Uphold past tense
Meaning of uphold
to maintain or support in the face of possible opposition.
Infinitive
- 1. Every member of the community vows to uphold the traditions passed down from generations.
- 2. The court's decision will uphold the principles of justice and fairness.
- 3. As a teacher, it is imperative to uphold the standards of education and integrity in the classroom.
Past Simple
- 1. The judge upheld the decision of the lower court, emphasizing the importance of legal consistency.
- 2. Despite facing criticism, she upheld her commitment to the project until its successful completion.
- 3. The community leaders upheld the traditional values, ensuring they were passed on to the next generation.
Past Participle
- 1. The law has been upheld by the Supreme Court in a landmark decision.
- 2. The ancient traditions were upheld by the villagers with great reverence.
- 3. The contract's terms had been upheld by both parties since its signing.
Learn more words on the go
Master verb forms with Promova!
Bare infinitive
- To express a habit or a general truth.Example. They always uphold the highest standards of cleanliness.Example. The court upholds the law at all times.Example. Please uphold fairness in all your dealings.
- To describe a scheduled event in the near future (less common with 'uphold').Example. They always uphold the highest standards of cleanliness.Example. The court upholds the law at all times.Example. Please uphold fairness in all your dealings.
- To give instructions or directions (somewhat uncommon with 'uphold').Example. They always uphold the highest standards of cleanliness.Example. The court upholds the law at all times.Example. Please uphold fairness in all your dealings.
Past Simple
- To indicate an action that took place and was completed at a specific time in the past.Example. The judge upheld the decision yesterday.Example. They upheld a strict curfew when I was a child.
- To discuss a habit or routine that occurred in the past but no longer happens.Example. The judge upheld the decision yesterday.Example. They upheld a strict curfew when I was a child.
Past Participle
- To form the present perfect tense, which connects the past and the present.Example. The council has always upheld these principles.Example. By the time the new laws came into effect, the organization had already upheld similar standards for years.Example. The ancient traditions have been upheld by generations.
- To form the past perfect tense, indicating an action that was completed before another action in the past.Example. The council has always upheld these principles.Example. By the time the new laws came into effect, the organization had already upheld similar standards for years.Example. The ancient traditions have been upheld by generations.
- To form the passive voice, indicating an action done to the subject.Example. The council has always upheld these principles.Example. By the time the new laws came into effect, the organization had already upheld similar standards for years.Example. The ancient traditions have been upheld by generations.
Common mistakes
— 01
Confusing forms
A common mistake is mixing up the past simple form of a verb with its past participle form. For many verbs, these forms are distinct. For example, the verb 'uphold' has 'upheld' as both its past simple and past participle forms. Confusion arises with verbs that have different forms, leading to errors like using 'upheld' when the correct form needed is 'upheld' for both contexts (this verb doesn't change, but the mistake is applicable in the general sense for other verbs).
— 02
Incorrect Use in Perfect Tenses
Another common mistake involves using the past simple form of a verb when the past participle is needed in perfect tense constructions. For instance, saying 'I have uphold the law' instead of the correct 'I have upheld the law.' The past participle 'upheld' is necessary to construct the present perfect tense correctly, indicating an action completed at a specific time in the past.
— 03
Misuse in Passive Voice
A third mistake is the incorrect use of the verb form in passive voice sentences. Some might mistakenly use the past simple instead of the past participle, leading to grammatically incorrect sentences. The correct form should be 'The law was upheld,' using the past participle 'upheld.' Incorrectly using 'uphold' or a misconstructed form like 'upholded' results in incorrect grammar and confusion.
Past tense quiz
Check your skills and find areas for improvement
Frequently asked questions
What are the past simple and past participle forms of 'uphold'?
How do you use 'upheld' in a sentence?
Can 'upheld' be used in both active and passive voice sentences?