Wait past tense

Type your word here
Try:

Learn past tenses to communicate in English accurately

Meaning of wait

to stay in one place until an expected event happens, until someone arrives, until it is your turn to do something, etc.

Infinitive

Word: wait /weɪt/
Examples:
  • 1. I always wait for the bus at the same stop each morning.
  • 2. She waits patiently for her turn to speak.
  • 3. The cat often waits by the door when it wants to go outside.

Past Simple

Word: waited /ˈweɪ.tɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. I waited for over an hour before the bus finally arrived.
  • 2. They waited patiently at the doctor's office for their turn.
  • 3. We waited in line to get tickets for the concert, but they were sold out by the time we reached the front.

Past Participle

Word: waited /ˈweɪtɪd/
Examples:
  • 1. The dinner had been waited for by the entire family before anyone began to eat.
  • 2. The message was waited for with great anticipation.
  • 3. The train has been waited on by commuters every morning.

Learn more words on the go

Master verb forms with Promova!

Download the app
cta-section-decorative-line-left
cta-section-decorative-line-left

Bare infinitive

  1. General truths or facts
    Example. Time waits for no one.
    Example. He waits for the bus every morning.
    Example. The train waits at the station at 6 PM sharp.
  2. Habits or routines
    Example. Time waits for no one.
    Example. He waits for the bus every morning.
    Example. The train waits at the station at 6 PM sharp.
  3. Fixed arrangements, schedules
    Example. Time waits for no one.
    Example. He waits for the bus every morning.
    Example. The train waits at the station at 6 PM sharp.

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions in the past
    Example. She waited for her friend for hours yesterday.
    Example. He waited, saw her arrive, and then left quietly.
    Example. We waited at the airport all night.
    Example. When I was a child, I waited for Santa every Christmas Eve.
    Example. She always waited patiently, unlike her brother.
  2. A series of completed actions
    Example. She waited for her friend for hours yesterday.
    Example. He waited, saw her arrive, and then left quietly.
    Example. We waited at the airport all night.
    Example. When I was a child, I waited for Santa every Christmas Eve.
    Example. She always waited patiently, unlike her brother.
  3. Duration in the past
    Example. She waited for her friend for hours yesterday.
    Example. He waited, saw her arrive, and then left quietly.
    Example. We waited at the airport all night.
    Example. When I was a child, I waited for Santa every Christmas Eve.
    Example. She always waited patiently, unlike her brother.
  4. Habits in the past
    Example. She waited for her friend for hours yesterday.
    Example. He waited, saw her arrive, and then left quietly.
    Example. We waited at the airport all night.
    Example. When I was a child, I waited for Santa every Christmas Eve.
    Example. She always waited patiently, unlike her brother.
  5. Past facts or generalizations
    Example. She waited for her friend for hours yesterday.
    Example. He waited, saw her arrive, and then left quietly.
    Example. We waited at the airport all night.
    Example. When I was a child, I waited for Santa every Christmas Eve.
    Example. She always waited patiently, unlike her brother.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect aspects
    Example. The documents were waited on for approval.
    Example. Frustrated and waited upon, he decided to leave.
  2. Example (Present Perfect). She has waited for this moment her entire life.
    Example. The documents were waited on for approval.
    Example. Frustrated and waited upon, he decided to leave.
  3. Example (Past Perfect). By the time the movie started, we had already waited for two hours.
    Example. The documents were waited on for approval.
    Example. Frustrated and waited upon, he decided to leave.
  4. Example (Future Perfect). By next year, they will have waited long enough to make their move.
    Example. The documents were waited on for approval.
    Example. Frustrated and waited upon, he decided to leave.
  5. Passive voice
    Example. The documents were waited on for approval.
    Example. Frustrated and waited upon, he decided to leave.
  6. Adjectival use, describing conditions or states resulting from earlier actions
    Example. The documents were waited on for approval.
    Example. Frustrated and waited upon, he decided to leave.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Patterns

A common mistake is treating irregular verbs as regular ones, applying the -ed ending to verbs that actually change form completely from present to past simple and past participle. For the regular verb 'wait,' the past simple and past participle correctly add -ed to form 'waited.' However, learners might incorrectly apply this rule to irregular verbs, such as thinking 'go' becomes 'goed' instead of 'went' (past simple) and 'gone' (past participle).

— 02

Mispronunciation of the -ed

The correct pronunciation of the -ed ending can vary, and it's a common mistake not to adjust pronunciation based on the final sound of the verb in its base form. For 'waited,' the past simple and past participle form is pronounced /ˈweɪ.tɪd/, with a clear /ɪd/ sound because the verb ends in a t sound. Learners often mistakenly maintain the same /ɪd/ pronunciation for verbs where the -ed ending should sound like /d/ (after voiced sounds, except d) or /t/ (after unvoiced sounds, except t).

— 03

Incorrect Use of Past Participle

The past participle form of a verb is often used incorrectly without an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses or passive voice constructions. For example, saying 'I have wait' instead of 'I have waited' for the present perfect tense, or 'The task was wait' instead of 'The task was waited on' (although 'wait on' in passive voice is less common and can sound awkward). This mistake undermines the grammatical structure necessary to convey the correct tense or voice.

Past tense quiz

Check your skills and find areas for improvement

Take quiz

Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'wait'?

The past simple form of 'wait' is 'waited.' This form is used to describe actions that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I waited for the bus for 30 minutes.'

What is the past participle form of 'wait'?

The past participle form of 'wait' is also 'waited.' This form is often used in perfect tenses, such as the present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect tenses. For instance, in the sentence 'I have waited here for over an hour,' 'waited' is used as the past participle.

How do I use 'waited' in a sentence correctly?

To use 'waited' correctly, determine if your sentence is in the past simple or in a perfect tense. For past simple, your sentence should indicate an action completed at a specific time in the past. 'They waited at the station until the train arrived.' For perfect tenses, 'waited' works with auxiliary verbs to show actions that have relevance to the present or were completed at some unspecified time in the past. 'She has waited long enough to see the changes.'

Can you provide examples of 'waited' in different tenses?

Past Simple. 'We waited for the movie to start.' Present Perfect. 'They have waited outside for two hours.' Past Perfect. 'By the time the concert began, we had waited for three hours.' Future Perfect. 'By the end of the day, I will have waited in line for eight hours.' These examples illustrate how 'waited' serves as both the past simple and past participle form of 'wait,' adaptable across various tenses to convey different time-related nuances of waiting.