Certain English verbs can be confusing if not carefully mastered. Let's consider some of them.
1. hang
The verb has two entries in the English dictionary.
hang (1) past tense hanged
hang (2) past tense hung
hang.............Present tense (plural)
hangs...........Present tense (singular)
hanging........Continuous tense
hanged..........Past tense
hanged..........Past participle
hang.............Present tense (plural)
hangs...........Present tense (singular)
hanging........Continuous tense
hung.............Past tense
hung.............Past participle
Hang (1) means to killing by tying a rope around the neck. It is usually in relation to capital punishment or suicide. So, I often tell my students to use hang in relation to somebody. For example:
How on earth he hanged himself remains a mystery.
Hang (2) means to put or spread something on a wall or line. I often tell my students that it is used in relation to something. For example:
He hung the portrait of his mom in his bedroom.
What I have discovered is that examination bodies usually test the past tense forms of these verbs. Try and attempt the following.
1. Atuk, without giving any hint as to what he intended to do, went and..........himself.
A. hung
B. hanged
C. hang
D. hunged
2. When he arranged the furniture, he.........the picture on the wall.
A. hung
B. hanged
C. hang
D. hunged
3. I have already........the picture on the sitting room wall.
A. hanged
B. hugged
C. hang
D. hung
2. grind/ground
grind (past tense ground) -- to reduce something into smaller particles or flour
ground (past tense grounded) -- to prevent, inhibit or prohibit something
The confusion is usually with the past tense forms of these verbs. The past tense form of grind is ground, while there is another word ground (which can also be a noun) that the past tense is grounded. See the classification below.
grind.............Present tense (plural)
grinds...........Present tense (singular)
grinding........Continuous tense
ground..........Past tense
ground..........Past participle
ground.............Present tense (plural)
grounds...........Present tense (singular)
grounding........Continuous tense
grounded.........Past tense
grounded.........Past participle
Usage
grind (past tense--ground)
Have you ground the pepper?
Have you grinded the pepper? [Wrong]
She ground the dried beans into powder.
ground (past tense--grounded)
Her rickety car suddenly grounded to a halt.
Flights were grounded to a halt because of the poor weather.
Try and attempt the following questions
1. My friend's car has.......to a halt.
A. grinded
B. grounded
C. ground
D. grind
2. Bachelors find it convenient to buy........pepper.
A. grinded
B. grounded
C. ground
D. grind
3. The pepper has been.......by my sister.
A. grinded
B. grounded
C. ground
D. grind
4. She had........the tomatoes before the lights went off.
A. grinding
B. grind
C. grounded
D. ground
3. find/found
find (--past tense found) to recover something after it has been lost.
found (--past tense founded) to establish or start, for instance, an organization, institution or brand.
find.............Present tense (plural)
finds...........Present tense (singular)
finding........Continuous tense
found..........Past tense
found..........Past participle
found.............Present tense (plural)
founds...........Present tense (singular)
founding........Continuous tense
founded..........Past tense
founded..........Past participle
1. She found her bracelets on the floor. (past tense of find)
2. They founded their clothing brand few years ago. (past tense of found)
Quickly attempt these questions:
1. The clubs were not.......on solid ethical base.
A. funded
B. found
C. fond
D. founded
2. Who........it among you?
A. founded
B. finds
C. found
D. has founded
3. Do you know that about 12 of the English football clubs.......by churches?
A. are found
B. are founded
C. were founded
D. founded
4. think (verb)/thought(noun)
think.............Present tense (plural)
thinks...........Present tense (singular)
thinking........Continuous tense
thought..........Past tense
thought..........Past participle
1. I think I will be there.
(It is necessary to state here that the pronoun I, only agrees with two singular verbs: am and was. In other words, except for these two singular verbs, the pronoun I always agree with a plural verb, as in our example above.)
2. The teacher thinks I will make a good entrepreneur.
3. I am thinking of a possible solution.
4. 1. He always thought of himself as a future president.
But the word thought, which is the past tense of think, can be used as a noun. And mind you, a noun can be expressed either in singular or plural forms.
thought............(singular noun)
thoughts..........(plural noun)
1. A thought occurred to me.
2. He is a man of deep thoughts.
3. Our thoughts are with the families of the bereaved.
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