PAST TENSE Definition & Meaning

past tense

[ past tens ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Grammar.

(in English) the simple past.
any verb formation or construction used to express an action or state occurring in the past, such as, in English, the past progressive, present perfect, and pluperfect tenses.
an instance or form of a specific verb expressing a past action or state.

Discover More

�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of past tense¹

First recorded in 1650–60

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

I’ve never liked the past tense — grieved — as that implies a conclusion to something that changes us, alters our course and continues to define us.

From

“Prison was hard for me,” he said, speaking of his incarceration in past tense.

From

A post on the shop’s website thanking former customers now uses the past tense: “Steve’s Pets was a family-owned and operated pet store and grooming shop in business for decades.”

From

For example, for a word in the past tense, they draw a backwards clock.

From

His mother is already speaking in the past tense.

From

Browse