Wipe past tense

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Meaning of wipe

clean or dry (something) by rubbing its surface with a cloth, a piece of paper, or one's hand.

Infinitive

Word: wipe /waɪp/
Examples:
  • 1. She always wipes the table clean after dinner.
  • 2. He wipes his glasses with a special cloth to avoid scratches.
  • 3. Every morning, they wipe the counters in the kitchen to maintain hygiene.

Past Simple

Word: wiped /waɪpt/
Examples:
  • 1. She wiped the tears from her eyes after watching the emotional movie.
  • 2. Last weekend, I wiped the dust off the old furniture in the attic.
  • 3. He wiped his muddy boots on the mat before entering the house.

Past Participle

Word: wiped /waɪpt/
Examples:
  • 1. The whiteboard was wiped clean before the meeting started.
  • 2. The tears were wiped away gently from her cheeks.
  • 3. The countertop had been wiped down by the time the guests arrived.

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Bare infinitive

  1. For habitual actions or general truths.
    Example. She always wipes the table after dinner.
    Example. First, you wipe the surface with a cloth.
    Example. The cleaning crew wipes down the gym equipment every morning before opening.
  2. For instructions or directions.
    Example. She always wipes the table after dinner.
    Example. First, you wipe the surface with a cloth.
    Example. The cleaning crew wipes down the gym equipment every morning before opening.
  3. To express scheduled events in the near future (often used in timetables or programs).
    Example. She always wipes the table after dinner.
    Example. First, you wipe the surface with a cloth.
    Example. The cleaning crew wipes down the gym equipment every morning before opening.

Past Simple

  1. For actions completed at a specific time in the past.
    Example. He wiped the tears from his eyes yesterday.
    Example. She wiped the counter, then she swept the floor.
    Example. When he was young, he always wiped his shoes on the mat before entering.
  2. To describe a sequence of actions in the past.
    Example. He wiped the tears from his eyes yesterday.
    Example. She wiped the counter, then she swept the floor.
    Example. When he was young, he always wiped his shoes on the mat before entering.
  3. For habits or actions repeatedly done in the past but not anymore.
    Example. He wiped the tears from his eyes yesterday.
    Example. She wiped the counter, then she swept the floor.
    Example. When he was young, he always wiped his shoes on the mat before entering.

Past Participle

  1. To form the perfect tenses (have/has/had wiped).
    Example. They have wiped all the data from the hard drive.
    Example. The blackboards are wiped clean every day by the janitor.
    Example. With all evidence wiped clean, the detective had to start over.
  2. In passive voice sentences to show an action being done to the subject.
    Example. They have wiped all the data from the hard drive.
    Example. The blackboards are wiped clean every day by the janitor.
    Example. With all evidence wiped clean, the detective had to start over.
  3. As an adjective to describe a condition.
    Example. They have wiped all the data from the hard drive.
    Example. The blackboards are wiped clean every day by the janitor.
    Example. With all evidence wiped clean, the detective had to start over.
  4. These examples cover the various uses of the Present Simple, Past Simple, and Past Participle forms of the verb 'wipe.'
    Example. They have wiped all the data from the hard drive.
    Example. The blackboards are wiped clean every day by the janitor.
    Example. With all evidence wiped clean, the detective had to start over.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

One of the most common mistakes involves confusing the past simple form of 'wipe' with its past participle form. The past simple form is 'wiped,' which is used to describe an action that was completed in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I wiped the table clean.' However, the past participle form is also 'wiped,' which might lead to confusion since it is identical. The past participle is used in perfect tenses and passive voice, such as in 'The table has been wiped clean.' Mistakes occur when learners use the base form 'wipe' or an incorrect form in places where 'wiped' is required, not recognizing that 'wiped' serves as both the past simple and past participle form.

— 02

Incorrect Past Participle

Another common mistake is attempting to add an irregular ending to 'wipe' when forming the past participle, influenced by patterns from truly irregular verbs. For instance, some might incorrectly say 'wopen' (mimicking 'spoken' from 'speak') instead of the correct 'wiped.' This mistake stems from misunderstanding regular versus irregular verb forms in English.

— 03

Misuse in Perfect Tenses

Since 'wiped' serves as both the past simple and past participle form, learners sometimes misuse it when constructing perfect tenses. They might incorrectly use the past simple form of the verb 'to have' instead of its present form, leading to errors like 'I had wiped the table' instead of 'I have wiped the table' when intending to use the present perfect tense. This mistake alters the intended time reference, shifting it inaccurately into the past perfect tense.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'wipe'?

The past simple form of 'wipe' is 'wiped.' It is used to describe an action that happened and was completed at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I wiped the table clean after dinner.'

What is the past participle form of 'wipe'?

The past participle form of 'wipe' is also 'wiped.' This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice sentences. For example, in the sentence 'The windows have been wiped clean,' 'wiped' is the past participle, indicating a completed action that has relevance to the present.

How do you use the past participle form of 'wipe' in a sentence?

The past participle form 'wiped' can be used in several ways, including in perfect tenses and passive voice. For example, in the present perfect tense. 'I have wiped the counters.' In the passive voice. 'The boards were wiped down after the meeting.' It indicates an action that has been completed, either in the recent past (with relevance to the present) or as part of a passive action where the focus is on the action itself rather than who performed it.

Can you give an example of a sentence using both the past simple and past participle forms of 'wipe'?

Yes, combining both forms in a narrative can clarify the sequence of actions or emphasize completed actions. For example. 'I wiped the floor before the guests arrived, so by the time they got here, the floor had already been wiped and was dry.' In this sentence, 'wiped' is used in the past simple to indicate the direct action taken by the speaker, and 'been wiped' (part of the past participle form used in the present perfect tense) indicates the state of the floor as a result of the action.