Quick Answer The past tense of go is went. With “have,” “has,” or “had,” use gone. Every day: I go to school. Yesterday: I went to school. Many times: I have gone to school many times. Go, Went, Gone — See the Pattern Read these sentences. Look at how the verb changes: Did you see…
Quick Answer The past tense of swing is swung. “Swang” and “swinged” are not correct. Every day: I swing the bat. Yesterday: I swung the bat. Many times: I have swung the bat before. Swing, Swung, Swung — See the Pattern Read these sentences. Look at how the verb changes: Did you see the pattern?…
Quick Answer The past tense of spit is spat. In American English, spit is also used as the past tense. Both are correct, but spat is the safest choice. Now: I spit out the seeds. Yesterday: I spat out the seeds. Many times: I have spat out seeds before. Spit, Spat, Spat — See the…
Quick Answer Both sped and speeded are correct. Use sped when someone moves fast. Use speeded up when something gets faster. Speed, Sped, Speeded — See the Pattern Look at these sentences. Watch how the word speed changes: Did you see the pattern? Sped is used when someone moves fast. Speeded is used with up…
Quick Answer Rational is a describing word (adjective). It means “logical” or “based on clear thinking.” Rationale is a naming word (noun). It means “the reason” behind a choice. “She made a rational decision.” vs “She explained the rationale for her decision.” Rational and Rationale — See the Difference These two words look almost the…
Quick Answer The past tense of ring is rang. With has, have, or had, use rung. For example: “She rang the bell” and “She has rung the bell.” Ring, Rang, Rung — See the Pattern Look at these three sentences. Watch how the word changes: Did you see the pattern? The vowel changes: i →…
Quick Answer Both photo shoot (two words) and photoshoot (one word) are used in English. The standard spelling is photo shoot — this is what dictionaries and style guides prefer. Photo Shoot or Photoshoot — What Is the Difference? You will see both spellings online and in print. Look at these examples: Did you see…
Quick Answer The past tense of mistake is mistook. When you use it with have, has, or had, the form is mistaken. For example: “I mistook her for someone else” and “I have mistaken the address.” Mistake, Mistook, Mistaken — See the Pattern Look at these sentences. Can you see how the verb changes? Did…
Quick Answer Lie down means to rest your body. Lay means to put something down. You lie down on the bed. You lay a book on the table. Right now: I lie down. / I lay the book down.Yesterday: I lay down. / I laid the book down.With have/has/had: I have lain down. / I…
Quick Answer Use was to talk about real things in the past (with I, he, she, it). Use were with you, we, and they in the past — and with all subjects for imaginary situations. Example: “She was tired” (real) but “If she were taller” (imaginary). Was and Were — See the Pattern Look at…
