Touch past tense

Meaning of touch

to come into or be in contact with.

Infinitive

Word: touch /tʌtʃ/

Examples:

1. Every morning, she touches the flowers in her garden to check if they need water.
2. He always touches his pocket to make sure he has his keys before leaving the house.
3. Whenever they meet, they touch hands in a gesture of friendship and solidarity.

Past Simple

Word: touched /tʌtʃt/

Examples:

1. She accidentally touched the hot stove and burnt her finger.
2. He touched the ancient artifact with great reverence, fully aware of its historical significance.
3. They touched the water's surface, causing ripples to spread out in all directions.

Past Participle

Word: touched /tʌtʃt/

Examples:

1. The ancient ruins had been touched by countless tourists before the area was closed off for preservation.
2. The painting was touched gently by the restorer, bringing back its original colors.
3. The dough was touched lightly with flour before it was rolled out into thin sheets.

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Bare infinitive

Habitual actions or routines
Example. I touch my phone first thing in the morning.
Example. Metal objects touch electricity conductors well.
Example. He touches base with his teammates every Monday.
General truths or facts
Example. I touch my phone first thing in the morning.
Example. Metal objects touch electricity conductors well.
Example. He touches base with his teammates every Monday.
Fixed arrangements in the near future (often found in informal contexts)
Example. I touch my phone first thing in the morning.
Example. Metal objects touch electricity conductors well.
Example. He touches base with his teammates every Monday.

Past Simple

Actions completed at a specific time in the past
Example. She touched the ancient artifact yesterday.
Example. He touched the screen, and the device turned on.
Example. They touched their foreheads as a sign of respect whenever they met.
Actions that occurred as part of a sequence in the past
Example. She touched the ancient artifact yesterday.
Example. He touched the screen, and the device turned on.
Example. They touched their foreheads as a sign of respect whenever they met.
To describe past habits or situations
Example. She touched the ancient artifact yesterday.
Example. He touched the screen, and the device turned on.
Example. They touched their foreheads as a sign of respect whenever they met.

Past Participle

Perfect tenses.
Example. Present Perfect. He has touched the hearts of many with his generosity.
Example. Past Perfect. She had touched the painting before the alarm went off.
Example. Future Perfect. They will have touched down in New York by tomorrow morning.
Example. The ancient ruins were touched by unknown civilizations.
Passive voice.
Example. Present Perfect. He has touched the hearts of many with his generosity.
Example. Past Perfect. She had touched the painting before the alarm went off.
Example. Future Perfect. They will have touched down in New York by tomorrow morning.
Example. The ancient ruins were touched by unknown civilizations.

Common mistakes

— 01

Misusing Past Simple

A common mistake is using the simple past form 'touched' as the past participle form, without realizing that for regular verbs like 'touch,' the simple past and past participle forms are identical. The error usually arises in perfect tenses or passive voice constructions, where the past participle is needed. For example, incorrectly saying 'I have touch the painting' instead of correctly using 'I have touched the painting.'

— 02

Confusing Patterns

Some learners mistakenly treat regular verbs like 'touch' as if they were irregular, applying irregular verb patterns to them. They might erroneously create a non-existent form for the past participle, such as 'taught' or 'tought,' due to confusion with actual irregular verbs like 'teach,' which becomes 'taught.' The correct forms are 'touched' for both the simple past and past participle.

— 03

Compound Verb Structures

Another mistake involves misusing the simple past form 'touched' when a compound verb structure requires the past participle. This can occur in complex sentences where auxiliary verbs are used, leading to errors in tense consistency. For instance, saying 'She had touch the surface before realizing it was hot' instead of the correct 'She had touched the surface before realizing it was hot.' This mistake disrupts the flow of tenses and can confuse the temporal sequence of events.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'touch'?

The past simple form of 'touch' is 'touched.' This form is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I touched the soft fabric of the new dress.'

How is the past participle form of 'touch' used?

The past participle form of 'touch' is also 'touched.' It is used in perfect tense constructions to describe actions that have been completed at the point of speaking or by a specific time in the past or future. It is also used in passive voice sentences. For example, in the present perfect tense. 'I have touched the painting despite the warning sign.' Or in passive voice. 'The painting was touched by countless visitors.'

Can you give an example of 'touched' used in a sentence in both the past simple and past participle form?

Yes, certainly. Past Simple. 'She touched the ancient artifact carefully, afraid it might crumble.' Past Participle in Present Perfect Tense. 'He has touched every single book on that shelf at least once.' Past Participle in Passive Voice. 'The screen was touched so frequently that it eventually stopped responding.' Is there a difference in meaning or usage between the past simple and past participle forms of 'touch'