved, took a shower, and then went to bed early last night.
Example. When he was in the army, he shaved every day.
Example. She never shaved her legs during the winter months.
Past Facts or Generalizations
Example. He shaved his beard off yesterday.
Example. He shaved, took a shower, and then went to bed early last night.
Example. When he was in the army, he shaved every day.
Example. She never shaved her legs during the winter months.

Past Participle

Perfect Tenses
Example. He has shaved his head.
Example. She had shaved her legs before going to the pool.
Example. By next week, he will have shaved his beard for the wedding.
Example. If he had shaved, he would have looked much younger.
Example. Once shaved, the wood looks much smoother.
Present Perfect. The action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important.
Example. He has shaved his head.
Example. She had shaved her legs before going to the pool.
Example. By next week, he will have shaved his beard for the wedding.
Example. If he had shaved, he would have looked much younger.
Example. Once shaved, the wood looks much smoother.
Past Perfect. The action happened before another action in the past.
Example. He has shaved his head.
Example. She had shaved her legs before going to the pool.
Example. By next week, he will have shaved his beard for the wedding.
Example. If he had shaved, he would have looked much younger.
Example. Once shaved, the wood looks much smoother.
Future Perfect. The action will have been completed by a certain future time.
Example. He has shaved his head.
Example. She had shaved her legs before going to the pool.
Example. By next week, he will have shaved his beard for the wedding.
Example. If he had shaved, he would have looked much younger.
Example. Once shaved, the wood looks much smoother.
Passive Voice. To describe an action done to the subject, not by the subject.
Example. The dog was shaved by the groomer.
Example. He has shaved his head.
Example. She had shaved her legs before going to the pool.
Example. By next week, he will have shaved his beard for the wedding.
Example. If he had shaved, he would have looked much younger.
Example. Once shaved, the wood looks much smoother.
Conditional Sentences. Often used in the 'if' clause of conditional sentences to talk about hypothetical or possible events.
Example. He has shaved his head.
Example. She had shaved her legs before going to the pool.
Example. By next week, he will have shaved his beard for the wedding.
Example. If he had shaved, he would have looked much younger.
Example. Once shaved, the wood looks much smoother.
Adjective Uses. Sometimes used to describe a state resulting from an action.
Example. He has shaved his head.
Example. She had shaved her legs before going to the pool.
Example. By next week, he will have shaved his beard for the wedding.
Example. If he had shaved, he would have looked much younger.
Example. Once shaved, the wood looks much smoother.

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Use of the Past Simple

A common mistake is using the past simple form 'shaved' when the past participle form 'shaven' is required, especially in perfect tenses and passive voice. For instance, saying 'I have shaved my beard yesterday' instead of the correct 'I have shaven my beard yesterday.' The correct usage involves recognizing that 'shaven' is needed with auxiliary verbs to form the perfect aspect or passive constructions, e.g., 'He has shaven his beard' or 'His beard has been shaven.'

— 02

Confusing Adjectival Use

Another mistake lies in not distinguishing between 'shaved' and 'shaven' when used as adjectives. While both can describe the act of removing hair, 'shaven' often carries a more formal or literary tone and is sometimes preferred in fixed phrases or when describing a state. For example, saying 'He had a shaved head' instead of the perhaps more stylistically appropriate 'He had a shaven head.' Understanding the subtle difference in tone and context can help in choosing the right form.

— 03

Regularization of the Verb

A less common but notable error is regularizing the verb 'shave' into an incorrect past participle form like 'shaved' instead of using the correct irregular form 'shaven.' This mistake might arise from overgeneralizing the rules of forming past participles for regular verbs, leading to utterances like 'He had shaved' when intending to use the past participle. Correct usage acknowledges 'shave' as an irregular verb with 'shaven' as its past participle form.

Past tense quiz

Check your skills and find areas for improvement

Take quiz

Frequently asked questions

What are the past simple and past participle forms of 'shave'?

The past simple form of 'shave' is 'shaved.' This form is used to describe actions that happened at a specific time in the past. The past participle form is also 'shaved,' which is used in perfect tense constructions to describe actions that have been completed at the point of speaking or by a specific time in the past. However, it's important to note that 'shaven' is an alternative past participle form, often used in more formal contexts or fixed phrases (e.g., 'clean-shaven').

How do I use the past simple form of 'shave'?

You use the past simple form 'shaved' to talk about a specific instance or instances when someone shaved in the past. For example. 'I shaved my beard yesterday because it was getting too long.' 'She shaved her legs before going to the beach last weekend.' When should I use the past participle form 'shaved' or 'shaven'

Can you give an example of a sentence using both the past simple and past participle forms of 'shave'?

Yes, here's an example that incorporates both forms to show a sequence of actions related to shaving. 'Last year, I shaved my head for charity, and since then, I have shaved it every month to maintain the look.' This sentence uses 'shaved' in the past simple tense to refer to the initial action of shaving the head in the past. It then uses 'have shaved' (present perfect tense) to indicate the ongoing action of shaving that started in the past and continues to the present.