rule of not follow tens rule

Question

Why we use second form of verb with was ?and some time we don't follow rule plz tell me about it...

Englishmaven · Accepted Answer

Why do we use the second form of the verb with was? And sometimes, we don't follow the rule. Please tell me about it

We do not use the second form of the verb with was; we use the present participle or the past participle.

Was the teacher grading the students' tests?
He was informing the students that he would be absence for a week.
He was challenged by the difficult math problem. (That is the past participle, the third form, which is the same as the second form. We know it is the third form because it is working with "was.")
He was driven to the concert. (Not *He was drove to the concert.)
He was driving the truck through the mountain roads.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Anonymousplz

Please, not plz. Plz is not a valid English word.

OK. Verbs in English have 4 different forms:
1. base (infinitive) - this is the dictionary entry
2. past - used for the past tense.
3. present participle = base + -ing
4. past participle - this is used in the passive voice

"be" is irregular. It has 2 past forms, was and were.
"be" is a helping verb in the passive voice and progressive (continuous) tenses.

I was sick. (Past tense.)
He was running. (past progressive)

Passive voice forms. The passive voice uses a form a "be" + the past participle
I was bitten by a snake. (past tense, passive voice)
The active voice form is: A snake bit me.

I was being supported by a friend. (past progressive/continuous, passive voice.
The active voice form is "My friend was supporting me."

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousWhy do we use the second form of the verb with 'was' ?

The past passive has 'was' (or 'were') and the 3rd form of the verb. Very frequently the 2nd and the 3rd forms are the same, so it might look to you like the 2nd form is being used, but it's really the 3rd form.

1 ............ 2 ............. 3 ...............
take ...... took ......... taken ......... (2nd and 3rd different)
invite ..... invited ..... invited ....... (2nd and 3rd same)

was taken (were taken) / was invited (were invited)

We know from the pattern "was taken" that the 3rd form is used after 'was', so when we see "was invited" we know it's 'invited' (3rd form), not 'invited' (2nd form).

CJ

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