Terrify past tense

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Meaning of terrify

to fill with terror or great fear.

Infinitive

Word: terrify /ˈter.ɪ.faɪ/
Examples:
  • 1. Scary movies always terrify me more than I'd like to admit.
  • 2. The thought of speaking in public terrifies him to the point of nausea.
  • 3. Loud noises terrify the neighborhood dogs, making them bark uncontrollably.

Past Simple

Word: terrified /ˈtɛrɪfaɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. The thunderstorm last night terrified my young children, and they couldn't sleep.
  • 2. The sudden appearance of a snake on the hiking trail terrified her, and she froze in fear.
  • 3. His ghost story terrified the campers, making everyone too scared to sleep without a light on.

Past Participle

Word: terrified /ˈtɛrɪˌfaɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. The entire village was terrified by the sudden appearance of a wild bear.
  • 2. The horror movie had terrified audiences across the globe.
  • 3. She was terrified into silence by the stranger's menacing glare.

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Bare infinitive

  1. General Facts or Truths
    Example. 'Sharks terrify swimmers in murky waters.'
    Example. 'Scary movies terrify him every weekend.'
    Example. 'That haunted house terrifies everyone on Halloween.'
  2. When stating general truths or facts that are always true.
    Example. 'Sharks terrify swimmers in murky waters.'
    Example. 'Scary movies terrify him every weekend.'
    Example. 'That haunted house terrifies everyone on Halloween.'
  3. Habitual Actions
    Example. 'Sharks terrify swimmers in murky waters.'
    Example. 'Scary movies terrify him every weekend.'
    Example. 'That haunted house terrifies everyone on Halloween.'
  4. To describe actions that happen regularly or habits.
    Example. 'Sharks terrify swimmers in murky waters.'
    Example. 'Scary movies terrify him every weekend.'
    Example. 'That haunted house terrifies everyone on Halloween.'
  5. Fixed Arrangements, Timetables, or Schedules
    Example. 'Sharks terrify swimmers in murky waters.'
    Example. 'Scary movies terrify him every weekend.'
    Example. 'That haunted house terrifies everyone on Halloween.'
  6. Describing events at designated times.
    Example. 'Sharks terrify swimmers in murky waters.'
    Example. 'Scary movies terrify him every weekend.'
    Example. 'That haunted house terrifies everyone on Halloween.'

Past Simple

  1. Completed Actions in the Past
    Example. 'The sudden noise terrified the cat last night.'
    Example. 'I walked into the abandoned mansion, and its silence terrified me instantly.'
    Example. 'Dinosaurs terrified smaller animals millions of years ago.'
  2. To talk about actions or situations that were completed in the past and are no longer happening.
    Example. 'The sudden noise terrified the cat last night.'
    Example. 'I walked into the abandoned mansion, and its silence terrified me instantly.'
    Example. 'Dinosaurs terrified smaller animals millions of years ago.'
  3. A Series of Completed Actions
    Example. 'The sudden noise terrified the cat last night.'
    Example. 'I walked into the abandoned mansion, and its silence terrified me instantly.'
    Example. 'Dinosaurs terrified smaller animals millions of years ago.'
  4. To describe a series of actions that happened in the past.
    Example. 'The sudden noise terrified the cat last night.'
    Example. 'I walked into the abandoned mansion, and its silence terrified me instantly.'
    Example. 'Dinosaurs terrified smaller animals millions of years ago.'
  5. Past Facts or Generalizations
    Example. 'The sudden noise terrified the cat last night.'
    Example. 'I walked into the abandoned mansion, and its silence terrified me instantly.'
    Example. 'Dinosaurs terrified smaller animals millions of years ago.'
  6. When stating facts or generalizations that were true in the past.
    Example. 'The sudden noise terrified the cat last night.'
    Example. 'I walked into the abandoned mansion, and its silence terrified me instantly.'
    Example. 'Dinosaurs terrified smaller animals millions of years ago.'

Past Participle

  1. Perfect Tenses
    Example. 'The audience was terrified by the unexpected scene.'
    Example. 'He walked into the terrified crowd, trying to find his friends.'
  2. When forming the perfect aspects (present perfect, past perfect, future perfect) to link the action to the time of reference.
    Example. 'The audience was terrified by the unexpected scene.'
    Example. 'He walked into the terrified crowd, trying to find his friends.'
  3. Example (Present Perfect). 'She has never been terrified like that before.'
    Example. 'The audience was terrified by the unexpected scene.'
    Example. 'He walked into the terrified crowd, trying to find his friends.'
  4. Example (Past Perfect). 'By the time help arrived, the crew had been terrified by the storm.'
    Example. 'The audience was terrified by the unexpected scene.'
    Example. 'He walked into the terrified crowd, trying to find his friends.'
  5. Example (Future Perfect). 'By the end of the night, they will have terrified the entire neighborhood with their pranks.'
    Example. 'The audience was terrified by the unexpected scene.'
    Example. 'He walked into the terrified crowd, trying to find his friends.'
  6. Passive Voice
    Example. 'The audience was terrified by the unexpected scene.'
    Example. 'He walked into the terrified crowd, trying to find his friends.'
  7. To describe an action done to someone or something.
    Example. 'The audience was terrified by the unexpected scene.'
    Example. 'He walked into the terrified crowd, trying to find his friends.'
  8. Adjectival Use
    Example. 'The audience was terrified by the unexpected scene.'
    Example. 'He walked into the terrified crowd, trying to find his friends.'
  9. When it is used as an adjective to describe a noun.
    Example. 'The audience was terrified by the unexpected scene.'
    Example. 'He walked into the terrified crowd, trying to find his friends.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

A common mistake is misusing the base form 'terrify' when the past simple form 'terrified' is needed. The confusion often arises because, in English, the past simple and past participle forms of regular verbs are identical, but the base form is distinct. For instance, it is incorrect to say, 'Yesterday, the movie terrify me.' The correct form is, 'Yesterday, the movie terrified me.' Understanding the difference is crucial for conveying the correct tense and meaning in sentences.

— 02

Incorrectly using 'terrified'

Another mistake involves using 'terrified' as the past participle form without an auxiliary verb, such as 'have' or 'had.' In perfect tenses, the past participle must be accompanied by an auxiliary verb to construct the sentence correctly. A common error might be saying, 'I never so terrified in my life,' instead of the correct, 'I have never been so terrified in my life.' Recognizing the need for an auxiliary verb with the past participle ensures proper sentence structure in perfect tenses.

— 03

Mistaking irregular verb form

Some learners mistakenly treat 'terrified' as if it were an irregular verb, searching for a non-existent irregular past participle form. Unlike verbs like 'go' (went, gone) or 'be' (was/were, been), 'terrify' follows a regular pattern where the past simple and past participle forms are created by adding -ed to the base form. Misunderstanding this can lead to incorrect attempts at irregular forms, such as 'terrove' or 'terroven,' instead of the correct 'terrified' for both the past simple and past participle forms.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'terrify'?

The past simple form of 'terrify' is 'terrified'. It is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'The horror movie terrified me last night.'

What is the past participle form of 'terrify'?

The past participle form of 'terrify' is also 'terrified'. It is used in perfect tenses and passive voice sentences. For example, in the sentence 'I have been terrified by ghost stories since childhood,' 'terrified' is used as the past participle in a present perfect tense construction.

How do I use 'terrified' in a sentence to express a past action?

To express a past action using 'terrified,' you would typically use the past simple form. You should include a subject followed by 'terrified' and then the object or reason for the terror, if applicable. For example, 'She was terrified by the sudden noise.' This sentence indicates that the action of being terrified happened in the past.

Can 'terrified' be used as an adjective? How does that work?

Yes, 'terrified' can also be used as an adjective to describe a noun (person, place, thing, or idea) that is experiencing the feeling of terror. When used as an adjective, it is not conjugated and does not change form. For example, 'The terrified child refused to enter the haunted house.' In this sentence, 'terrified' describes the state of the child.