Think past tense

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Meaning of think

to consider or reflect on an idea or plan in the mind.

Infinitive

Word: think /θɪŋk/
Examples:
  • 1. I think she is a brilliant musician.
  • 2. He always thinks before he speaks.
  • 3. They think the meeting is at 10 AM.

Past Simple

Word: thought /θɔːt/
Examples:
  • 1. He was so absorbed in his own thought that he didn't hear her enter the room.
  • 2. She thought whether to accept the job offer in another city.
  • 3. They thought of moving to a new country with both excitement and apprehension.

Past Participle

Word: thought /θɔːt/
Examples:
  • 1. The problem has been thought through thoroughly by the team.
  • 2. All possible outcomes have been thought of by the planners.
  • 3. The solution was thought to be impossible until now.

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Bare infinitive

  1. To Express a Habitual Action. When you're talking about your general opinions or beliefs that are true in the present or for an indefinite period.
    Example. I think honesty is important in any relationship.
    Example. Scientists think differently about problems.
    Example. I think I’ll go to the gym tomorrow.
  2. To State Facts or General Truths. For facts that are universally accepted or generally acknowledged.
    Example. I think honesty is important in any relationship.
    Example. Scientists think differently about problems.
    Example. I think I’ll go to the gym tomorrow.
  3. To Discuss Future Plans (Informal). Particularly in a conversational, informal context when speaking about plans or intentions.
    Example. I think honesty is important in any relationship.
    Example. Scientists think differently about problems.
    Example. I think I’ll go to the gym tomorrow.

Past Simple

  1. To Describe an Action Completed in the Past. When the thinking happened at a specific time in the past and has already ended.
    Example. She thought about moving to Canada last year.
    Example. They thought it was a great idea at the time.
    Example. I thought you liked chocolate, but I guess I was wrong.
  2. To Narrate Past Events. Used in storytelling or recounting events that occurred in the past.
    Example. She thought about moving to Canada last year.
    Example. They thought it was a great idea at the time.
    Example. I thought you liked chocolate, but I guess I was wrong.
  3. To Express a Past Belief or Opinion That Has Changed. When you had a different opinion or belief in the past.
    Example. She thought about moving to Canada last year.
    Example. They thought it was a great idea at the time.
    Example. I thought you liked chocolate, but I guess I was wrong.

Past Participle

  1. In Perfect Tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, etc.). To talk about actions or situations that have relevance to the present or past moments.
    Example. Present Perfect. I have thought about what you said all day.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time the meeting started, she had already thought of a solution.
    Example. The new policy was thought to be effective by most employees.
    Example. If I had thought it was going to rain, I would have brought an umbrella.
  2. In Passive Voice Constructions. When the focus is on the action or the result of the action, not who or what is performing the action.
    Example. Present Perfect. I have thought about what you said all day.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time the meeting started, she had already thought of a solution.
    Example. The new policy was thought to be effective by most employees.
    Example. If I had thought it was going to rain, I would have brought an umbrella.
  3. To Form Conditional Sentences or Wishes. Especially in structures that speculate about situations that are not true or are hypothetical.
    Example. Present Perfect. I have thought about what you said all day.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time the meeting started, she had already thought of a solution.
    Example. The new policy was thought to be effective by most employees.
    Example. If I had thought it was going to rain, I would have brought an umbrella.
  4. Understanding the different contexts in which the present simple, past simple, and past participle forms of 'think' are used helps in accurately conveying time and aspect in communication.
    Example. Present Perfect. I have thought about what you said all day.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time the meeting started, she had already thought of a solution.
    Example. The new policy was thought to be effective by most employees.
    Example. If I had thought it was going to rain, I would have brought an umbrella.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Past Simple

The past simple form is used to describe actions that were completed in the past, often at a specific time (e.g., 'I thought about you yesterday.'). In contrast, the past participle is typically used in perfect tenses and passive voice, requiring auxiliary verbs like 'have' or 'was' (e.g., 'I have thought about this for a long time.' or 'This issue was thought about extensively.').

— 02

Omitting the auxiliary verb

Another mistake is omitting the auxiliary verb when using the past participle form in perfect tenses. Forgetting to include 'have' or 'has' before the past participle 'thought' results in an incorrect sentence structure (e.g., 'I thought about it' instead of the correct 'I have thought about it'). This error changes the tense from a perfect aspect, which indicates an action that has relevance to the present, to a simple past tense, altering the intended meaning of the sentence.

— 03

Incorrectly using the base form

Sometimes, learners mistakenly use the base form 'think' instead of the correct past simple or past participle form 'thought'. This error typically occurs due to a lack of familiarity with irregular verbs in English, where the past simple and past participle forms do not follow a standard pattern and must be memorized.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'think' is 'thought'. This form is used to describe an action that was completed at a specific time in the past. The past participle form is also 'thought'. This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice sentences.

How do you use the past simple form of 'think' in a sentence?

The past simple form, 'thought', is typically used to describe an action or a state of mind that occurred and was completed in the past. For example. 'I thought about you yesterday.' In this sentence, 'thought' indicates that the action of thinking happened at a specific time in the past, which was yesterday.

How is the past participle form of 'think' used in perfect tenses?

The past participle form 'thought' is used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses. For instance, in the present perfect tense, you combine 'have' or 'has' with 'thought' to describe actions or thoughts that have occurred at an unspecified time before now. Example. 'I have thought about changing my job.' This indicates that the action of thinking has happened at some point in the past, but the exact time is not specified, and its relevance or effects may still be present.

Can you provide an example of how 'thought' is used in passive voice?

In passive voice constructions, the past participle form 'thought' is used to indicate that the subject of the sentence is the recipient of the action, rather than the doer. For example. 'The new strategy was thought to be effective by the management.' In this sentence, 'was thought' indicates that the management considered the new strategy to be effective, focusing on the strategy rather than on who did the thinking.