Shear past tense

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Meaning of shear

to cut the wool off a sheep or other animal.

Infinitive

Word: shear /ʃɪər/
Examples:
  • 1. Every spring, the farmer shears his sheep to collect their wool for selling.
  • 2. He shears the paper into two neat halves with a precise cut of his scissors.
  • 3. The gardener regularly shears the hedges to maintain their shape and health.

Past Simple

Word: sheared /ʃɪərd/
Examples:
  • 1. The farmer sheared the sheep yesterday to prepare wool for spinning.
  • 2. Last summer, we sheared the hedges to give them a neat appearance.
  • 3. They sheared the alpacas carefully to avoid harming them during the process.

Past Participle

Word: shorn /ʃɔːrn/
Examples:
  • 1. The sheep had been shorn by the farmer before the winter arrived.
  • 2. The woolen clothes were made from the wool that was shorn last spring.
  • 3. By the end of the day, all the sheep in the field had been expertly shorn.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual actions. When describing actions that happen regularly or habits.
    Example. She shears the sheep every spring without fail.
    Example. This type of machine shears metal with precision.
    Example. The farmer shears the flock next Monday.
    Example. First, you shear the wool, then you clean it.
  2. General facts or truths. For stating facts or truths.
    Example. She shears the sheep every spring without fail.
    Example. This type of machine shears metal with precision.
    Example. The farmer shears the flock next Monday.
    Example. First, you shear the wool, then you clean it.
  3. Scheduled events (in the near future). Particularly in a timetable or a schedule.
    Example. She shears the sheep every spring without fail.
    Example. This type of machine shears metal with precision.
    Example. The farmer shears the flock next Monday.
    Example. First, you shear the wool, then you clean it.
  4. Instructions or directions. Giving commands or directions.
    Example. She shears the sheep every spring without fail.
    Example. This type of machine shears metal with precision.
    Example. The farmer shears the flock next Monday.
    Example. First, you shear the wool, then you clean it.

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions in the past. Actions that were completed at a specific time in the past.
    Example. Yesterday, the farmer sheared all the sheep in the field.
    Example. She sheared the sheep, washed the wool, and then dried it in the sun.
    Example. He always sheared his own sheep when he lived on the farm.
    Example. In those days, everyone in the village knew how to shear sheep.
  2. A series of completed actions. For narrating a series of actions that happened in the past.
    Example. Yesterday, the farmer sheared all the sheep in the field.
    Example. She sheared the sheep, washed the wool, and then dried it in the sun.
    Example. He always sheared his own sheep when he lived on the farm.
    Example. In those days, everyone in the village knew how to shear sheep.
  3. Habit in the past. Describing past habits or routines.
    Example. Yesterday, the farmer sheared all the sheep in the field.
    Example. She sheared the sheep, washed the wool, and then dried it in the sun.
    Example. He always sheared his own sheep when he lived on the farm.
    Example. In those days, everyone in the village knew how to shear sheep.
  4. Past facts or generalizations. When stating facts or generalizations that were true in the past but may not be true now.
    Example. Yesterday, the farmer sheared all the sheep in the field.
    Example. She sheared the sheep, washed the wool, and then dried it in the sun.
    Example. He always sheared his own sheep when he lived on the farm.
    Example. In those days, everyone in the village knew how to shear sheep.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses. Used in perfect tenses to show actions that are completed at the time of speaking or by a specific time in the past, present, or future.
    Example. Shorn wool requires careful handling to avoid damage.
  2. Example (Present Perfect). She has shorn all the sheep, so we can start packing the wool.
    Example. Shorn wool requires careful handling to avoid damage.
  3. Passive voice. When the subject of the sentence is acted upon.
    Example. Shorn wool requires careful handling to avoid damage.
  4. Example (Past Passive). The sheep were shorn early this morning.
    Example. Shorn wool requires careful handling to avoid damage.
  5. Adjective form. Sometimes used to describe a state resulting from an action.
    Example. Shorn wool requires careful handling to avoid damage.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusion with Regular Verb Forms

While 'sheared' is indeed an acceptable past simple form, the mistake comes in not recognizing that 'shear' also has an irregular past participle form, which is 'shorn.' This error occurs because many learners apply the regular verb pattern (-ed ending) universally, without noting the exceptions. Correct usage involves recognizing 'shear' in its past simple form as either 'sheared' or 'shorn' and understanding that 'shorn' is specifically the past participle form used in perfect tenses and passive voice, e.g., 'The sheep have been shorn.'

— 02

Mixing up Forms

Another mistake is interchangeably using 'sheared' and 'shorn' without regard to their grammatical roles. 'Sheared' can be used as both the past simple and past participle form, but 'shorn' is exclusively the past participle form. Misusing them can lead to grammatically incorrect sentences. For example, saying 'Yesterday, the sheep was shorn' instead of 'Yesterday, the sheep was sheared' misapplies 'shorn' in a context that requires the past simple form.

— 03

Incorrect Verb Agreement

The third mistake involves incorrect subject-verb agreement when using 'shorn' as the past participle. Because 'shorn' is used with 'have' or 'has' in perfect tenses, or with 'be' in passive constructions, neglecting proper auxiliary verb agreement can lead to errors. For instance, incorrectly saying 'The sheep has sheared' instead of 'The sheep has been shorn' overlooks the necessity of using 'been' with 'shorn' in the passive voice. Recognizing and applying the correct auxiliary verbs with 'shorn' is crucial for grammatical accuracy.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'shear' is 'sheared.' Both the past participle and the traditional past participle form are 'sheared' and 'shorn,' respectively. Therefore, you can use 'sheared' in regular past tense sentences and both 'sheared' and 'shorn' when forming perfect tenses or passive voice constructions, depending on the context or stylistic preference.

Can you give an example of a sentence using the past simple form 'sheared'?

Certainly! An example of a sentence using the past simple form 'sheared' would be. 'Last year, the farmer sheared the sheep in early spring.' This sentence indicates that the action of shearing the sheep happened at a specific time in the past.

How can I correctly use 'shorn' in a sentence?

'Shorn' is commonly used in more formal or literary contexts. An example sentence using 'shorn' could be. 'The fields were shorn of their golden wheat by the end of the harvest.' Another example, focusing on its use as a past participle, might be. 'The sheep, once shorn, seemed almost unrecognizable.' These examples highlight how 'shorn' can be used to describe something that has been sheared, emphasizing the result of the action. Is there a difference in meaning when choosing between 'sheared' and 'shorn' for the past participle