Thaw past tense

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Meaning of thaw

to become liquid or soft as a result of warming.

Infinitive

Word: thaw /θɔː/
Examples:
  • 1. Every spring, the ice on the lake thaws and we can go boating again.
  • 2. The meat thaws on the counter, so we'll be able to cook dinner soon.
  • 3. If we don't apply salt, the sidewalk never thaws completely after a snowstorm.

Past Simple

Word: thawed /θɔːd/
Examples:
  • 1. The ice on the lake thawed quickly as the spring sun warmed the air.
  • 2. We waited until the chicken thawed completely before we started cooking.
  • 3. After a cold winter, the ground finally thawed, allowing us to begin planting the garden.

Past Participle

Word: thawed /θɔːd/
Examples:
  • 1. The frozen lake had thawed by the time we arrived for the spring picnic.
  • 2. After several hours in the sun, the meat had completely thawed and was ready for grilling.
  • 3. The once icy roads had thawed overnight, making the morning commute much safer.

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Bare infinitive

  1. To describe general truths, habits, or routines.
    Example. 'The river thaws every spring.'
    Example. 'The museum exhibition thaws the ice sculptures at 10 AM daily for the show.'
  2. To describe a scheduled event in the near future (often used in timetables or schedules).
    Example. 'The river thaws every spring.'
    Example. 'The museum exhibition thaws the ice sculptures at 10 AM daily for the show.'

Past Simple

  1. To describe an action that was completed at a specific time in the past.
    Example. 'The ice finally thawed last week.'
    Example. 'We waited as the meat thawed and then cooked a delicious meal.'
    Example. 'When I lived in Alaska, the lakes thawed much later in the year.'
  2. To describe a series of completed actions in the past.
    Example. 'The ice finally thawed last week.'
    Example. 'We waited as the meat thawed and then cooked a delicious meal.'
    Example. 'When I lived in Alaska, the lakes thawed much later in the year.'
  3. To describe habits or routines in the past (often used with time expressions like 'when I was a child,' 'in those days,' etc.).
    Example. 'The ice finally thawed last week.'
    Example. 'We waited as the meat thawed and then cooked a delicious meal.'
    Example. 'When I lived in Alaska, the lakes thawed much later in the year.'

Past Participle

  1. To form the present perfect tense, describing actions that occurred at an unspecified time in the past or actions that started in the past and continue to the present.
    Example. 'The snow has thawed, so we can go hiking now.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the ice had already thawed.'
    Example. 'The frozen berries were thawed by the chef before use.'
    Example. 'The roads are dangerous because they've thawed and refrozen multiple times.'
  2. To form the past perfect tense, describing actions that were completed before some other past action.
    Example. 'The snow has thawed, so we can go hiking now.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the ice had already thawed.'
    Example. 'The frozen berries were thawed by the chef before use.'
    Example. 'The roads are dangerous because they've thawed and refrozen multiple times.'
  3. To form the passive voice, indicating that the subject of the sentence is acted upon.
    Example. 'The snow has thawed, so we can go hiking now.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the ice had already thawed.'
    Example. 'The frozen berries were thawed by the chef before use.'
    Example. 'The roads are dangerous because they've thawed and refrozen multiple times.'
  4. To describe conditions or states resulting from a previous action.
    Example. 'The snow has thawed, so we can go hiking now.'
    Example. 'By the time we arrived, the ice had already thawed.'
    Example. 'The frozen berries were thawed by the chef before use.'
    Example. 'The roads are dangerous because they've thawed and refrozen multiple times.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake is confusing the past simple form 'thawed' with the past participle form, which is also 'thawed,' in sentences. While both forms are identical for the verb 'thaw,' their usage varies. The past simple form is used for actions that happened at a specific time in the past, e.g., 'The ice thawed quickly yesterday.' In contrast, the past participle is often used in perfect tenses or passive voice, e.g., 'The ice has thawed completely' or 'The meat was thawed by noon.' Mistaking one for the other can lead to confusion about the timing or nature of the action.

— 02

Incorrect Conjugation

Another mistake is incorrectly conjugating the verb 'thaw' in perfect tenses by using an incorrect past participle form. Some might mistakenly use 'thawn' or another non-standard form instead of the correct 'thawed.' For example, the correct form is 'The lake has thawed,' not 'The lake has thawn.' This mistake can lead to confusion and incorrect grammar in written and spoken English.

— 03

Omitting Auxiliaries

A frequent error involves omitting the auxiliary verb when using 'thawed' in passive constructions. For instance, saying 'The chicken thawed overnight' when the intention is to use the passive voice, it should be 'The chicken was thawed overnight.' Omitting the auxiliary verb 'was' changes the voice from passive to active, potentially altering the intended meaning of the sentence.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'thaw'?

The past simple form of 'thaw' is 'thawed.' This form is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, you might say, 'Last winter was so cold that the lake didn't thawed until late April.' This sentence indicates that the action of thawing happened in the past during a specific period.

What is the past participle form of 'thaw'?

The past participle form of 'thaw' is also 'thawed.' This form is used in perfect tense constructions to describe actions that have been completed at the time of speaking or by a specific time in the past. For example, 'By the time we arrived, the ice had already thawed.' This shows that the thawing was completed before a certain point in time.

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

To use 'thawed' correctly, you need to consider the tense and context of your sentence. For past simple usage, you can say, 'The sun came out, and the snow thawed quickly.' This implies a specific action in the past. For past participle usage, within perfect tenses, you might say, 'The frozen peas have thawed and are ready to cook,' indicating a completed action.

Can 'thawed' be used as an adjective?

Yes, 'thawed' can also be used as an adjective to describe something that has been subjected to thawing. For example, in the sentence 'Make sure you use thawed chicken for the recipe,' 'thawed' describes the state of the chicken as having been thawed prior to use. This usage is common in contexts where the state of an item, particularly food, is important for the task at hand.