Turn past tense

Meaning of turn

to change direction or position by moving in a circle around an axis or point.

Infinitive

Word: turn /tɜːn/

Examples:

1. He turns the key in the lock to open the door.
2. Every morning, she turns on the coffee maker before getting ready for work.
3. The Earth turns on its axis once every 24 hours, creating day and night.

Past Simple

Word: turned /tɜrnd/

Examples:

1. She turned the key in the lock and opened the door.
2. He turned off the lights before going to bed last night.
3. They turned the corner and saw the breathtaking view of the mountains.

Past Participle

Word: turned /tɜrnd/

Examples:

1. The book was turned into a movie last year.
2. All the pages have been turned, signifying the end of an era.
3. The key was turned in the lock, securing the house for the night.

Learn more words on the go

Master verb forms with Promova!

Download the app

Bare infinitive

Habitual actions or routines.
Example. I always turn off the lights before leaving the room. Facts or generalizations.
Example. The Earth turns around the Sun.
Example. The train to Madrid turns around the track at 5 p.m.
Example. To open the bottle, you turn the cap clockwise.
Scheduled events in the near future (often used with timetables and schedules).
Example. I always turn off the lights before leaving the room. Facts or generalizations.
Example. The Earth turns around the Sun.
Example. The train to Madrid turns around the track at 5 p.m.
Example. To open the bottle, you turn the cap clockwise.
Instructions or directions.
Example. I always turn off the lights before leaving the room. Facts or generalizations.
Example. The Earth turns around the Sun.
Example. The train to Madrid turns around the track at 5 p.m.
Example. To open the bottle, you turn the cap clockwise.

Past Simple

Actions completed at a specific time in the past.
Example. He turned the key and opened the door yesterday.
Example. She turned off the alarm, got up, and went for a run.
Example. When I was a child, I turned the light on before going to bed.
Example. Long ago, most people turned to newspapers for daily news.
A series of completed actions in the past.
Example. He turned the key and opened the door yesterday.
Example. She turned off the alarm, got up, and went for a run.
Example. When I was a child, I turned the light on before going to bed.
Example. Long ago, most people turned to newspapers for daily news.
Habits in the past.
Example. He turned the key and opened the door yesterday.
Example. She turned off the alarm, got up, and went for a run.
Example. When I was a child, I turned the light on before going to bed.
Example. Long ago, most people turned to newspapers for daily news.
Past facts or generalizations.
Example. He turned the key and opened the door yesterday.
Example. She turned off the alarm, got up, and went for a run.
Example. When I was a child, I turned the light on before going to bed.
Example. Long ago, most people turned to newspapers for daily news.

Past Participle

Perfect tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect).
Example. Present Perfect. I have turned the project in ahead of schedule.
Example. Past Perfect. By the time the meeting started, the CEO had already turned down the proposal.
Example. Future Perfect. By tomorrow, we will have turned over all the documents.
Example. The abandoned factory was turned into a museum.
Adjectives/Adjectival Phrases.
Example. Present Perfect. I have turned the project in ahead of schedule.
Example. Past Perfect. By the time the meeting started, the CEO had already turned down the proposal.
Example. Future Perfect. By tomorrow, we will have turned over all the documents.
Example. The abandoned factory was turned into a museum.

Common mistakes

— 01

-Ed Pronunciation

A frequent mistake involves the pronunciation of the -ed ending in 'turned.' While 'turned' is correctly pronounced /tɜrnd/, learners might misapply the rules for pronouncing -ed endings, leading to variations like /tɜrnɛd/ or /tɜrnt/, which do not accurately represent the word's pronunciation. This mispronunciation can stem from misunderstanding how the -ed ending should be vocalized, particularly for words ending in a voiced sound like /n/, where the -ed is pronounced as /d/ without adding an extra syllable.

— 02

Incorrect Spelling

Another common error is misspelling the past simple and past participle forms of 'turn.' Since 'turn' ends with an 'n', it simply requires the addition of -ed to form 'turned.' However, learners might mistakenly add an extra 'e' before the -ed (turneed), omit one of the required letters (truned), or misapply patterns from irregular verbs, expecting a change in the vowel or the consonant before adding the past tense suffix, which is not necessary for regular verbs like 'turn.'

— 03

Misuse of Past Participle

Some learners incorrectly use the past participle form without an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses or passive voice constructions. For example, saying 'I have turn' instead of 'I have turned' for the present perfect tense, or 'The corner was turn' instead of 'The corner was turned.' This mistake affects the grammatical structure and meaning, as the correct use of 'turned' with auxiliary verbs is crucial for indicating time aspects and voice accurately.

Past tense quiz

Check your skills and find areas for improvement

Take quiz

Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'turn' is 'turned.' The past participle form is also 'turned.' For example. Past Simple. Yesterday, I turned the lights off before leaving. Past Participle. I have turned in my assignment already.

How do I use 'turned' in a sentence to indicate a past action?

To indicate a past action using 'turned,' you will generally use the past simple form when referring to a specific time in the past. For instance. 'She turned the corner sharply to avoid the approaching cyclist.' If you're using the past participle form, it's typically in conjunction with a helping verb to form perfect tenses, indicating actions that have been completed at some point in the past. For example. 'They had turned the soil over before planting the seeds.'

Can 'turned' be used to describe a change in state or transformation? How?

Yes, 'turned' can describe a change in state or transformation, often used metaphorically or literally. When using 'turned' in this way, it's crucial to provide context that clearly indicates the change. For example. Literal. 'The leaves turned brown in the fall.' Metaphorical. 'Overnight, the public opinion turned against the proposed law.' Is the usage of 'turned' in passive voice different from its usage in active voice