Spy past tense

Meaning of spy

to observe secretly or stealthily.

Infinitive

Word: spy /spaɪ/

Examples:

1. She often spies on her neighbors to satisfy her curiosity.
2. He spies errors in the report with an expert eye.
3. The organization spies opportunities to expand its influence in new markets.

Past Simple

Word: spied /spaɪd/

Examples:

1. She spied on her neighbors from her bedroom window to satisfy her curiosity.
2. He spied the rare bird perched on the tree during his morning walk in the woods.
3. They spied a top-secret document left carelessly on the desk while cleaning the office.

Past Participle

Word: spied /spaɪd/

Examples:

1. The documents had been spied upon by unknown agents.
2. Secrets were spied upon in the dead of night.
3. Information was being spied upon through sophisticated means.

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Bare infinitive

To denote habitual actions or general truths.
Example. 'He often spies on his neighbors just for fun.'
Example. 'The private detective spies on the suspect every Friday night.'
Example. 'She spies on the competition next week to gather some insights.'
Scheduled events in the near future (often found in a timetable or schedule context).
Example. 'He often spies on his neighbors just for fun.'
Example. 'The private detective spies on the suspect every Friday night.'
Example. 'She spies on the competition next week to gather some insights.'
To describe a fixed arrangement in the near future (informal).
Example. 'He often spies on his neighbors just for fun.'
Example. 'The private detective spies on the suspect every Friday night.'
Example. 'She spies on the competition next week to gather some insights.'

Past Simple

To express actions that happened at a specific time in the past; beginning and end of the action are not specified.
Example. 'The kids spied on their parents last night.'
Example. 'She spied on the birds, then wrote notes about their behavior.'
Example. 'When he was a child, he frequently spied on his neighbor's workshop.'
Sequential actions in the past.
Example. 'The kids spied on their parents last night.'
Example. 'She spied on the birds, then wrote notes about their behavior.'
Example. 'When he was a child, he frequently spied on his neighbor's workshop.'
For habits in the past.
Example. 'The kids spied on their parents last night.'
Example. 'She spied on the birds, then wrote notes about their behavior.'
Example. 'When he was a child, he frequently spied on his neighbor's workshop.'

Past Participle

In the Present Perfect tense – to describe actions that occurred at an unspecified time in the past or actions that started in the past and continue in the present.
Example. 'I have never spied on my friends.'
Example. 'Before the scandal broke out, the journalist had already spied on the politician.'
Example. 'By the time they approached him, he had been spying for several hours.' (This construction is more theoretical for the purpose of showing the use of 3. Past Participle
In the Past Perfect tense – to talk about actions that were completed before another action in the past.
Example. 'I have never spied on my friends.'
Example. 'Before the scandal broke out, the journalist had already spied on the politician.'
Example. 'By the time they approached him, he had been spying for several hours.' (This construction is more theoretical for the purpose of showing the use of 3. Past Participle
In the Perfect Continuous Tenses – although for the verb 'spy,' the usage is rare and somewhat awkward in continuous tenses due to its nature, theoretically, it could be used to emphasize the continuation of the spying action over a period.
Example. 'I have never spied on my friends.'
Example. 'Before the scandal broke out, the journalist had already spied on the politician.'
Example. 'By the time they approached him, he had been spying for several hours.' (This construction is more theoretical for the purpose of showing the use of 3. Past Participle

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Use of the Past Simple Form

One common mistake is using the past participle form 'spied' instead of the correct past simple form 'spied' when referring to the action in the past. For example, saying 'I have spied on the meeting yesterday' instead of the correct 'I spied on the meeting yesterday.'

— 02

Confusing Forms

Another mistake is Confusing forms when forming perfect tenses. The correct past participle form is 'spied', not 'spied', and it should be used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses. A common mistake is saying 'I had spied the secret documents' instead of the correct 'I had spied the secret documents.'

— 03

Incorrect Structure

Misusing the auxiliary verb in the negative or question structure of the past simple can also be a mistake. For example, saying 'Did you spied on the agent?' instead of the correct 'Did you spy on the agent?' or saying 'I didn't spied on them' instead of 'I didn't spy on them' showcases incorrect conjugation and structure.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'spy'?

The past simple form of 'spy' is 'spied'. This form is used to describe actions that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, she spied on her neighbors through the fence.'

How do you form the past participle of 'spy'?

The past participle form of 'spy' is also 'spied'. This form is used in perfect tense constructions to describe actions that have been completed at the time of speaking or by a specific time in the past. For example, 'By the time they realized, she had already spied on all the secret documents.'

Can you give an example of a sentence using 'spy' in the past participle form?

Certainly! An example of a sentence using 'spy' in the past participle form is. 'The secrets had been spied upon long before the breach was discovered.' This sentence uses the past participle 'spied' in a passive voice construction. Is there any difference in usage between the past simple and past participle forms of 'spy'