Witness past tense

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Meaning of witness

to see (an event, typically a crime or accident) happen.

Infinitive

Word: witness /ˈwɪtnəs/
Examples:
  • 1. She often witnesses strange occurrences on her nightly walks.
  • 2. He always witnesses for the defense during major court cases.
  • 3. They frequently witness the beauty of sunrise during their morning runs.

Past Simple

Word: witnessed /ˈwɪtnəst/
Examples:
  • 1. I witnessed a breathtaking sunrise while hiking early in the morning.
  • 2. She witnessed a minor car accident on her way to work yesterday.
  • 3. They witnessed a historic moment when the spacecraft landed on Mars.

Past Participle

Word: witnessed /ˈwɪtnəst/
Examples:
  • 1. The crime was witnessed by dozens of bystanders.
  • 2. The historical event has been witnessed by generations.
  • 3. The miraculous event was witnessed by the entire village.

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Bare infinitive

  1. To describe habitual actions or routines involving seeing events happen, especially in a professional context, such as law enforcement or news reporting.
    Example. Police officers often witness crimes in the course of their duties.
    Example. Eyewitnesses play a crucial role in solving crimes.
    Example. If you witness an accident, report it to the authorities immediately.
  2. To state facts or general truths about the act of witnessing events.
    Example. Police officers often witness crimes in the course of their duties.
    Example. Eyewitnesses play a crucial role in solving crimes.
    Example. If you witness an accident, report it to the authorities immediately.
  3. To give instructions or advice related to the process of observing or being present during an event.
    Example. Police officers often witness crimes in the course of their duties.
    Example. Eyewitnesses play a crucial role in solving crimes.
    Example. If you witness an accident, report it to the authorities immediately.

Past Simple

  1. To talk about a specific instance in the past when someone saw an event, typically a crime or accident, happen.
    Example. She witnessed a robbery last night.
    Example. During his career, he witnessed many changes in the industry.
    Example. They witnessed the entire process from start to finish.
  2. To describe a series of events that someone saw happen in the past.
    Example. She witnessed a robbery last night.
    Example. During his career, he witnessed many changes in the industry.
    Example. They witnessed the entire process from start to finish.
  3. To express a past action of seeing an event happen that is complete and does not continue into the present.
    Example. She witnessed a robbery last night.
    Example. During his career, he witnessed many changes in the industry.
    Example. They witnessed the entire process from start to finish.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses - To talk about actions of seeing events happen that have occurred, with relevance to the present moment or completed at an unspecified time in the past.
    Example. The historic treaty signing was witnessed by leaders from around the world.
  2. Example (Present Perfect). I have witnessed three eclipses in my lifetime.
    Example. The historic treaty signing was witnessed by leaders from around the world.
  3. Example (Past Perfect). By the time the police arrived, she had already witnessed the suspect fleeing the scene.
    Example. The historic treaty signing was witnessed by leaders from around the world.
  4. Passive voice - To describe situations where the focus is on the event being observed, rather than who observed it.
    Example. The historic treaty signing was witnessed by leaders from around the world.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing Forms

One prevalent mistake involves confusing the past simple form of a verb with its past participle form. For instance, the verb 'witness' has 'witnessed' as both its past simple and past participle forms, which is straightforward. However, learners often struggle with irregular verbs, such as 'write,' which has 'wrote' as the past simple form and 'written' as the past participle. They might incorrectly use 'wrote' when the past participle is required, as in 'I have wrote a letter' instead of the correct 'I have written a letter.'

— 02

Incorrect Use in Perfect Tenses

Another common error is using the past simple form instead of the past participle in perfect tenses. This mistake stems from not recognizing the need for the past participle in constructions with 'have,' 'has,' or 'had.' For regular verbs like 'witness,' where the past simple and past participle forms are the same, this error might not be evident. However, it becomes apparent with irregular verbs. A learner might say 'I had went' instead of the correct 'I had gone,' misunderstanding the requirement for the past participle form in the perfect tense.

— 03

Neglecting the Past Participle

A third mistake involves overlooking the use of the past participle in passive voice constructions. Some learners might mistakenly use the past simple form of the verb when forming passive sentences. For example, saying 'The event was witnessed by many' is correct, but with an irregular verb, a learner might err by saying 'The song was sang by the choir' instead of the correct 'The song was sung by the choir.' Understanding that the past participle is essential in passive voice structures is crucial for accurate grammar usage.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'witness' is 'witnessed.' This form is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. The past participle form is also 'witnessed.' This form is used in perfect tense constructions and passive voice sentences.

How do you use 'witnessed' in a past simple sentence?

To use 'witnessed' in the past simple tense, you simply place it in a sentence where the action occurred at a specific time in the past. For example. 'I witnessed a remarkable event last night.' This sentence indicates that the action of witnessing happened at a particular time in the past, which was last night.

How is the past participle 'witnessed' used in a sentence?

The past participle 'witnessed' can be used in several ways, including in the perfect tenses and passive voice. For example, in the present perfect tense. 'She has witnessed many changes over the years.' This indicates an action that occurred in the past but is relevant to the present. In the passive voice. 'The historic event was witnessed by thousands,' which indicates that the action of witnessing was done by thousands of people.

Can you provide an example of 'witnessed' in the past perfect tense?

Yes. In the past perfect tense, 'witnessed' helps to describe an action that was completed before another action or time in the past. For example. 'By the time the authorities arrived, the crowd had already witnessed the spectacle.' This sentence indicates that the crowd's action of witnessing occurred before another past action, which is the authorities arriving.