What is the Past Tense of Put?
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What is the past tense of put – is it ‘put’ or ‘putted’? Put is an irregular verb. It doesn’t follow the standard rules for forming the past tense. Let’s explore the proper usage and conjugations.
Key Takeaways:
- The past tense of “put” is simply “put” (no ed ending)
- The past participle is also “put”
- “Put” is an irregular verb
Grammatical Properties of Put
Verbs have several grammatical properties. These determine how they are conjugated and used in sentences. Understanding these properties helps clarify why “put” follows its irregular conjugation pattern.
- Verb Type: Action verb (puts something somewhere)
- Transitivity: Transitive (requires a direct object)
- Aspect: Can be used in simple, perfect, and progressive aspects
Forming the past tense of put:
- Simple Past Tense: put
- Past Participle: put
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Examples in Sentences:
- She put the book on the table. (simple present)
- She put the book on the table yesterday. (simple past)
- She has put the book on the table. (present perfect)
How To Conjugate Put
Past tense conjugation
- I/You/We/They put
- He/She/It put
Present Tense Conjugation
- I/You/We/They put
- He/She/It puts
Future tense conjugation
- Simple future: I will put/You will put, etc.
- Future perfect: I will have put/You will have put, etc.
Regular and Irregular Conjugation
Regular Verbs
Most verbs follow regular rules when we change them for different subjects or times. These are called regular verbs.
For example, with the verb “walk”:
- I walk
- You walk
- He/She/It walks
- We walked
- They walked
We add -ed to the end for past tense. Easy!
Irregular Verbs
But some verbs are rule-breakers! These don’t follow the regular patterns. We call them irregular verbs.
With the verb “put”:
- I put
- You put
- He/She/It puts
- We put
- They put
See how it doesn’t follow the normal -ed rule for past tense? Instead of “putted”, the past tense is just “put”:
- I put the book down yesterday.
While “put” has an irregular past tense form, its other conjugations follow regular patterns:
- Present participle: putting
- Third person singular: puts
So in summary, put/put/put is the proper conjugation for past/past participle/simple past forms.
Why Are Some Irregular?
Irregular verbs are oddballs left over from a long time ago. The rules for conjugating them got jumbled over the centuries.
While they may seem weird at first, once you get used to their irregular patterns, they make sense.
Examples
Other common irregular verbs are:
- Go -> Went
- See -> Saw
- Do -> Did
- Have -> Had
So in short: Regular verbs follow normal rules when changing for past/future. Irregular verbs don’t follow the rules. You have to memorize their patterns.
With practice, both types of conjugations will become easy!
Past Participle vs Past Tense of Put
Past Tense
Describes actions that already happened or were completed
Example:
- I put toys away.
Past Participle
Forms perfect tenses to describe ongoing actions from the past. Also used to form passive voice.
Example:
- I have put the key in my pocket. (present perfect)
- The key was put on the table. (passive voice)
More Verb Tenses With “Put”
Perfect Tenses
Verbs tell us when things happen. There are past, present, and future verbs.
Some verbs give us even more info about when things happen. They are called “perfect tense” verbs.
- Present perfect: have/has put (describes an action started in the past but connects to now)
- Past perfect: had put (describes an action completed before another past event)
- Future perfect: will have put (describes an action that will be completed before a point in the future)
Progressive Tenses
The progressive tenses represent ongoing or continuing actions.
- Present progressive: am/is/are putting
- Past progressive: was/were putting
- Future progressive: will be putting
Common Uses and Examples
Put is a highly versatile verb used in many contexts. Here are some example sentences in various tenses:
Past Tense of Put:
Simple Past:
- I put the book on the shelf.
- She put on her coat before going outside.
Past Continuous:
- I was putting away my toys when it was time for dinner.
- We were putting together a puzzle all afternoon.
- She was putting on her coat to go outside.
Past Participle:
- After school, I had put all my books in my backpack.
- They had put gas in the car before their road trip.
- The clothes had been put in the dryer to warm up.
Present Tense of put:
Simple Present:
- At school, I put my homework papers inside my folder for my teacher.
- Each morning she puts a bird feeder out to watch the birds.
Present Continuous:
- They are putting up decorations for the party.
- We are putting together a new bookshelf.
Verbal Aspects
The verb “put” can also be used in the perfect and continuous aspects:
Perfect Aspect
The perfect aspect represents actions that are already completed.
- Present perfect: have/has put
- Past perfect: had put
- Future perfect: will have put
Continuous Aspect
The continuous aspect represents ongoing or continuing actions.
- Present continuous: am/is/are putting
- Past continuous: was/were putting
- Future continuous: will be putting
These aspects allow us to express finer shades of meaning about the action of putting something somewhere over a period of time.
Using “Put” Correctly
The choice of verb tense depends on the time context:
Negative and Affirmative Forms
- She put the book on the table. (affirmative past)
- He did not put the book back. (negative past)
Imperatives and Queries
- Did you put the key in your pocket? (question past)
- Put the dishes in the sink, please. (imperative)
So in summary, while “put” follows some irregular patterns for past tense, understanding these forms is crucial for clear communication.
Definition and Origin of Put
To put means to move something into a specific position or place.
This verb stems from the Old English “putian” meaning to push or thrust.
Mastering all the conjugations of this highly useful verb will ensure you can discuss putting things in their proper place accurately. Keep this guide handy any time you need to double check the proper past tense of put!
