Swim past tense

Meaning of swim

to move through water by moving the body or parts of the body.

Infinitive

Word: swim /swɪm/

Examples:

1. I usually swim at the local pool on weekends.
2. She swims faster than anyone else on the team.
3. They swim in the lake every morning during the summer.

Past Simple

Word: swam /swæm/

Examples:

1. She swam effortlessly across the lake, reaching the other side before anyone else.
2. They swam in the cold ocean, their breaths turning to mist in the chilly air.
3. After his boat capsized, he swam to the nearest island for safety, thankful for his swimming lessons.

Past Participle

Word: swum /swʌm/

Examples:

1. The race had been swum by her in record time.
2. The new pool has just been swum in by the local swim team.
3. The competition was swum under challenging conditions.

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Bare infinitive

To describe a habitual action. Use 'swim' in the present simple when talking about an action that someone does regularly or habitually.
Example. She swims in the lake every morning.
To express a general truth or fact.
Example. Sharks swim faster than most fish.
To give instructions or directions.
Example. To reach the other side, swim straight across the river.
To describe a scheduled event in the near future (often used in timetables).
Example. The swimming competition starts at 10 AM.

Past Simple

To describe a completed action in the past.
Example. He swam across the channel yesterday.
To narrate a sequence of events in the past.
Example. Last summer, we swam in the ocean and built sandcastles every day.
To express a past habit.
Example. When I was a child, I swam in this river every day.
To make indirect or polite inquiries about past actions.
Example. I was wondering if you swam competitively in school.

Past Participle

In perfect tenses to indicate actions that have been completed at the time of speaking or by a specific point in past or future.
Example. She has swum in oceans around the world. (Present Perfect)
Example. By the time we arrived, Mark had already swum laps in the pool. (Past Perfect)
Example. By next summer, they will have swum in all five great lakes. (Future Perfect)
In passive voice to describe actions done to the subject by an unspecified agent.
Example. The English Channel has been swum by many athletes.
Example. By the time we arrived, Mark had already swum laps in the pool. (Past Perfect)
Example. By next summer, they will have swum in all five great lakes. (Future Perfect)
As an adjective to describe something that has been done or accomplished by swimming.
Example. The swum distance was impressive, considering the river's strong current.
Example. By the time we arrived, Mark had already swum laps in the pool. (Past Perfect)
Example. By next summer, they will have swum in all five great lakes. (Future Perfect)

Common mistakes

— 01

Using 'swam' as a Past Participle

For example, it's incorrect to say 'I have swam in the ocean every summer' when the correct form is 'I have swum in the ocean every summer.' This mistake arises from not distinguishing between the simple past tense, which describes an action that happened at a specific time in the past, and the past participle, which is used in perfect tenses to talk about actions that have a connection to the present or that were completed at an unspecified time in the past.

— 02

Misusing 'Swum'

Conversely, some learners incorrectly use 'swum' in place of 'swam' when forming the simple past tense. An incorrect sentence would be 'I swum in the lake yesterday,' whereas the correct form is 'I swam in the lake yesterday.' This mistake stems from confusion over when to use the simple past versus the past participle.

— 03

Confusion of forms

' Due to uncertainty about when to use 'swam' and 'swum,' some English learners might avoid using these forms altogether, opting for more awkward constructions or always using the present tense. For example, saying 'I go swimming in the lake yesterday' instead of the correct 'I swam in the lake yesterday.' This avoidance strategy can hinder fluency and convey a lack of confidence in using English verb tenses correctly.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'swim'?

The past simple form of 'swim' is 'swam.' This form is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'I swam in the lake yesterday.'

What is the past participle form of 'swim'?

The past participle form of 'swim' is 'swum.' This form is often used in perfect tenses, such as the present perfect or past perfect, to indicate actions that have been completed at some point in the past. For example, 'I have swum in the ocean several times.'

How do I use 'swum' in a sentence correctly?

To use 'swum' correctly, you typically need to have a form of the auxiliary verb 'have' before it. This is because 'swum' is used in perfect tense constructions. For instance, in the sentence 'She has swum with dolphins before,' 'has' is the auxiliary verb that helps form the present perfect tense, indicating that the action of swimming with dolphins has occurred at an unspecified time in the past.

Can you give an example of a sentence using 'swam' and another using 'swum' to highlight the difference?

Using 'swam' (Past Simple). 'Last summer, I swam in the Mediterranean Sea.' This sentence specifies when the action took place, indicating a completed action in the past without connection to the present. Using 'swum' (Past Participle). 'I have swum in the Mediterranean Sea.' This sentence does not specify when the action took place. Instead, it suggests that at some unspecified time up to the present, the action of swimming in the Mediterranean Sea has occurred.Understanding the difference between these forms helps in accurately conveying the timing and nature of actions related to swimming in English.