Steer past tense

Type your word here
Try:

Learn past tenses to communicate in English accurately

Meaning of steer

to guide the direction of (something).

Infinitive

Word: steer /stɪər/
Examples:
  • 1. He always steers the boat with confidence and precision.
  • 2. You need to steer the conversation back to the main topic.
  • 3. She steers clear of trouble by following the rules closely.

Past Simple

Word: steered /stɪrd/
Examples:
  • 1. He steered the boat through the narrow canal with great skill.
  • 2. She steered the conversation away from politics to avoid any conflicts.
  • 3. They steered their bicycles through the crowded streets, dodging pedestrians and other obstacles.

Past Participle

Word: steered /ˈstɪərd/
Examples:
  • 1. The ship was expertly steered through the narrow straits.
  • 2. The conversation had been steered away from controversial topics.
  • 3. The project will be steered by a committee of experts.

Learn more words on the go

Master verb forms with Promova!

Download the app
cta-section-decorative-line-left
cta-section-decorative-line-left

Bare infinitive

  1. For habitual or repeated actions
    Example. He steers the boat every morning.
    Example. A good captain steers the ship away from danger.
    Example. To avoid the obstacle, steer to the right.
    Example. The ferry steers towards the island at noon.
  2. For general truths or facts
    Example. He steers the boat every morning.
    Example. A good captain steers the ship away from danger.
    Example. To avoid the obstacle, steer to the right.
    Example. The ferry steers towards the island at noon.
  3. To give instructions or directions
    Example. He steers the boat every morning.
    Example. A good captain steers the ship away from danger.
    Example. To avoid the obstacle, steer to the right.
    Example. The ferry steers towards the island at noon.
  4. To express schedules or timetables
    Example. He steers the boat every morning.
    Example. A good captain steers the ship away from danger.
    Example. To avoid the obstacle, steer to the right.
    Example. The ferry steers towards the island at noon.

Past Simple

  1. For actions completed at a specific time in the past
    Example. She steered the company through a crisis last year.
    Example. He steered the car into the driveway, parked, and then went inside.
    Example. When I lived by the coast, I steered my boat every weekend.
  2. For sequences of actions in the past
    Example. She steered the company through a crisis last year.
    Example. He steered the car into the driveway, parked, and then went inside.
    Example. When I lived by the coast, I steered my boat every weekend.
  3. For past habits or states
    Example. She steered the company through a crisis last year.
    Example. He steered the car into the driveway, parked, and then went inside.
    Example. When I lived by the coast, I steered my boat every weekend.

Past Participle

  1. With 'have' (or other forms of have) to form the present perfect tense
    Example. They have steered clear of controversy.
    Example. By the time the storm hit, we had already steered the vessel to safety.
    Example. The ship was steered into the harbor by an experienced pilot.
    Example. Feeling steered towards making a hasty decision, he took a moment to reflect.
  2. With 'had' to form the past perfect tense
    Example. They have steered clear of controversy.
    Example. By the time the storm hit, we had already steered the vessel to safety.
    Example. The ship was steered into the harbor by an experienced pilot.
    Example. Feeling steered towards making a hasty decision, he took a moment to reflect.
  3. With 'be' (or forms of be) to form the passive voice
    Example. They have steered clear of controversy.
    Example. By the time the storm hit, we had already steered the vessel to safety.
    Example. The ship was steered into the harbor by an experienced pilot.
    Example. Feeling steered towards making a hasty decision, he took a moment to reflect.
  4. As an adjective to describe a state resulting from an action
    Example. They have steered clear of controversy.
    Example. By the time the storm hit, we had already steered the vessel to safety.
    Example. The ship was steered into the harbor by an experienced pilot.
    Example. Feeling steered towards making a hasty decision, he took a moment to reflect.

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Verb Form

A common mistake when using the past simple and past participle forms of the word 'steer' (which is regular and transforms correctly to 'steered' for both past simple and past participle) is applying this regular pattern to irregular verbs. For example, learners might mistakenly apply a regular ending to an irregular verb such as 'go' by saying 'goed' instead of the correct forms 'went' (past simple) and 'gone' (past participle). This error highlights the importance of learning and remembering the correct forms of irregular verbs to avoid confusion.

— 02

Confusing Forms

Another common mistake is Confusing Forms of verbs, especially when they are distinct. For verbs like 'steer,' where the forms are the same ('steered'), this issue might seem irrelevant. However, for verbs with different forms, such as 'write' (past simple is 'wrote' and past participle is 'written'), learners might mistakenly use one form in place of the other. This confusion often occurs in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions, leading to grammatically incorrect sentences.

— 03

Omitting the Auxiliary Verb

A frequent error is forgetting to include the auxiliary verb when using the past participle form in perfect tenses or passive voice constructions. For instance, saying 'I have steered' or 'It was steered' correctly uses 'have' and 'was' as auxiliary verbs with 'steered'. Neglecting the auxiliary verb ('I steered' instead of 'I have steered' when intending to use the present perfect) results in an incorrect tense usage or sentence structure, altering the intended meaning or making the sentence grammatically incorrect.

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 'steer'?

The past simple form of 'steer' is 'steered.' The past participle form of 'steer' is also 'steered.'

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

To indicate a past action, 'steered' can be used in the past simple tense. For example. 'Yesterday, I steered the boat through narrow canals.' This sentence indicates that the action of steering the boat occurred in the past.

Can 'steered' be used in perfect tenses, and how?

Yes, 'steered' can be used in perfect tenses as it serves as the past participle form. Here's how it can be used in different perfect tenses. Present Perfect. 'I have steered clear of trouble since I moved here.' Past Perfect. 'She had already steered the project in a new direction before the meeting.' Future Perfect. 'By the end of the year, he will have steered the company through its toughest phase.' Each of these sentences uses 'steered' to describe an action that has been completed at some point relative to the present, past, or future. Is the usage of 'steered' in passive voice possible, and could you give an example