Put is a verb meaning “to place” (e.g., “Aidan put the vase on the table”). It is an irregular verb and doesn’t form the simple past or past participle by adding “-ed.” Instead, its past tense and past participle are also “put.”
Put requires a direct object and is often followed by a prepositional phrase (e.g., “in the closet,” “next to the chair”). “Put” is also used to form many phrasal verbs (e.g., “put off,” “put down”).
Past tense of put in a sentence examplesElijah put the roast in the oven.
The firefighters had put the fire out very quickly.
A self-fulfilling prophecy describes a set of circumstances where a person’s belief about a future situation contributes to that belief coming true. It is more likely to be a negative belief or outcome. The explanation for the phenomenon is that our expectations unconsciously affect our behavior.
Self-fulfilling prophecy exampleYou are a keen amateur photographer, and your brother has asked you to photograph his wedding. You can’t really say no, but you don’t think you are good enough. As a consequence, you are nervous on the day, fumbling with the camera and equipment, and making the bridal party and guests nervous.
As a result, the photos are awkward and don’t come up to the standard you would like. Your beliefs about your abilities have caused you to underperform, and what you feared would come true, has.
A self-fulfilling prophecy is not necessarily a negative thing, and it can be positive. Self-fulfilling prophecies can be found in all manner of contexts, such as business, healthcare, or education.
Most dictionaries indicate that the correct past tense and past participle of the irregular verbgrind is “ground.” Some recognize “grinded” as a widely used alternative, but it would be wise to avoid it in formal or academic writing.
Past tense of ground in a sentence examples
Formal English
Informal English
The barista ground the coffee with expert precision.
The pressure of the job had ground Joe down over the years.
The glass had been ground to produce an opaque finish.
Josh grinded the rail on his skateboard like a pro.
It wasn’t pretty, but the team grinded out the win.
Stella winced as her boyfriend grinded the gears of her Mustang.
NoteThere is a separate verb “ground,” which describes when a plane is kept on the ground or a child is not allowed to leave their house as a punishment (e.g., “Bill’s plane had been grounded by the terrible weather” or “Rose knew that she was going to be grounded for this”).
Glow is a verb meaning “produce a soft, dim light” and a noun describing that same light. It is a regular verb, so it uses the “-ed” ending to produce the simple past and past participle forms.
Glow can also be used in a nonliteral sense to refer to how a person’s face looks when they are happy or healthy-looking (e.g., “Emma glowed with satisfaction and joy”).
Glowed in a sentence examplesThe battery in the flashlight was dying, and its bulb glowed dimly.
Looking back, we realized that our hopes had glowed brighter that year than at any time since.
Betty loved the outdoor life, and her skin glowed with health.
Desert and dessert are two completely different words with similar spellings. Depending on the meaning, their pronunciation can be the same or different.
Dessert is always a noun, whereas desert can be a noun (with two completely different meanings) or a verb.
Spelling
Pronunciation
Example sentences
Desert [verb]
We had to desert the sun loungers as the storm raced in from nowhere.
Desert [noun]
Many people are surprised to learn that the largest desert on Earth is Antarctica, not the Sahara!
Desert [noun]
It was difficult not to gloat, but it felt like Jack had gotten his just deserts.
Dessert [noun]
Amy has a really sweet tooth, and dessert is always her favorite course.
When you imply something (i.e., suggesting something without stating it directly), then you are making an implication. Implication is a noun, which also means implicating someone in a crime (i.e., strongly suggesting they were involved in the act).
The plural form, implications, is used in academic writing and refers to the consequences or influence of a study’s findings .
Implication in a sentence examplesThere was an implication in the prime minister’s farewell speech that she would fight to return to power.
If this is true, then the implications are far-reaching and potentially disastrous.
Is the implication that there might be the chance of promotion later in the year?
The suspect’s full and frank confession led to the inevitable implication of his brother in the offense.
NoteImplication and inference (from imply and infer) are often incorrectly used interchangeably. An implication is made by a speaker or writer, and the listener or reader makes the inference from what is said or written.
A protagonist is the main character in a work of fiction. It is a noun that can be used in a more general sense outside of fiction to refer to the principal people involved in a real-life situation. This use is less common, however.
The idea of a protagonist comes from ancient Greek drama and refers to the actor who plays the main role in a play and is often opposed by an antagonist.
Protagonist in a sentence examplesIt was clear within the first few pages who the protagonist was in this novel.
Macbeth is the protagonist of the eponymous Shakespeare play.
The Luddites were protagonists in the 19th-century fight for workers’ rights in the UK.
The teacher stepped in and separated the two protagonists in the brawl.
Alike is both an adverb and an adjective that means “in a similar way.” The degree of similarity expressed by alike varies with context, from almost identical to a general resemblance.
Alike in a sentence examplesIt was difficult to believe they were brothers, as they were nothing alike.
My father and I sound very alike on the phone, and people have difficulty knowing which one of us it is.
Lab-grown diamonds and the real thing are so alike that for most people it’s not worth paying extra for the real ones.
Loquacious is an adjective that means “fond of talking” or “very talkative.” The context of its use will determine if it carries negative or positive connotations.
In many instances, loquacious and talkative can be used interchangeably, but sometimes loquacious implies a speaker who is eloquent or articulate, whereas “talkative” would not carry this meaning.
Loquacious in a sentence examplesFor a five-year-old, Veronika is surprisingly loquacious.
This was his last house call, and the doctor lapsed into a surprisingly loquacious frame of mind.
Normally shy and diffident, Marty was especially loquacious at the meeting, perhaps because he felt so passionately about the subject.
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If you want to know more about citation, reasoning, or rhetoric, check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
