Choose between the past tense and past participle

🌟 Choose Between Past Tense & Past Participle 🌟

Past tense shows an action that happened in the past.

Usually ends with -ed for regular verbs.

Examples:

  • I played ⚽ yesterday.
  • She watched πŸ“Ί a movie last night.

Tip: Past tense tells β€œWhat happened?” βœ…

Past participle is used with helping verbs like have, has, had.

It shows an action that is completed or related to another time.

Examples:

  • I have eaten 🍎 breakfast.
  • She has finished ✏️ her homework.

Tip: Past participle tells β€œWhat has happened?” or β€œWhat had happened?” βœ…

Regular verbs: add -ed in past tense & past participle.

  • Example: walk β†’ walked β†’ walked

Irregular verbs: change completely or stay the same.

  • Example: go β†’ went β†’ gone
  • Example: see β†’ saw β†’ seen

Emoji Tip: πŸ”‘ Remember them as β€œmagic words” that change differently!

SituationUse Past TenseUse Past Participle
Simple action in pastI played football. ⚽❌ Not used alone
With have/has/had❌ Not used aloneI have played football. ⚽
Completed actionβœ”οΈβœ”οΈ

Memory Trick:

  • Past tense = action alone in the past ⏳
  • Past participle = action with helping verb πŸ“

1. Using past participle without have/has/had

  • ❌ I gone to school.
  • βœ… I have gone to school.

2. Confusing past tense & past participle for irregular verbs

  • ❌ He seen the movie.
  • βœ… He saw the movie.
  • βœ… He has seen the movie.

Ask yourself:

  1. Did I use a helping verb? β†’ Use past participle
  2. Is it alone in past? β†’ Use past tense

Practice with ✨ 10–15 irregular verbs every day!

  • πŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ = Past tense (I ran)
  • 🏁 = Past participle (I have run)

Let’s practice!