Tend past tense

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Meaning of tend

to care for or look after; give one's attention to.

Infinitive

Word: tend /tɛnd/
Examples:
  • 1. She tends to be very meticulous about her work, ensuring everything is perfect.
  • 2. They tend the garden every weekend, making sure it's always in pristine condition.
  • 3. Cats tend to sleep a lot during the day and become more active at night.

Past Simple

Word: tended /ˈtɛndɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. She tended the garden every day until she moved to the city.
  • 2. They tended to their sick grandmother with great care throughout her illness.
  • 3. The teacher tended to each student's question with patience and thoroughness.

Past Participle

Word: tended /ˈtɛndɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. The garden was tended carefully by the volunteers every weekend.
  • 2. Broken promises had been tended to with apologies and reparations.
  • 3. All the wounds were meticulously tended by the medic on the field.

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Bare infinitive

  1. General Truths or Habits
    Example. They tend to eat early at about 6 PM every day.
    Example. The gates tend to close at 10 PM during the summer.
    Example. Objects tend to fall toward Earth due to gravity.
  2. This tense is employed when talking about habits, general truths, routines, and facts that are always true.
    Example. They tend to eat early at about 6 PM every day.
    Example. The gates tend to close at 10 PM during the summer.
    Example. Objects tend to fall toward Earth due to gravity.
  3. Fixed Arrangements
    Example. They tend to eat early at about 6 PM every day.
    Example. The gates tend to close at 10 PM during the summer.
    Example. Objects tend to fall toward Earth due to gravity.
  4. It also applies to scheduled events in the near future, particularly in a timetable or a calendar.
    Example. They tend to eat early at about 6 PM every day.
    Example. The gates tend to close at 10 PM during the summer.
    Example. Objects tend to fall toward Earth due to gravity.
  5. Universal Truths
    Example. They tend to eat early at about 6 PM every day.
    Example. The gates tend to close at 10 PM during the summer.
    Example. Objects tend to fall toward Earth due to gravity.
  6. Statements of wide applicability or fundamental laws of nature.
    Example. They tend to eat early at about 6 PM every day.
    Example. The gates tend to close at 10 PM during the summer.
    Example. Objects tend to fall toward Earth due to gravity.

Past Simple

  1. Completed Action in the Past
    Example. They tended to their garden regularly last summer.
    Example. He tended to oversleep when he was a teenager.
  2. This tense is used to describe an action or situation that was started and finished in the past. It's often indicated by time expressions such as yesterday, last week, in 1990, etc.
    Example. They tended to their garden regularly last summer.
    Example. He tended to oversleep when he was a teenager.
  3. Habit in the Past
    Example. They tended to their garden regularly last summer.
    Example. He tended to oversleep when he was a teenager.
  4. To talk about habits or routines that were true in the past but are no longer the case.
    Example. They tended to their garden regularly last summer.
    Example. He tended to oversleep when he was a teenager.

Past Participle

  1. 'Tended' serves as both the Past Simple and the Past Participle form. Below are use cases where 'tended' (as a Past Participle) is applicable.
  2. Perfect Tenses
  3. Within the perfect aspect (present perfect, past perfect, future perfect), to describe actions that were completed at some point in the past or will be completed in the future.
  4. Example (Present Perfect). They have always tended to their responsibilities carefully.
  5. Example (Past Perfect). By the time the meeting started, the committee had tended to all preliminary matters.
  6. Passive Voice
  7. In passive constructions, to describe actions done to the subject rather than by the subject.
  8. Example (Simple Past Passive). The garden was tended carefully throughout the summer.

Common mistakes

— 01

Misusing the base form

One common error is using the base form of the verb (tend) instead of the past forms (tended) when the context requires a past tense. This mistake is often due to confusion over when to use each form. For instance, saying 'Yesterday, I tend to the garden all morning' instead of the correct 'Yesterday, I tended to the garden all morning.'

— 02

Incorrect past participle

Another mistake involves the use of the past participle in perfect tenses. Some learners might incorrectly create a past participle form or use the past simple form in its place. For 'tend,' both the past simple and past participle forms are 'tended,' but the error would be saying something like 'I have tend to the garden' instead of 'I have tended to the garden.'

— 03

Omitting auxiliary verbs

Sometimes, learners forget to include the necessary auxiliary verb when using the past participle in perfect tenses or passive voice constructions. This leads to sentences that are grammatically incomplete. An example of this mistake would be saying 'The plants well tended during the summer' instead of 'The plants were well tended during the summer' or 'I have tended to the plants' without the auxiliary 'have.'

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'tend' is 'tended'. The past participle form is also 'tended'. Both forms are used to describe actions that happened in the past, but they are used in different grammatical structures.

How do you use 'tended' in a past simple sentence?

To use 'tended' in a past simple sentence, you simply follow the subject with 'tended' and then add the object or action that was being tended to. For example. 'Yesterday, I tended the garden.' This sentence indicates that the action of tending the garden happened in the past.

How is the past participle form 'tended' used in sentences?

The past participle form 'tended' is often used in perfect tenses or passive voice constructions. For instance, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have tended the garden every week.' This indicates an action that started in the past and may continue into the present. In a passive voice construction, you might say, 'The garden was tended by me,' which focuses on the action being received by the garden rather than who is doing the action.

Can you provide examples of sentences using 'tended' in different tenses?

Sure! Here are examples in various tenses. Past Simple. 'He tended the fire to keep it burning.' Past Perfect. 'Before we arrived, she had already tended to the injured bird.' Present Perfect. 'They have tended their garden with great care over the years.' Passive Voice (Past). 'The plants were tended with utmost care.' Remember, the context in which you're speaking or writing will dictate which tense is appropriate to use. The past simple is used for actions completed at a specific time in the past, while the past participle is used in perfect tenses to talk about actions that have an impact on the present or were completed at an unspecified time before now, and in passive constructions to emphasize the action or the recipient of the action rather than the doer.