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to seek a knot in a bulrush (to attempt a futile task).He searched long and hard, and eventually found what he had sought. He had not estimated that if Jean Baptiste sought his wife secretly, it must have been because he wished to avoid him. She had problems and sought advice from her friends and family. Our family had sought protection from the cold weather and hostile elements. Examples of the past participle, sought, in context: The explorers sought the fountain of youth deep in the rainforest. They sought refuge in the mountain villages. The boss sought a perfect fit for the team: someone reliable, sociable, and experienced. Graduates in the physical sciences are most sought after by employers these days. He has not sought medical treatment for his condition. ( present participle)Įxamples of the past tense, sought, in context: She fled the country and is now seeking asylum in Sweden. She managed to calm him down and seek help from a neighbour. We need to seek approval from the local council. She tried to seek a solution for the problem. Examples of the present tense verb, seek, in context Since the auxiliary had is written before ' sought' in the second sentence above, this indicates it is the participle form of the verb, ' sought' (not the simple past). Here's a quick tip that'll make things easierįor participle forms in general, the way to spot them in a sentence is by looking for any auxiliary verbs, such as had/ have.Ĭhances are, if there's an auxiliary/ helper verb ( had/ have) and the past participle, then it is the participle form of the verb (not the simple past or present). When both past tense and past participle forms are the same, it becomes a bit more confusing which form of the verb is being applied. Past participle: My mother had sought protection from the cold and harsh climate. Past tense: They sought refuge in the mountain villages. past tense of seek?Ĭompare these sentences that show seek in the past tense vs. What's the difference between the past participle vs. But the present tense of sought does not rhyme with bring, as does sing, or ring. The correct past tense (and past participle) is sought, which rhymes with brought, which is the past tense of bring. Technically, seeked is not a word in English (though most peopled would understand what is communicated). Sought is also the past participle: Our family had sought protection from the cold weather and hostile elements. Sought is the simple past: The pilot sought permission to land. Seeking is the present participle: The company is seeking new ways to improve service. Seeks is third-person present singular: He seeks what you sought years ago: justice. To seek is in the present tense: She was determined to seek revenge.
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