Wield past tense

Meaning of wield

to hold and use (a weapon or tool).

Infinitive

Word: wield /wiːld/

Examples:

1. He wields considerable influence over the committee's decisions.
2. She wields the hammer with precision and skill.
3. They wield the power to change the course of the project.

Past Simple

Word: wielded /ˈwiːldəd/

Examples:

1. She wielded the hammer with such expertise that the nail went in perfectly with one strike.
2. The knight wielded his sword bravely in the face of the enemy, protecting his allies.
3. They wielded their influence over the town for years, guiding its development and prosperity.

Past Participle

Word: wielded /ˈwiːldɪd/

Examples:

1. The ancient sword had been wielded by generations of warriors before it was lost.
2. The power was wielded expertly by the young mage, surprising those who doubted her.
3. Despite the challenges, the new policy has been wielded effectively by the administration.

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Bare infinitive

General truths or facts.
Example. She wields immense power within the organization.
Example. They wield their influence carefully in daily negotiations.
Example. He wields the gavel at our weekly meetings.
Habits or routines.
Example. She wields immense power within the organization.
Example. They wield their influence carefully in daily negotiations.
Example. He wields the gavel at our weekly meetings.
Fixed arrangements in the near future (often with a future time expressed).
Example. She wields immense power within the organization.
Example. They wield their influence carefully in daily negotiations.
Example. He wields the gavel at our weekly meetings.

Past Simple

Actions completed at a specific time in the past.
Example. The queen wielded her scepter at the ceremony yesterday.
Example. She wielded the flashlight, found the lost ring, and returned before dawn.
Example. They wielded considerable influence over the market in the 90s.
Sequences of actions in the past.
Example. The queen wielded her scepter at the ceremony yesterday.
Example. She wielded the flashlight, found the lost ring, and returned before dawn.
Example. They wielded considerable influence over the market in the 90s.
Past habits or states.
Example. The queen wielded her scepter at the ceremony yesterday.
Example. She wielded the flashlight, found the lost ring, and returned before dawn.
Example. They wielded considerable influence over the market in the 90s.

Past Participle

Perfect aspects (present perfect, past perfect, etc.) to show completed actions at an unspecified time or that have relevance to the present or past.
Example. Present Perfect. They have wielded their powers wisely for years.
Example. Past Perfect. By the time the negotiations started, the CEO had already wielded his authority to seal the deal.
Example. The sword was wielded by the greatest warrior of the kingdom.
Passive voice to show that the subject is the receiver of the action.
Example. Present Perfect. They have wielded their powers wisely for years.
Example. Past Perfect. By the time the negotiations started, the CEO had already wielded his authority to seal the deal.
Example. The sword was wielded by the greatest warrior of the kingdom.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing 'wielded' with 'welded'

One of the most common mistakes is confusing the past simple and past participle form of 'wield' (which is 'wielded') with 'welded,' the past forms of 'weld.' While 'wield' means to hold and use a weapon or tool, 'weld' refers to the process of joining metals by heating. This mix-up can drastically change the meaning of a sentence. For example, 'He wielded a sword in the battle' (correct use) versus 'He welded a sword in the battle' (incorrect use, implying he was joining metals instead of fighting).

— 02

Incorrectly creating a past form

Another mistake is trying to irregularly conjugate the verb 'wield' into its past forms. Since 'wield' follows the regular verb pattern by adding -ed for both its past simple and past participle forms, creating an irregular form like 'wold' or 'wielden' would be incorrect. The correct form is 'wielded' for both cases. For instance, 'He wielded the power effectively' is correct, while 'He wold the power effectively' is incorrect.

— 03

Omitting the -ed

A frequent error is omitting the -ed ending when using 'wield' in the past tense or as a past participle, treating it as if it were an irregular verb that doesn't change form. This mistake leads to sentences like 'He wield power wisely' instead of the correct 'He wielded power wisely.' Remembering to add the -ed ending ensures the verb is correctly placed in the past, conveying the intended meaning accurately.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'wield' is 'wielded.' The past participle form is also 'wielded.' For example, 'Yesterday, he wielded a sword for the first time' uses the past simple, and 'He has wielded a sword since he was young' uses the past participle.

How do I use 'wielded' in a sentence in the past simple tense?

To use 'wielded' in the past simple tense, you should be referring to an action that was completed at a specific time in the past. For example. 'She wielded great influence over the committee's decision last year.' This sentence indicates that the action of wielding influence was completed in the past.

Can you give an example of 'wielded' used as a past participle in a sentence?

Certainly! When using 'wielded' as a past participle, it often appears in perfect tenses. For instance. 'By the time he retired, he had wielded considerable power within the organization for over three decades.' This sentence uses the past perfect tense to indicate that the action of wielding power was completed before another past action (his retirement). Is there any difference in meaning between the past simple and past participle forms of 'wield'