Wash past tense

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Meaning of wash

to clean (something) with water and usually soap or detergent.

Infinitive

Word: wash /wɒʃ/
Examples:
  • 1. She washes her car every Saturday without fail.
  • 2. He washes his face with cold water every morning to wake up.
  • 3. They wash their clothes once a week at the laundromat.

Past Simple

Word: washed /wɒʃt/
Examples:
  • 1. I washed my car yesterday afternoon because it was covered in mud.
  • 2. After dinner, she washed all the dishes before going to bed.
  • 3. They washed their hands thoroughly before starting to cook.

Past Participle

Word: washed /wɒʃt/
Examples:
  • 1. The dishes have been washed and put away.
  • 2. His car is washed every weekend without fail.
  • 3. The graffiti was washed off the wall by the volunteers.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Habitual Actions.
    Example. I wash my car every weekend.
    Example. Water washes away dirt.
    Example. The car wash opens at 8 AM every day.
    Example. To clean your jacket, first wash it in cold water.
    Example. The documentary washes over the significance of clean rivers next Thursday.
  2. General Truths.
    Example. I wash my car every weekend.
    Example. Water washes away dirt.
    Example. The car wash opens at 8 AM every day.
    Example. To clean your jacket, first wash it in cold water.
    Example. The documentary washes over the significance of clean rivers next Thursday.
  3. Fixed Arrangements.
    Example. I wash my car every weekend.
    Example. Water washes away dirt.
    Example. The car wash opens at 8 AM every day.
    Example. To clean your jacket, first wash it in cold water.
    Example. The documentary washes over the significance of clean rivers next Thursday.
  4. Instructions and Directions.
    Example. I wash my car every weekend.
    Example. Water washes away dirt.
    Example. The car wash opens at 8 AM every day.
    Example. To clean your jacket, first wash it in cold water.
    Example. The documentary washes over the significance of clean rivers next Thursday.
  5. Scheduled Events (in the near future, especially for public transportation, movies, etc.).
    Example. I wash my car every weekend.
    Example. Water washes away dirt.
    Example. The car wash opens at 8 AM every day.
    Example. To clean your jacket, first wash it in cold water.
    Example. The documentary washes over the significance of clean rivers next Thursday.

Past Simple

  1. Completed Actions in the Past.
    Example. I washed the dishes last night.
    Example. When I was a child, I washed my hands before every meal.
    Example. We went to the beach and then washed off the sand at the shower station.
    Example. In the 1800s, people washed clothes by hand.
    Example. She said she washed her car, but it still looks dirty.
  2. Past habits or routines that are no longer current.
    Example. I washed the dishes last night.
    Example. When I was a child, I washed my hands before every meal.
    Example. We went to the beach and then washed off the sand at the shower station.
    Example. In the 1800s, people washed clothes by hand.
    Example. She said she washed her car, but it still looks dirty.
  3. Sequences of Actions in the Past.
    Example. I washed the dishes last night.
    Example. When I was a child, I washed my hands before every meal.
    Example. We went to the beach and then washed off the sand at the shower station.
    Example. In the 1800s, people washed clothes by hand.
    Example. She said she washed her car, but it still looks dirty.
  4. Stated Past Situations or Periods.
    Example. I washed the dishes last night.
    Example. When I was a child, I washed my hands before every meal.
    Example. We went to the beach and then washed off the sand at the shower station.
    Example. In the 1800s, people washed clothes by hand.
    Example. She said she washed her car, but it still looks dirty.
  5. Conditions in Reported Speech.
    Example. I washed the dishes last night.
    Example. When I was a child, I washed my hands before every meal.
    Example. We went to the beach and then washed off the sand at the shower station.
    Example. In the 1800s, people washed clothes by hand.
    Example. She said she washed her car, but it still looks dirty.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect Tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect).
    Example. Present Perfect. I have washed the dishes. (action done lately/just now but unspecific when)
    Example. Past Perfect. He had washed his car before the rain started. (action done before another past action)
    Example. Future Perfect. By next year, she will have washed all the windows in the building. (action that will be completed before a specific time in the future)
    Example. The car is washed every week. (action done to the subject)
    Example. The washed clothes are on the line. (describes the state of the clothes)
    Example. If it had been washed, it wouldn't be dirty now. (hypothetical situations in the past)
  2. Passive Voice.
    Example. Present Perfect. I have washed the dishes. (action done lately/just now but unspecific when)
    Example. Past Perfect. He had washed his car before the rain started. (action done before another past action)
    Example. Future Perfect. By next year, she will have washed all the windows in the building. (action that will be completed before a specific time in the future)
    Example. The car is washed every week. (action done to the subject)
    Example. The washed clothes are on the line. (describes the state of the clothes)
    Example. If it had been washed, it wouldn't be dirty now. (hypothetical situations in the past)
  3. Adjectives/Participle Adjectives.
    Example. Present Perfect. I have washed the dishes. (action done lately/just now but unspecific when)
    Example. Past Perfect. He had washed his car before the rain started. (action done before another past action)
    Example. Future Perfect. By next year, she will have washed all the windows in the building. (action that will be completed before a specific time in the future)
    Example. The car is washed every week. (action done to the subject)
    Example. The washed clothes are on the line. (describes the state of the clothes)
    Example. If it had been washed, it wouldn't be dirty now. (hypothetical situations in the past)
  4. Conditional sentences.
    Example. Present Perfect. I have washed the dishes. (action done lately/just now but unspecific when)
    Example. Past Perfect. He had washed his car before the rain started. (action done before another past action)
    Example. Future Perfect. By next year, she will have washed all the windows in the building. (action that will be completed before a specific time in the future)
    Example. The car is washed every week. (action done to the subject)
    Example. The washed clothes are on the line. (describes the state of the clothes)
    Example. If it had been washed, it wouldn't be dirty now. (hypothetical situations in the past)

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

A common mistake is confusing the past simple form 'washed' with the past participle form 'washed' in the case of the verb 'wash'. While it may seem confusing because they look identical, their usage differs. The past simple form is used to describe actions that happened and were completed in the past, e.g., 'I washed the car yesterday.' The past participle form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice, e.g., 'The car has been washed.' Misunderstanding can lead to incorrect tense usage, such as saying 'I have washed the car yesterday,' which mixes past simple context with a present perfect construction.

— 02

Omitting the Auxiliary Verb

Another mistake involves omitting the auxiliary verb when using the past participle form in perfect tenses. For example, instead of saying 'I have washed the dishes,' someone might mistakenly say 'I washed the dishes' when they mean to emphasize the action's completion in the recent past. This error changes the tense from present perfect to past simple, subtly altering the sentence's meaning and timeframe.

— 03

Incorrect Past Participle

While 'wash' is a regular verb with its past simple and past participle forms both as 'washed', learners often mistakenly apply this pattern to irregular verbs. For example, they might wrongly produce 'buyed' instead of 'bought' for the past simple and past participle forms of 'buy'. Understanding that 'wash' follows a regular pattern but not all verbs do is crucial to mastering verb forms in English.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'wash'?

The past simple form of 'wash' is 'washed.' This form is used to describe actions that were completed in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I washed my car.'

What is the past participle form of 'wash'?

The past participle form of 'wash' is also 'washed.' The past participle is used in perfect tenses and passive voice. For instance, in the sentence 'The dishes have been washed,' 'washed' is used as the past participle in a passive construction.

How do I use the past simple form in a sentence?

To use the past simple form, you conjugate the verb 'wash' to 'washed' and use it to talk about actions that started and finished in the past. It doesn't matter when in the past they happened, as long as they are completely done. For example, 'I washed the windows last weekend.'

Can you give an example of a sentence using the past participle form of 'wash'?

Yes, the past participle form 'washed' can be used in various tenses. For example, in the present perfect tense. 'She has washed the laundry.' This sentence indicates that the action of washing has relevance to the present moment or has been completed at an unspecified time before now. In a passive voice example. 'The car was washed by John,' the focus is on the action of washing the car, not who performed the action.