Travel past tense

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Learn past tenses to communicate in English accurately

Meaning of travel

to go from one place to another, typically over a distance of some length.

Infinitive

Word: travel /ˈtræv.əl/
Examples:
  • 1. Every summer, she travels to a new country to explore different cultures.
  • 2. He often travels by train because he enjoys watching the scenery.
  • 3. They travel to work together in a carpool to save on gas and reduce emissions.

Past Simple

Word: traveled /ˈtrævəld/
Examples:
  • 1. Last summer, I traveled to Italy with my family.
  • 2. She traveled across the country by train for her research project.
  • 3. They traveled through several small towns to experience the local culture.

Past Participle

Word: traveled /ˈtrævəld/
Examples:
  • 1. By the end of their gap year, they had traveled through five continents.
  • 2. She had traveled to over twenty countries before turning thirty.
  • 3. We had traveled all night to reach the mountains by sunrise.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Regular actions or routines.
    Example. I travel to work by train every day.
    Example. The Earth travels around the sun.
    Example. He travels to Italy every summer.
    Example. She travels with her job.
    Example. My flight travels at 10 PM tonight.
  2. Facts or general truths.
    Example. I travel to work by train every day.
    Example. The Earth travels around the sun.
    Example. He travels to Italy every summer.
    Example. She travels with her job.
    Example. My flight travels at 10 PM tonight.
  3. Habitual actions.
    Example. I travel to work by train every day.
    Example. The Earth travels around the sun.
    Example. He travels to Italy every summer.
    Example. She travels with her job.
    Example. My flight travels at 10 PM tonight.
  4. Permanent situations.
    Example. I travel to work by train every day.
    Example. The Earth travels around the sun.
    Example. He travels to Italy every summer.
    Example. She travels with her job.
    Example. My flight travels at 10 PM tonight.
  5. Timetabled or scheduled events (in the near future).
    Example. I travel to work by train every day.
    Example. The Earth travels around the sun.
    Example. He travels to Italy every summer.
    Example. She travels with her job.
    Example. My flight travels at 10 PM tonight.

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions in the past at a specific time.
    Example. I traveled to France last year.
    Example. Last weekend, I traveled to the countryside, visited my grandparents, and came back late Sunday.
    Example. When I was a child, I traveled with my family every summer.
    Example. She traveled alone before she got married.
  2. A series of completed actions in the past.
    Example. I traveled to France last year.
    Example. Last weekend, I traveled to the countryside, visited my grandparents, and came back late Sunday.
    Example. When I was a child, I traveled with my family every summer.
    Example. She traveled alone before she got married.
  3. Habits in the past.
    Example. I traveled to France last year.
    Example. Last weekend, I traveled to the countryside, visited my grandparents, and came back late Sunday.
    Example. When I was a child, I traveled with my family every summer.
    Example. She traveled alone before she got married.
  4. Past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.
    Example. I traveled to France last year.
    Example. Last weekend, I traveled to the countryside, visited my grandparents, and came back late Sunday.
    Example. When I was a child, I traveled with my family every summer.
    Example. She traveled alone before she got married.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses.
    Example. I have traveled to ten different countries so far.
    Example. Before she moved to Italy, she had traveled all around Europe.
    Example. By next year, I will have traveled to every continent.
    Example. The package has been traveled through various countries before it arrived.
    Example. The traveled paths of this jungle are safe for tourists.
    Example. They are a welltraveled couple who have visited over fifty countries.
  2. Present Perfect. Expresses an action that occurred at an unspecified time before now or an action that started in the past and continues in the present.
    Example. I have traveled to ten different countries so far.
    Example. Before she moved to Italy, she had traveled all around Europe.
    Example. By next year, I will have traveled to every continent.
    Example. The package has been traveled through various countries before it arrived.
    Example. The traveled paths of this jungle are safe for tourists.
    Example. They are a welltraveled couple who have visited over fifty countries.
  3. Past Perfect. Describes an action that was completed before another action or time in the past.
    Example. I have traveled to ten different countries so far.
    Example. Before she moved to Italy, she had traveled all around Europe.
    Example. By next year, I will have traveled to every continent.
    Example. The package has been traveled through various countries before it arrived.
    Example. The traveled paths of this jungle are safe for tourists.
    Example. They are a welltraveled couple who have visited over fifty countries.
  4. Future Perfect. Indicates an action that will have been completed before a specific time in the future.
    Example. I have traveled to ten different countries so far.
    Example. Before she moved to Italy, she had traveled all around Europe.
    Example. By next year, I will have traveled to every continent.
    Example. The package has been traveled through various countries before it arrived.
    Example. The traveled paths of this jungle are safe for tourists.
    Example. They are a welltraveled couple who have visited over fifty countries.
  5. Passive Voice. The book was written by an author who has traveled the world.
    Example. I have traveled to ten different countries so far.
    Example. Before she moved to Italy, she had traveled all around Europe.
    Example. By next year, I will have traveled to every continent.
    Example. The package has been traveled through various countries before it arrived.
    Example. The traveled paths of this jungle are safe for tourists.
    Example. They are a welltraveled couple who have visited over fifty countries.
  6. Adjectives/Participial adjectives.
    Example. I have traveled to ten different countries so far.
    Example. Before she moved to Italy, she had traveled all around Europe.
    Example. By next year, I will have traveled to every continent.
    Example. The package has been traveled through various countries before it arrived.
    Example. The traveled paths of this jungle are safe for tourists.
    Example. They are a welltraveled couple who have visited over fifty countries.
  7. In constructing sentences and choosing the appropriate tense to use, it's crucial to consider the timing of the action (past, present, future), the completeness of the action, and whether the action is habitual, a general fact, or part of a sequence of actions. Understanding these use cases can help you effectively communicate timing, duration, and the nature of actions or states in your writing and speaking.
    Example. I have traveled to ten different countries so far.
    Example. Before she moved to Italy, she had traveled all around Europe.
    Example. By next year, I will have traveled to every continent.
    Example. The package has been traveled through various countries before it arrived.
    Example. The traveled paths of this jungle are safe for tourists.
    Example. They are a welltraveled couple who have visited over fifty countries.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusion between forms

One common mistake involves the use of the past simple and past participle forms of 'travel' in American and British English. In American English, 'traveled' and 'traveled' are used for both the past simple and past participle forms. However, in British English, 'travelled' and 'travelled' are preferred. Mistakes occur when learners mix these conventions, using American spelling in a British context or vice versa. For example, a British English speaker might incorrectly write 'I traveled to France last year,' instead of the British-preferred 'I travelled to France last year.'

— 02

Incorrectly using the present form

Another mistake is using the present tense 'travel' when the past simple 'traveled/travelled' or the past participle 'traveled/travelled' is required. This error often happens in complex tenses or when learners are unsure about tense consistency. For instance, saying 'Yesterday, I travel to New York' instead of the correct 'Yesterday, I traveled to New York.'

— 03

Misuse in perfect tenses

Learners frequently err by omitting the auxiliary verb 'have' in perfect tenses, leading to incorrect sentences. For the past participle form 'traveled/travelled' to be used correctly, it must be preceded by 'have' or 'has.' A common mistake is saying 'I traveled to Italy last summer' when referring to an experience at an unspecified time, which should be 'I have traveled to Italy.'

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'travel'?

The past simple form of 'travel' is 'traveled' in American English and 'travelled' in British English. It is used to describe actions that happened and were completed at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Last year, I traveled/travelled to France.'

What is the past participle form of 'travel'?

Similar to the past simple form, the past participle form of 'travel' is 'traveled' in American English and 'travelled' in British English. It is used in perfect tenses to talk about actions that have a connection to the present or were completed at an unspecified time in the past. For example, 'I have traveled/travelled to over 10 countries.'

How do I use the past participle of 'travel' in a sentence?

The past participle of 'travel' is often used with auxiliary verbs such as 'have' or 'has' to form the present perfect tense, or 'had' for the past perfect tense. Here are examples for both. Present Perfect. 'They have traveled/travelled to Italy twice.' Past Perfect. 'By the time we met, she had already traveled/travelled to every continent.'

Can you explain the difference between the use of past simple and past participle of 'travel' with an example?

Sure! The past simple is used for actions that were completed in the past at a specific time, while the past participle is used in perfect tenses to talk about actions that have relevance to the present or occurred at an unspecified time. Past Simple Example. 'I traveled/travelled to Japan last year.' (The action happened and was completed last year.) Past Participle Example. 'I have traveled/travelled to Japan.' (The action happened at some unspecified time in the past, and its exact time is not important now.) Remember, the context of your sentence will determine which form to use, and whether you use 'traveled' or 'travelled' will depend on whether you're following American or British English conventions.