Watch past tense

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Meaning of watch

to observe or monitor someone or something carefully.

Infinitive

Word: watch: /wɒtʃ/
Examples:
  • 1. She watches the sunrise every morning from her balcony.
  • 2. He always watches his favorite show on Friday nights.
  • 3. My cat watches the birds outside the window for hours.

Past Simple

Word: watched /wɒtʃt/
Examples:
  • 1. Last night, I watched a movie that made me cry.
  • 2. They watched the sunset from the hill, amazed by its beauty.
  • 3. She watched him as he walked away, feeling a mix of sadness and relief.

Past Participle

Word: watched /wɒtʃt/
Examples:
  • 1. The show has been watched by millions of people around the world.
  • 2. The instructions were carefully watched by the team before proceeding.
  • 3. The movie had been watched before he decided to buy the DVD.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Routine or habit.
    Example. I watch the news every night.
    Example. The sun watches over the earth during the day.
    Example. The film watch starts at 8 PM tonight.
    Example. First, you watch the tutorial video, then you start the exercise.
    Example. He watches the ball, kicks, and scores!
  2. General fact or universal truth.
    Example. I watch the news every night.
    Example. The sun watches over the earth during the day.
    Example. The film watch starts at 8 PM tonight.
    Example. First, you watch the tutorial video, then you start the exercise.
    Example. He watches the ball, kicks, and scores!
  3. Scheduled events in the near future (often related to public transport, movies, etc.).
    Example. I watch the news every night.
    Example. The sun watches over the earth during the day.
    Example. The film watch starts at 8 PM tonight.
    Example. First, you watch the tutorial video, then you start the exercise.
    Example. He watches the ball, kicks, and scores!
  4. Instructions or directions.
    Example. I watch the news every night.
    Example. The sun watches over the earth during the day.
    Example. The film watch starts at 8 PM tonight.
    Example. First, you watch the tutorial video, then you start the exercise.
    Example. He watches the ball, kicks, and scores!
  5. Commentary (often used by sports commentators).
    Example. I watch the news every night.
    Example. The sun watches over the earth during the day.
    Example. The film watch starts at 8 PM tonight.
    Example. First, you watch the tutorial video, then you start the exercise.
    Example. He watches the ball, kicks, and scores!

Past Simple

  1. Completed actions at a specific time in the past.
    Example. I watched the entire season yesterday.
    Example. When I was younger, I watched cartoons every morning.
    Example. I watched the news, then I went to bed.
    Example. She said she watched a great movie the other night.
  2. Past habits or routines that are no longer practiced.
    Example. I watched the entire season yesterday.
    Example. When I was younger, I watched cartoons every morning.
    Example. I watched the news, then I went to bed.
    Example. She said she watched a great movie the other night.
  3. Sequential actions in the past.
    Example. I watched the entire season yesterday.
    Example. When I was younger, I watched cartoons every morning.
    Example. I watched the news, then I went to bed.
    Example. She said she watched a great movie the other night.
  4. In reported speech, to recount what someone said or thought in the past.
    Example. I watched the entire season yesterday.
    Example. When I was younger, I watched cartoons every morning.
    Example. I watched the news, then I went to bed.
    Example. She said she watched a great movie the other night.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect).
  2. Example (Present Perfect). I have watched every episode of that show.
  3. Example (Past Perfect). By the time they arrived, I had already watched the movie.
  4. Example (Future Perfect). By next year, I will have watched all the classics.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

A common mistake is using the simple past form of the verb 'watch' (watched) when the past participle form is needed, and vice versa. The simple past is used for actions completed in the past at a specific time, while the past participle is often used in perfect tenses and passive voice. For instance, saying 'I have watched a movie yesterday' mixes the use of the present perfect ('have watched') with a specific time in the past ('yesterday'), which typically calls for the simple past ('I watched a movie yesterday'). Conversely, saying 'The movie was watch by many people' uses the base form instead of the correct past participle ('watched') for the passive voice ('The movie was watched by many people').

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

Some learners mistakenly believe that the past participle of regular verbs forms differently than just adding -ed to the base form. For 'watch,' the past participle is correctly formed as 'watched.' An incorrect formation would be saying 'have watch' or inventing a non-existent form like 'watchen' instead of the correct 'have watched.'

— 03

Omitting Auxiliaries

Another mistake involves omitting the auxiliary verb (have/has) when using the past participle in perfect tenses. For example, saying 'I watched the news' when meaning to use the present perfect tense, it should be 'I have watched the news.' This error changes the tense and potentially the meaning of the sentence, from an action that happened at an unspecified time (present perfect) to one that occurred at a specific past time (simple past).

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'watch'?

The past simple form of 'watch' is 'watched.' This form is used to describe actions that were completed in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I watched a movie.'

How is the past participle form of 'watch' used?

The past participle form of 'watch' is also 'watched.' It is used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have watched the news every day this week.' In a passive voice sentence, you could say, 'The show was watched by millions of viewers.'

Can you provide an example of 'watched' in a past perfect sentence?

Yes, in a past perfect sentence, 'watched' helps to express an action that was completed before another action in the past. For example, 'By the time they arrived, I had already watched the entire season of the show.' This indicates that the action of watching was completed before they arrived. Is there any difference in spelling or usage of 'watched' between American and British English