Shoot past tense
Meaning of shoot
to fire a bullet or arrow from a weapon.
Infinitive
- 1. She always shoots accurately in archery competitions.
- 2. He shoots photographs for the local newspaper.
- 3. The plant shoots new leaves in spring.
Past Simple
- 1. She shot an arrow directly at the target during the archery competition.
- 2. He shot a glance at his watch, realizing he was late for his meeting.
- 3. The director shouted Action! and the actor shot out of the car, beginning the chase scene.
Past Participle
- 1. The award-winning film was shot in various locations around the world.
- 2. Each scene had been carefully shot to capture the essence of the story.
- 3. By the time the sun set, all the necessary scenes were already shot.
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Bare infinitive
- To describe habitual actions or routines.Example. He shoots at the range every weekend.Example. This gun shoots accurately up to 500 meters.Example. To capture a moving subject, shoot with a faster shutter speed.
- To state facts or general truths.Example. He shoots at the range every weekend.Example. This gun shoots accurately up to 500 meters.Example. To capture a moving subject, shoot with a faster shutter speed.
- To give instructions or directions.Example. He shoots at the range every weekend.Example. This gun shoots accurately up to 500 meters.Example. To capture a moving subject, shoot with a faster shutter speed.
Past Simple
- To talk about completed actions at a specific time in the past.Example. She shot the arrow and hit the bullseye yesterday.Example. We walked into the abandoned building, heard a noise, and then he shot into the darkness.Example. As a child, he shot cans off the fence for practice.
- To describe a series of completed actions in the past.Example. She shot the arrow and hit the bullseye yesterday.Example. We walked into the abandoned building, heard a noise, and then he shot into the darkness.Example. As a child, he shot cans off the fence for practice.
- To express past habits or states which are no longer true.Example. She shot the arrow and hit the bullseye yesterday.Example. We walked into the abandoned building, heard a noise, and then he shot into the darkness.Example. As a child, he shot cans off the fence for practice.
Past Participle
- Perfect tenses - To talk about actions that have an impact on the present moment or that were completed at an unspecified time in the past.Example. The documentary was shot in the remote jungles of Brazil.Example. The shot bird fell from the sky.
- Example (Present Perfect). They have shot all the targets successfully.Example. The documentary was shot in the remote jungles of Brazil.Example. The shot bird fell from the sky.
- Example (Past Perfect). By the time help arrived, the poacher had already shot the endangered animal.Example. The documentary was shot in the remote jungles of Brazil.Example. The shot bird fell from the sky.
- Passive voice - To describe actions where the focus is on the action itself, rather than who performed the action.Example. The documentary was shot in the remote jungles of Brazil.Example. The shot bird fell from the sky.
- As an adjective to describe the result of an action or the state of something.Example. The documentary was shot in the remote jungles of Brazil.Example. The shot bird fell from the sky.
Common mistakes
— 01
Confusing forms
A common mistake is confusing or using the past simple form of the word 'shoot' (which is 'shot') with its past participle form, which is also 'shot'. This confusion generally arises because both forms are identical, but their usage is different. The past simple is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past, e.g., 'He shot the arrow yesterday.' The past participle is used in perfect tenses and passive voice, e.g., 'He has shot the arrow' (present perfect) or 'The arrow was shot by him' (passive voice).
— 02
Creating Regular Past Forms
Another mistake involves treating 'shoot' as a regular verb that follows the standard -ed suffix rule for its past forms. Some learners mistakenly create forms like 'shooted' for its past simple and past participle. The correct forms do not follow the regular pattern; both the past simple and the past participle of 'shoot' are 'shot', reflecting its status as an irregular verb. Using 'shooted' instead of 'shot' is a common error among English learners.
— 03
Neglecting the Context
Learners sometimes incorrectly use the simple past form 'shot' when the context requires the past participle form, especially in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For instance, saying 'I have shot the ball' is correct in the present perfect tense, but misusing it as 'I have shoot the ball' or misunderstanding the construction can lead to errors in tense and voice. Recognizing the context in which to use the past participle form 'shot' is crucial for grammatical accuracy.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple form of 'shoot'?
How is the past participle form of 'shoot' used, and what is it?
Can you provide an example of 'shot' used in a sentence in both the past simple and past participle form?