Past Tense of Know: What You Need to Know About English Past Tense

Hello and welcome to our article about the past tense of know. Understanding tenses in English is crucial, as it can affect the meaning of a sentence. The past tense is used to describe actions that have already happened, and it is normally formed by adding “-ed” to the base form of the verb. However, irregular verbs like “know” have different forms in the past tense. Therefore, it is essential to learn the correct past tense form of “know” to communicate effectively in English.

By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of the past tense of know and be able to use it correctly in your sentences.

Past Tense of Know

Contents

Definition of Know and the Past Tense of Know

When we talk about the past tense of “know,” we are referring to the form of the verb that describes an action that has already happened. The past tense of know is “knew.”

“Know” is a verb that means to have information or knowledge about something. It can also mean to be familiar or acquainted with someone or something. For example, “I know the answer to that question” or “Do you know John?”

Here is a table that shows the conjugation of “know” in the present, past, and past participle tenses:

Tense	Conjugation
Present	know
Past	knew
Past Participle	known

It’s important to note that the past participle of “know” is “known,” not “knew.” The past participle is used in conjunction with helping verbs like “have” to form the present perfect tense. For example, “I have known John for years.”

Usage of Past Tense of Know

Simple Past Tense

The simple past tense of know is “knew”. It is used to describe a completed action in the past. For example, “Yesterday, you knew the answer to the question.”

Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense of “know” is “was/were knowing”. It is used to describe an action that was ongoing in the past. For example, “At 3 pm yesterday, you were knowing the answer to the question.”

Past Perfect

The past perfect tense of “know” is “had known”. It is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. For example, “By the time you took the test, you had known the answer to the question.”

Past Perfect Continuous

The past perfect continuous tense of “know” is “had been knowing”. It is used to describe an action that was ongoing before another action in the past. For example, “Before you took the test, you had been knowing the answer to the question for a long time.”

Past Tense of Know in Different Types of Sentences

When using the past tense of know, it is important to understand how to use it in affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences. Here is a breakdown of how to use the past tense of know in each of these sentence types:

Affirmative Sentences

In affirmative sentences, the past tense of “know” is “knew.” Here are some examples:

You knew the answer to the question.
She knew the truth about what happened.
They knew the location of the event.

Negative Sentences

In negative sentences, the past tense of “know” is “did not know” or “didn’t know.” Here are some examples:

You didn’t know the answer to the question.
She did not know the truth about what happened.
They didn’t know the location of the event.

Interrogative Sentences

In interrogative sentences, the past tense of “know” is used in the form “Did…know”. Here are some examples:

Did you know the answer to the question?
Did they know the location of the event?

Using Know in Different Contexts

Knowing how to use the verb “know” in different contexts can help you communicate more effectively. Here are some ways you can use “know” in different situations:

Epistemic Knowledge

Epistemic knowledge refers to knowledge that is based on evidence, facts, or logical reasoning. It is often associated with certainty and truth. For example, you might say:

“You know that the Earth revolves around the Sun because of scientific evidence.”
“I know the answer to the math problem because I studied it extensively.”

Knowledge of People

You can also use “know” to talk about your familiarity with people. For example:

“I know John from work. He’s a great guy.”
“Do you know anyone who could help me move this weekend?”

Knowledge of Places

You can use “know” to talk about your familiarity with places. For example:

“I know this city like the back of my hand. I can show you around.”
“Do you know where the nearest gas station is?”

Knowledge of Things

Finally, you can use “know” to talk about your familiarity with things. For example:

“I know how to fix a leaky faucet.”
“Do you know how to play chess?”

In each of these contexts, the past tense of “know” is “knew.” For example:

“I knew John from work. He was a great guy.”
“Do you know anyone who could help me move this weekend?”

Common Mistakes with Past Tense of Know

When it comes to the past tense of “know”, there are a few common mistakes that people tend to make. Here are some of the most frequent errors and how to avoid them:

Using “knew” instead of “known”

One of the most common mistakes with the past tense of “know” is using “knew” instead of “known”. While “knew” is a past tense form of “know”, it is not the correct form to use in all situations. The past and present participle form of know is “known”. For example, “I have known her for years” is correct.

Confusing “knew” and “new”

Another common mistake is confusing “knew” with “new”. “Knew” is the past tense form of “know”, while “new” is an adjective that means recently made or discovered. For example, “I knew the answer was new information” is correct, while “I new the answer was new information” is incorrect.

Using “knowed” instead of “knew”

“Knowed” is not a correct past tense form of “know”. The correct past tense form is “knew”. “Knowed” is considered nonstandard or dialectical English and should be avoided.

Using present tense instead of past tense

Another common mistake is using the present tense form of “know” instead of the past tense form. It is important to use the correct tense to accurately convey the time of the action. For example, “I know the answer yesterday” is incorrect. The correct sentence would be “I knew the answer yesterday”.

Collocations and Phrases with Know

When it comes to using the verb “know” in different contexts, there are several collocations and phrases that can help you express yourself more accurately. Here are some of the most common ones:

Know for sure/certain: When you are completely confident about something, you can say that you know it for sure/certain. For example: “I know for sure that I left my keys on the kitchen counter.”
Know what you said/did: If you can remember the exact words or actions you took in a specific situation, you can say that you know what you said/did. For example: “I know what I said to her, and I regret it.”
Know how much/many/few: When you have a good understanding of the quantity of something, you can use “know” with “much”, “many”, or “few”. For example: “I know how many people are coming to the party.”
Know how to make/get/do/tell: When you have the ability to perform a specific task, you can use “know” with “how to” and the verb that describes the task. For example: “I know how to make a delicious lasagna.”
Know how to drive/swim/read and write/tell the time: These are some common skills that you can use “know” with to express your abilities. For example: “I know how to swim, but I’m not very good at it.”
Want to know why: When you are curious about the reason behind something, you can use “want to know why” to ask for an explanation. For example: “I want to know why you didn’t show up to the meeting.”
Know the answer/truth/difference: When you have the correct information or knowledge about a specific topic, you can use “know” with “the answer”, “the truth”, or “the difference”. For example: “I know the answer to that question, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”

By using these collocations and phrases with “know”, you can communicate your thoughts and ideas more effectively in various situations.

Tips to Remember the Past Tense of Verbs

Learning English verb tenses can be challenging, especially when it comes to irregular verbs like “know.” However, with a few tips and tricks, you can easily remember the past tense of “know” and other irregular verbs.

Memorize the irregular verbs

One of the best ways to remember the past tense of irregular verbs like “know” is to memorize them. Here are some of the most commonly used irregular verbs in English:

Infinitive	Past Simple	Past Participle
know	knew	known
go	went	gone
come	came	come
see	saw	seen
give	gave	given
take	took	taken

By memorizing these irregular verbs, you’ll be able to use them correctly in your writing and conversation.

Practice using the past tense

Another way to remember the past tense of “know” and other irregular verbs is to practice using them in context. Try writing sentences or paragraphs using the past tense of irregular verbs, or use them in conversation with a friend or language partner.

Use memory aids

Memory aids can be a helpful tool for remembering the past tense of irregular verbs. For example, you could create flashcards with the infinitive, past simple, and past participle forms of irregular verbs, or use a mnemonic device to help you remember a particular verb. For example, you could remember the past tense of “know” by associating it with the word “new” – “I knew she liked my new dress.”

Understanding Regular and Irregular Verbs

When it comes to learning English, understanding regular and irregular verbs is essential. Verbs are words that describe an action, state of being, or occurrence. The past tense of a verb is used to describe an action that has already happened. There are two types of past tense verbs: regular and irregular.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs are the most common type of verbs in English. They follow a simple rule: to form the past tense, add “-ed” to the base form of the verb. For example:

Walk (base form) -> walked (past tense)
Talk (base form) -> talked (past tense)
Play (base form) -> played (past tense)

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. Here are some common examples:

Verbs that end in “-e” only need to add “-d” to form the past tense. For example: love -> loved, dance -> danced.
Verbs that end in a consonant followed by a “y” change the “y” to an “i” and add “-ed”. For example: study -> studied, try -> tried.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs, on the other hand, do not follow a set pattern. They have unique past tense forms that do not end in “-ed”. Some common irregular verbs include:

Be (base form) -> was/were (past tense)
Go (base form) -> went (past tense)
Eat (base form) -> ate (past tense)

It’s important to memorize irregular verbs because they do not follow a set pattern. However, there are some common irregular verbs that follow a pattern. For example:

Verbs that end in “-ght” change the “-ght” to “-ght” in the past tense. For example: fight -> fought, light -> lit.

Rules When Forming Irregular Verbs

When forming the past tense and past participle of irregular verbs, there are no set rules to follow. Each irregular verb has its own unique form. However, there are some general patterns that can help you recognize irregular verbs and form their past tense and past participle correctly.

Vowel Changes

One common pattern for irregular verbs is a vowel change in the past tense and/or past participle form. For example, the irregular verb “know” has the past tense form “knew” and the past participle form “known”. Notice the vowel change from “o” to “e” in both forms.

Adding “n” or “en”

Another pattern for irregular verbs is adding “n” or “en” to the base form to create the past participle form. For example, the irregular verb “break” has the past tense form “broke” and the past participle form “broken”. Notice the addition of “en” to the base form “break”.

No Change

Some irregular verbs have the same base form, past tense form, and past participle form. For example, the irregular verb “put” has the same form for all three: “put”. There is no change in the verb form for past tense or past participle.

Remember that these are just only a few rules for forming irregular verbs. In fact, some verbs behave very differently. The only way for you to master irregular verbs is through consistent practice.

Here is a list of some common irregular verbs with their base form, past tense, and past participle:

Base Form	Past Tense	Past Participle
know	knew	known
begin	began	begun
do	did	done
eat	ate	eaten
go	went	gone
have	had	had
make	made	made
see	saw	seen
take	took	taken
write	wrote	written

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the past tense of know?

The past tense of know is knew. For example, “Yesterday, I knew the answer to that question.”

What is the past participle of know?

The past participle of know is known. For example, “I have known him for years.”

What is the difference between the simple past and past perfect tenses?

The simple past tense is used to describe a completed action in the past, while the past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. For example, “I ate breakfast before I went to work” uses the simple past tense to describe two completed actions in the past, while “I had eaten breakfast before I went to work” uses the past perfect tense to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

Can the past tense be used to express a hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situation?

Yes, the past tense can be used to express a hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situation in the present or future. For example, “If I had more money, I would buy a new car” uses the past tense “had” to describe a hypothetical situation in the present or future.

Can you give examples of the past tense and past participle of other irregular verbs?

Certainly! Here are some examples:

Eat: I ate breakfast this morning. I have eaten too much.
Go: She went to the store yesterday. They have gone on vacation.
See: He saw the movie last night. We have seen that before.

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