The simple past tense of catch is “caught” (e.g., “The police caught the suspect yesterday”). The past participle of the verb “catch” is also “caught” (e.g., “They have caught the suspect,” “He was caught trying to enter his apartment building”).
As well as “seize from the air with your hands,” the verb catch has other meanings such as “discover someone doing something forbidden” and “manage to hear something.”
Past tense of catch examples in a sentenceMikel threw her the key, and she casually caught it in one hand.
Gabriel found his presents; I caught him taking a peek.
Published on
March 7, 2025
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
November 4, 2025
The simple past tense of hurt is “hurt” (e.g., “I slipped and hurt my knee”). The past participle of the verb “hurt” is also “hurt” (e.g., “Have you hurt your knee?).
Past tense of hurt examples
Simple past tense
Past participle
My hand hurt at first, but the pain went away after a couple of days.
I’ve hurt my hand and I can’t type.
She had a skiing accident and hurt herself quite badly.
She had a skiing accident and was hurt quite badly.
The simple past tense of leave is “left” (e.g., “I left early because I had another appointment”). The past participle of the verb “leave” is also “left” (e.g., “I’ve left my umbrella at work”).
Past tense of leave examples
Simple past tense
Past participle
Martina left the party about an hour ago.
I think Martina has already left.
Someone left their violin on the train, so I told the conductor.
She just told the conductor that someone had left their violin on the train.
The simple past tense of hear is “heard” (e.g., “I heard a strange noise in the night”). The past participle of “hear” is also “heard” (e.g. “Have you heard the news?).
If you’ve heard from someone, it means they have contacted you. If you’ve heard of something or someone, it means you are aware of it or them.
Past tense of hear
Simple past tense form
Past participle form
I heard from Serena last week; she sent me a nice email.
I haven’t heard from Serena in a long time.
I heard what you said, but I didn’t understand it.
I’d never heard of geocaching before my daughter told me about it.
The simple past tense of eat is “ate” (e.g., “Somebody ate all the cupcakes I left in the kitchen”). The past participle of “eat” is “eaten” (e.g., “Somebody has eaten all the cupcakes”).
Past tense of eat examples
Simple past of eat
Past participle of eat
It was sunny, so I ate my lunch in the park.
It’s a good restaurant; I’ve eaten there a few times.
Who ate the last slice of pizza?
Have you ever eaten there before?
There was a free buffet, and I ate too much.
I’d never eaten there before.
We picked some figs from the trees and ate them for supper.
I left some seed out for the birds, but it was eaten by a squirrel.
Published on
February 26, 2025
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
March 27, 2025
Soft skills for a resume are the abilities that enable you to interact and communicate effectively with customers, clients, and coworkers. Soft skills are less “teachable” than hard skills because they’re closely tied to your personality and character. You typically develop these skills through practical experience rather than formal education.
Published on
February 26, 2025
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
April 17, 2025
Hard skills for a resume are specific competencies that you typically acquire through formal education or training or by doing a particular job (e.g., being able to program using JavaScript or speak a foreign language). This contrasts with soft skills, which are to do with how you interact with other people and your personality (e.g., patience, attention to detail, and flexibility).
Hard skills relate to the know-how you need to perform a specific task, whereas soft skills enable you to collaborate effectively, manage your time well, and adapt to different work environments—making them relevant to a wider range of jobs. Descriptions of hard skills are a crucial component of resumes, cover letters and letters of interest.
Technical skills are a subcategory of hard skills. These are the hard skills required to use specific tools or technologies such as programming languages (e.g., Python), machinery (e.g., forklifts), or software platforms (e.g., CAD software).
The simple past tense of ski is “skied,” and its past participle form is also “skied” (i.e., spelled with one “i.”). However, if you want to use the verb “ski” in the past progressive tense, the verb form has a double “i” (e.g., “She was skiing in Aspen”).
