Strive past tense

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Meaning of strive

make great efforts to achieve or obtain something.

Infinitive

Word: strive /straɪv/
Examples:
  • 1. I always strive to better myself through education and personal development.
  • 2. They strive for excellence in every project they undertake.
  • 3. He strives to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Past Simple

Word: strove /stroʊv/
Examples:
  • 1. She strove to finish her project before the deadline despite facing numerous challenges.
  • 2. They strover for excellence in every performance, practicing relentlessly every day.
  • 3. He strover to reconcile with old friends, reaching out and mending bridges long thought burnt.

Past Participle

Word: striven /ˈstrɪvən/
Examples:
  • 1. Much has been striven for in the quest for equality.
  • 2. The championship had been striven for by the team since the season began.
  • 3. Great results were striven for through continuous hard work and dedication.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual actions or routines.
    Example. He strives to improve his English every day.
    Example. The team strives to meet every Thursday.
  2. General facts or truths.
    Example. She always strives for excellence in whatever she does.
    Example. The team strives to meet every Thursday.
  3. Fixed arrangements, schedules (e.g., timetables).
    Example. The team strives to meet every Thursday.
  4. In conditional sentences, for situations that are always true.
    Example. If you strive hard, you achieve more.
    Example. The team strives to meet every Thursday.

Past Simple

  1. Actions completed at a specific time in the past.
    Example. He strived (or strove) to finish his project by the deadline last month.
  2. A series of completed actions in the past.
    Example. She strived (or strove) to balance her career and personal life throughout her 20s.
  3. Habitual actions or routines in the past.
    Example. When we were children, we always strived (or strove) to be the best in our class.
  4. In conditional sentences, to talk about hypothetical situations.
    Example. If you strived (or strove) more, you could have won the competition.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect aspects (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect) to show actions with relevance to other time points.
    Example. Present Perfect. We have always striven for success in our projects.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time the merger happened, the team had striven to complete all tasks. Example. Future Perfect. By 2025, they will have striven to double their market share.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

A common mistake is using 'strived' as the only past tense form of 'strive.' In reality, 'strive' has two acceptable past forms. 'strove' as the simple past tense and 'strived' which can also be used in the same context. However, 'strove' is traditionally preferred and seen as more correct in formal writing. This confusion often leads to inconsistency in usage, where a writer might switch between the two forms without realizing that one is generally more accepted in literary and formal contexts.

— 02

Incorrect Use of 'Strived'

Another mistake is using 'strived' instead of 'striven' as the past participle form. The correct past participle of 'strive' is 'striven,' used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses (e.g., 'have striven,' 'had striven'). However, some mistakenly use 'strived' in these constructions. This error alters the grammatical correctness and can potentially confuse the tense or meaning intended by the writer. For example, saying 'I have strived' instead of the correct 'I have striven.'

— 03

Avoiding 'Striven'

A less common but notable mistake is the complete avoidance of 'striven' due to unfamiliarity with the term. Some speakers and writers might not be aware that 'striven' is the correct past participle form, leading them to either incorrectly use 'strived' or to rephrase their sentences to avoid using the term altogether. This avoidance can result in awkward sentence constructions or the use of simpler, less precise verbs that fail to convey the exact meaning intended.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'strive' is 'strove.' The past participle form is 'striven.' These forms are used to denote actions that occurred in the past, with 'strove' primarily used in simple past constructions and 'striven' used in perfect tense constructions.

How do I use 'strove' in a sentence?

'Strove' is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example. 'She strove to finish her project before the deadline.' In this sentence, 'strove' indicates the effort made in the past towards completing a project.

Can you provide an example of how to use 'striven' in a sentence?

'Striven' is typically used in perfect tense constructions, which link past actions to the present or future. For example, in the sentence. 'He has striven to improve his skills every day,' 'has striven' denotes an ongoing effort that began in the past and continues into the present. Is it ever correct to use 'strived' instead of 'strove' or 'striven'