Slip past tense

Meaning of slip

to move smoothly, easily, and quietly; to slide accidentally.

Infinitive

Word: slip /slɪp/

Examples:

1. He often slips on the icy path outside his house during winter mornings.
2. Water spills easily and slips through the smallest cracks.
3. The cat always slips into the room as soon as the door opens.

Past Simple

Word: slipped /slɪpt/

Examples:

1. She slipped on the icy sidewalk while walking to work yesterday.
2. He slipped quietly into the room to avoid waking the baby.
3. They all laughed when I slipped on the banana peel during the party.

Past Participle

Word: slipped /slɪpt/

Examples:

1. The documents had been slipped under the door before dawn.
2. A warning note was slipped into his pocket unnoticed.
3. The secret message has been slipped between the pages of the book.

Learn more words on the go

Master verb forms with Promova!

Download the app

Bare infinitive

Habitual Actions or Routines. Use for actions that happen regularly or for general truths.
Example. He slips out of the office early whenever he gets a chance.
Example. The path always slips into darkness by early evening.
Permanent Situations or Facts. States that are generally always true.
Example. He slips out of the office early whenever he gets a chance.
Example. The path always slips into darkness by early evening.

Past Simple

Completed Actions in the Past. Used for actions that were completed at some definite time in the past.
Example. She slipped on the ice last winter and broke her arm.
Example. As a child, she often slipped away from her chores to play outside.
A Series of Completed Actions. When you are listing actions that happened in the past, one after another.
Example. We slipped into the room, took our seats, and waited for the performance to start.
Example. She slipped on the ice last winter and broke her arm.
Example. As a child, she often slipped away from her chores to play outside.
Past habits or states. Used to talk about habits or states in the past that are no longer true.
Example. She slipped on the ice last winter and broke her arm.
Example. As a child, she often slipped away from her chores to play outside.

Past Participle

Perfect Tenses.
Example. They have slipped on the decision deadline multiple times.
Example. By the time we arrived, he had already slipped through the crowd and disappeared.
Example. By next year, she will have slipped from her top position in the company.
Example. The message was slipped under the door during the night.
Example. Left unnoticed, the slipped disc in his back became a major issue.
Present Perfect. Describes actions that happened at an unspecified time before now or actions that started in the past and continue in the present.
Example. They have slipped on the decision deadline multiple times.
Example. By the time we arrived, he had already slipped through the crowd and disappeared.
Example. By next year, she will have slipped from her top position in the company.
Example. The message was slipped under the door during the night.
Example. Left unnoticed, the slipped disc in his back became a major issue.
Past Perfect. Describes actions that were completed before another action took place in the past.
Example. They have slipped on the decision deadline multiple times.
Example. By the time we arrived, he had already slipped through the crowd and disappeared.
Example. By next year, she will have slipped from her top position in the company.
Example. The message was slipped under the door during the night.
Example. Left unnoticed, the slipped disc in his back became a major issue.
Future Perfect. Used to say that something will be finished by a particular time in the future.
Example. They have slipped on the decision deadline multiple times.
Example. By the time we arrived, he had already slipped through the crowd and disappeared.
Example. By next year, she will have slipped from her top position in the company.
Example. The message was slipped under the door during the night.
Example. Left unnoticed, the slipped disc in his back became a major issue.
Passive Voice. Used to describe an action that is done to the subject rather than by the subject.
Example. They have slipped on the decision deadline multiple times.
Example. By the time we arrived, he had already slipped through the crowd and disappeared.
Example. By next year, she will have slipped from her top position in the company.
Example. The message was slipped under the door during the night.
Example. Left unnoticed, the slipped disc in his back became a major issue.
Adjectives. Sometimes, the Past Participle is used as an adjective to describe a noun.
Example. They have slipped on the decision deadline multiple times.
Example. By the time we arrived, he had already slipped through the crowd and disappeared.
Example. By next year, she will have slipped from her top position in the company.
Example. The message was slipped under the door during the night.
Example. Left unnoticed, the slipped disc in his back became a major issue.

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrectly doubling

One common mistake is not doubling the 'p' in the past simple and past participle forms of 'slip,' resulting in 'sliped' instead of the correct 'slipped.' This error arises from misunderstanding the rule that in English, when a verb ends in a consonant preceded by a single vowel and the stress is on the last syllable (or in a one-syllable word like 'slip'), the final consonant is doubled before adding '-ed' to form the past tense and past participle.

— 02

Misapplying past participle form

Another frequent error involves using 'slipped' incorrectly in sentence constructions, particularly in perfect tense constructions. Some learners might mistakenly use 'slipped' when a different verb form is required due to confusion with verbs that change form between the past simple and past participle. For example, saying 'I have slip' instead of 'I have slipped' reflects a misunderstanding of how to correctly use the past participle form in perfect tenses.

— 03

Mispronunciation of past forms

Pronouncing 'slipped' correctly as /slɪpt/ can pose a challenge for some learners who might incorrectly pronounce it as /slɪpɛd/ or /slɪpd/, neglecting the short, clipped sound of the 't' at the end. This mistake underscores the challenge of English pronunciation, where the addition of '-ed' does not always create a distinct syllable, especially in past tense forms of verbs where the consonant is doubled, leading to a single, short sound rather than an elongated or additional syllable.

Past tense quiz

Check your skills and find areas for improvement

Take quiz

Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'slip'?

The past simple form of 'slip' is 'slipped.' It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I slipped on the icy sidewalk.'

What is the past participle form of 'slip'?

The past participle form of 'slip' is also 'slipped.' It is used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For example, in the sentence 'I have slipped on that wet floor twice,' 'slipped' is used as the past participle in the present perfect tense.

How do you use 'slipped' in a sentence to indicate a past action?

To indicate a past action using 'slipped,' you simply place 'slipped' in the sentence where the action is being described. For instance, 'He slipped on the banana peel and fell.' This sentence shows an action that happened in the past, using 'slipped' as the past simple form of 'slip.'

Can you provide an example of 'slipped' used as a past participle in a passive voice sentence?

Yes, an example of 'slipped' used as a past participle in a passive voice sentence is. 'The secret was accidentally slipped by someone in the meeting.' In this sentence, 'slipped' is used in the passive voice to indicate that the action (the slipping of the secret) was done by someone but the focus is on the action itself rather than who performed it.