Worry past tense

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Meaning of worry

to feel anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.

Infinitive

Word: worry /ˈwʌri/
Examples:
  • 1. Every time it rains, she worry about flooding in her basement.
  • 2. They always worry that they've forgotten something important when they leave on a trip.
  • 3. He never worry about what others think of his choices.

Past Simple

Word: worried /ˈwɜːrid/
Examples:
  • 1. I worried about the exam all week, but it turned out to be easier than I expected.
  • 2. She worried that she might have said the wrong thing during the meeting.
  • 3. They worried over their financial situation until they finally found a solution.

Past Participle

Word: worried /ˈwɜrid/
Examples:
  • 1. The entire project had been worried over by the team for months before they found a solution.
  • 2. She has worried about the outcome for so long that it felt surreal when the results were positive.
  • 3. Every detail had been worried about meticulously, ensuring nothing was left to chance.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Routine or Habitual Actions. When talking about things that happen regularly or are part of a routine.
    Example. I always worry about my exams.
    Example. Parents often worry about their children's future.
    Example. She doesn't worry about the flight tomorrow; it's all planned.
    Example. He always worries over small details, which is so irritating.
  2. General Truths or Facts. When stating something that is generally true or widely accepted.
    Example. Parents often worry about their children's future.
    Example. She doesn't worry about the flight tomorrow; it's all planned.
    Example. He always worries over small details, which is so irritating.
  3. Scheduled Events in the Near Future (often with a timetable). In contexts where the action is scheduled and somewhat immediate, though this is more common with other verbs related to movement or events.
    Example. Parents often worry about their children's future.
    Example. She doesn't worry about the flight tomorrow; it's all planned.
    Example. He always worries over small details, which is so irritating.
  4. With 'always' to Express Irritation. When highlighting a repeated action that is annoying.
    Example. Parents often worry about their children's future.
    Example. She doesn't worry about the flight tomorrow; it's all planned.
    Example. He always worries over small details, which is so irritating.

Past Simple

  1. Completed Actions in the Past. When an action or event was completed in the past at a specific time.
    Example. He worried about his job interview last week.
    Example. She worried about the presentation, practiced it, and then delivered it perfectly.
    Example. When I was a student, I always worried about my grades.
    Example. People worried more about job security in the past.
  2. A Series of Completed Actions in the Past. Describing actions that happened one after another in the past.
    Example. He worried about his job interview last week.
    Example. She worried about the presentation, practiced it, and then delivered it perfectly.
    Example. When I was a student, I always worried about my grades.
    Example. People worried more about job security in the past.
  3. Habitual Actions in the Past. Talking about habits in the past, not necessarily happening now.
    Example. He worried about his job interview last week.
    Example. She worried about the presentation, practiced it, and then delivered it perfectly.
    Example. When I was a student, I always worried about my grades.
    Example. People worried more about job security in the past.
  4. Past Facts or Generalizations. Stating something that was true in the past but may not be true now.
    Example. He worried about his job interview last week.
    Example. She worried about the presentation, practiced it, and then delivered it perfectly.
    Example. When I was a student, I always worried about my grades.
    Example. People worried more about job security in the past.

Past Participle

  1. Present Perfect Tense. To talk about actions or situations that occurred at an unspecified time in the past and have relevance to the present.
    Example. I have worried about this day for months.
    Example. They had already worried about the potential outcomes before the decision was announced.
    Example. The child was worried about by his parents all night.
    Example. She felt worried about the upcoming conference.
    Example. Having worried about her performance, she was relieved to hear positive feedback.
  2. Past Perfect Tense. For actions or situations that were completed before another action or time in the past.
    Example. I have worried about this day for months.
    Example. They had already worried about the potential outcomes before the decision was announced.
    Example. The child was worried about by his parents all night.
    Example. She felt worried about the upcoming conference.
    Example. Having worried about her performance, she was relieved to hear positive feedback.
  3. Passive Voice. Used to describe an action done to the subject.
    Example. I have worried about this day for months.
    Example. They had already worried about the potential outcomes before the decision was announced.
    Example. The child was worried about by his parents all night.
    Example. She felt worried about the upcoming conference.
    Example. Having worried about her performance, she was relieved to hear positive feedback.
  4. As an Adjective. To describe a feeling or state.
    Example. I have worried about this day for months.
    Example. They had already worried about the potential outcomes before the decision was announced.
    Example. The child was worried about by his parents all night.
    Example. She felt worried about the upcoming conference.
    Example. Having worried about her performance, she was relieved to hear positive feedback.
  5. Perfect Continuous Tenses. Although 'worried' itself is not used in these forms, its use in context to indicate ongoing past actions affecting the present can be implied in complex sentences.
    Example. I have worried about this day for months.
    Example. They had already worried about the potential outcomes before the decision was announced.
    Example. The child was worried about by his parents all night.
    Example. She felt worried about the upcoming conference.
    Example. Having worried about her performance, she was relieved to hear positive feedback.

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Ending

A common mistake is treating 'worry' as a regular verb by adding '-ed' for both its past simple and past participle forms. The correct form is 'worried' for both. However, learners often mistakenly write or say 'worryed' due to overgeneralizing the rule that applies to regular verbs. This error not only affects the verb's spelling but also its pronunciation, leading to misunderstandings in communication.

— 02

Confusing Role

Another mistake is misunderstanding 'worried' solely as an adjective and not recognizing its role as the past participle form of the verb 'worry.' For instance, in the sentence 'I have worried about this for days,' 'worried' functions as a verb indicating an action that started in the past and may continue into the present. Learners might incorrectly try to find a different past participle form or use 'worried' only to describe a state of being, overlooking its versatility.

— 03

Misuse in Perfect Tenses

A frequent error occurs when forming perfect tenses. Learners might incorrectly use 'worried' with 'did' in the past perfect tense, as in 'I did worried about it,' instead of the correct form 'I had worried about it.' This mistake stems from confusion between the simple past tense and the construction of perfect tenses, leading to incorrect verb forms that disrupt the sentence's grammatical structure and clarity.

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Frequently asked questions

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

The past simple form of 'worry' is 'worried.' The past participle form is also 'worried.'

How do you use the past simple form 'worried' in a sentence?

The past simple form 'worried' is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example. 'I worried about the exam yesterday.' This sentence indicates that the action of worrying occurred at a specific time in the past, which is yesterday. When should you use the past participle form 'worried'

Can 'worried' be used as an adjective, and if so, how?

Yes, 'worried' can also function as an adjective to describe a feeling of anxiety or concern. When used as an adjective, it can modify a noun. For example. 'She had a worried look on her face.' 'The worried parents waited for news about their missing child.' In these sentences, 'worried' describes the state of the subject, indicating that they are experiencing worry.