Withhold past tense

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Meaning of withhold

refuse to give; hold back.

Infinitive

Word: withhold /wɪðˈhoʊld/
Examples:
  • 1. They always withhold a portion of their earnings for emergency savings.
  • 2. The company decides to withhold certain information from the public to avoid panic.
  • 3. She tends to withhold judgment until she has all the facts.

Past Simple

Word: withheld /wɪθ'hɛld/
Examples:
  • 1. She withheld the crucial information during the meeting, causing confusion later.
  • 2. They withheld their approval until they saw the final draft of the proposal.
  • 3. He withheld his emotions, making it difficult for others to understand his true feelings.

Past Participle

Word: withheld /wɪðˈhɛld/
Examples:
  • 1. The crucial information had been withheld by the company, leading to widespread confusion.
  • 2. The documents are usually withheld until all parties have signed the agreement.
  • 3. Information regarding the incident was withheld from the public for security reasons.

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Bare infinitive

  1. General Facts or Truths
    Example. 'The organization always withholds 10% of the profit for charity.'
    Example. 'He regularly withholds information from his team.'
    Example. 'She withholds judgment until she has all the facts.'
  2. Habitual Actions
    Example. 'The organization always withholds 10% of the profit for charity.'
    Example. 'He regularly withholds information from his team.'
    Example. 'She withholds judgment until she has all the facts.'
  3. States or Situations Presently Existing
    Example. 'The organization always withholds 10% of the profit for charity.'
    Example. 'He regularly withholds information from his team.'
    Example. 'She withholds judgment until she has all the facts.'

Past Simple

  1. Completed Actions in the Past
    Example. 'The company withheld the employee's final paycheck until all equipment was returned.'
    Example. 'In the past, she withheld her opinion to keep the peace in meetings.'
    Example. 'The court withheld its decision until all evidence was reviewed.'
  2. Past Habitual Actions (when referring to past habits not in existence now)
    Example. 'The company withheld the employee's final paycheck until all equipment was returned.'
    Example. 'In the past, she withheld her opinion to keep the peace in meetings.'
    Example. 'The court withheld its decision until all evidence was reviewed.'
  3. Past States or Situations
    Example. 'The company withheld the employee's final paycheck until all equipment was returned.'
    Example. 'In the past, she withheld her opinion to keep the peace in meetings.'
    Example. 'The court withheld its decision until all evidence was reviewed.'

Past Participle

  1. Perfect Tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect)
    Example. Present Perfect. 'They have withheld information from us for too long.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time the news came out, the agent had already withheld the documents for days.'
    Example. Future Perfect. 'By next year, they will have withheld the trophy from the defending champions if they lose.'
    Example. 'The judgment was withheld by the judge until more evidence was presented.'
    Example. 'The withheld evidence could have changed the course of the trial.'
  2. Passive Voice
    Example. Present Perfect. 'They have withheld information from us for too long.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time the news came out, the agent had already withheld the documents for days.'
    Example. Future Perfect. 'By next year, they will have withheld the trophy from the defending champions if they lose.'
    Example. 'The judgment was withheld by the judge until more evidence was presented.'
    Example. 'The withheld evidence could have changed the course of the trial.'
  3. As an Adjective (participial adjectives)
    Example. Present Perfect. 'They have withheld information from us for too long.'
    Example. Past Perfect. 'By the time the news came out, the agent had already withheld the documents for days.'
    Example. Future Perfect. 'By next year, they will have withheld the trophy from the defending champions if they lose.'
    Example. 'The judgment was withheld by the judge until more evidence was presented.'
    Example. 'The withheld evidence could have changed the course of the trial.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

One of the most common mistakes is mixing up the past simple form of a verb with its past participle form. For example, with the verb 'withhold,' the past simple form is 'withheld,' and the past participle form is also 'withheld.' However, learners might incorrectly use 'withholded' as the past participle or past simple form due to a misunderstanding of regular and irregular verb patterns in English. Regular verbs typically add -ed for both past simple and past participle forms, but irregular verbs, like 'withhold,' do not follow this pattern.

— 02

Incorrect Use in Perfect Tenses

Another mistake involves the Incorrect Past Participle. The past participle form 'withheld' should be used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect aspects (e.g., 'has withheld,' 'had withheld'). A common error is using the past simple form instead of the past participle with auxiliary verbs, resulting in sentences like 'He has withheld the information correctly,' being mistakenly formed as 'He has withheld the information correctly.'

— 03

Misapplication in Passive

The past participle form is essential for constructing sentences in the passive voice, yet it's often misused. For the verb 'withhold,' the correct passive construction might be 'The information was withheld by the company.' A frequent mistake is using the past simple form instead of the past participle, leading to incorrect sentences like 'The information was withheld by the company.'

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'withhold' is 'withheld.' This is used to describe an action that occurred and was completed in the past. For example. 'They withheld the information yesterday.' The past participle form is also 'withheld.' It is used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For example. 'The information has been withheld.'

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

When you're referring to an action that happened at a specific time in the past, you use the past simple form 'withheld.' Example. 'The teacher withheld the grades until the end of the week.' For actions that have relevance to the present moment or were done at an unspecified time before now, you use the past participle form 'withheld' in perfect tense constructions. Example. 'The truth has been withheld for too long.'

Can 'withheld' be used in both active and passive voice sentences?

Yes, 'withheld' can be used in both active and passive constructions. Active voice example (past simple). 'The company withheld bonuses last year.' Passive voice example (past participle). 'Bonuses were withheld by the company last year.' Is there a difference in meaning when using 'withheld' as past simple vs. past participle