Helpful Guide: What Is the Past Tense of Help?

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Welcome to our article on the past tense of the verb ‘help’. As one of the most commonly used verbs in the English language, it’s important to understand how to use ‘help’ in its various forms, including the past tense. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about using ‘helped’ correctly in sentences, including common mistakes to avoid and practice exercises to help you master this essential grammar concept.

Past Tense of Help

Past Tense of Help

If you’re learning English, understanding the past tense is essential. The past tense is used to describe actions that have already happened. In this section, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the past tense of the verb “help.”

To form the past tense of “help,” we add “-ed” to the base form of the verb. So, “help” becomes “helped.” Here are some examples:

• Yesterday, I helped my friend move to a new apartment.
• The teacher helped the student with his homework.
• They helped their neighbors during the hurricane.

However, there are some irregular verbs, here are some examples:

In summary, the past tense of “help” is “helped,” but there are some irregular verbs that don’t follow this rule. Understanding the past tense is essential for learning English, and with practice, you’ll be able to use it correctly in your writing and speaking.

The Verb ‘Help’ in Past Tense

Learning the past tense of the verb ‘help’ is essential for anyone who wants to communicate effectively in English. The past tense of ‘help’ is used to describe actions that occurred in the past. In this section, we will discuss the different forms of the past tense of ‘help’ and how to use them correctly.

Simple Past Tense

The simple past tense of ‘help’ is formed by adding ‘-ed’ to the base form of the verb. Therefore, the past tense of ‘help’ is ‘helped’. Here are some examples of sentences in the simple past tense:

• I helped my friend with his homework yesterday.
• She helped her mother to cook dinner last night.
• The teacher helped the students to understand the lesson.

Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense of ‘help’ is formed by using the past tense of the verb ‘to be’ (was/were) followed by the present participle of ‘help’ (-ing). Here are some examples of sentences in the past continuous tense:

• I was helping my friend with his homework when the phone rang.
• She was helping her mother to cook dinner when I arrived.
• The teacher was helping the students to understand the lesson when the bell rang.

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense of ‘help’ is formed by using the past participle of ‘help’ (helped) and the past tense of the verb ‘to have’ (had). Here are some examples of sentences in the past perfect tense:

• I had helped my friend with his homework before he went to bed.
• She had helped her mother to cook dinner before I arrived.
• The teacher had helped the students to understand the lesson before the exam.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The past perfect continuous tense of ‘help’ is formed by using the past participle of ‘help’ (helped), the past tense of the verb ‘to have’ (had), and the present participle of ‘help’ (-ing). Here are some examples of sentences in the past perfect continuous tense:

• I had been helping my friend with his homework for an hour before he finished.
• She had been helping her mother to cook dinner for two hours before I arrived.
• The teacher had been helping the students to understand the lesson for the whole period before the bell rang.

Now that you know the different forms of the past tense of ‘help’, you can use them correctly in your writing and speaking. Practice using these tenses in different contexts to improve your English grammar skills.

Using ‘Helped’ in Sentences

If you want to talk about something that happened in the past and you want to use the verb ‘help’, you need to use the past tense of the verb, which is ‘helped’. In this section, we will look at how to use ‘helped’ in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences.

Affirmative Sentences

An affirmative sentence is a sentence that states a fact or an action that occurred. Here are some examples of affirmative sentences using ‘helped’:

• I helped my friend with her homework yesterday.
• She helped me carry the boxes to the car.
• They helped their neighbors after the storm.

Negative Sentences

A negative sentence is a sentence that expresses the opposite of a positive statement. Here are some examples of negative sentences using ‘helped’:

• I did not help my brother with his project last night.
• She did not help me with the dishes after dinner.
• They did not help the old lady cross the street.

Interrogative Sentences

An interrogative sentence is a sentence that asks a question. Here are some examples of interrogative sentences using ‘helped’:

• Did you help your sister with her science project?

In summary, when using the past tense of ‘help’, which is ‘helped’, you can use it in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences. Remember to use the correct form of the verb based on the subject and the tense of the sentence.

Common Mistakes with ‘Helped’

When using the past tense of ‘help’, many English learners make common mistakes. Here are some of the most frequent errors to avoid:

Using ‘helped’ with an infinitive verb

One common mistake is to use ‘helped’ followed by an infinitive verb. For example, “I helped to clean the house.” Although this sentence is understandable, it is not grammatically correct. The correct form is “I helped clean the house.”

Using ‘helped’ with ‘to’

Another common mistake is to use ‘helped’ followed by ‘to’ and a verb. For example, “I helped to carry the bags.” This is incorrect. The correct form is “I helped carry the bags.”

Using ‘helped’ as a linking verb

Sometimes, ‘helped’ is used as a linking verb, but this is not correct. For example, “The book helped interesting.” This sentence should be “The book was helpful/interesting.”

Using ‘helped’ with ‘that’

Using ‘helped’ with ‘that’ can also be a mistake. For example, “I helped that he finished his homework.” The correct form is “I helped him finish his homework.”

Using ‘helped’ with ‘with’

Finally, using ‘helped’ with ‘with’ can also be incorrect. For example, “I helped with cooking dinner.” The correct form is “I helped cook dinner.”

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can improve your use of the past tense of ‘help’ and communicate more effectively in English.

Practice Exercises

Learning the past tense of “help” is essential for mastering English grammar. In this section, we will provide you with some practice exercises to help you improve your skills. We will cover three types of exercises: Fill in the Blanks, Correct the Mistakes, and Sentence Formation.

Fill in the Blanks

In this exercise, you will be provided with a sentence with a blank space. Your task is to fill in the blank space with the correct form of the past tense of “help”. Here are some examples:

1. Yesterday, I __________ my friend with his homework. (help)
2. She __________ her mother in the kitchen last night. (help)
3. They __________ the old lady cross the street. (help)

Correct the Mistakes

In this exercise, you will be given a sentence with a mistake in the past tense of “help”. Your task is to correct the mistake. Here are some examples:

1. He helpt me with my project. (helped)
2. They has helped us before. (have helped)
3. She didn’t helped him with his problem. (didn’t help)

Sentence Formation

In this exercise, you will be given a verb and you need to form a sentence in the past tense of “help” using that verb. Here are some examples:

1. Verb: teach
   Sentence: She helped me teach my little sister how to ride a bike.
2. Verb: clean
   Sentence: He helped me clean the house yesterday.
3. Verb: fix
   Sentence: They helped me fix my car last week.

By practicing these exercises, you will be able to improve your understanding and usage of the past tense of “help”. Keep practicing and you will soon master this important aspect of English grammar.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the past tense of the verb ‘help’?

The past tense of ‘help’ is ‘helped’. It is a regular verb, so it follows the standard rules for forming the past tense by adding ‘-ed’ to the base form of the verb.

How do you use the past tense of ‘help’ in a sentence?

To use the past tense of ‘help’ in a sentence, you simply conjugate the verb to match the subject and tense of the sentence. For example, “Yesterday, I helped my friend move to a new apartment.”

What are some examples of sentences using the past tense of ‘help’?

• She helped me with my homework last night.
• They helped their neighbors clean up after the storm.
• He helped his sister prepare for her job interview.

How do you teach the past tense of ‘help’ in English grammar?

One effective way to teach the past tense of ‘help’ is to provide plenty of examples and practice exercises. You can also use visual aids, such as a chart or diagram, to help students understand the concept.

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