When we talk or write about something that happened in the past, we often use the word “take.” But when we want to use it in the past tense, we can get a bit confused. Should we use “took” or “taken”? Don’t worry! This article will help you understand when to use “took” and when to use “taken” in very easy English.
The Past Form of “Take”: “Took”
“Took” is the simple past form of “take.” We use “took” when we talk about an action that happened at a specific time in the past. Imagine you are telling a story about yesterday and you want to say that you carried your lunch to school. Instead of saying “I take my lunch to school,” you would say, “I took my lunch to school.”
Examples:
- Yesterday, I took a book from the library.
- Last week, my friend took me to a new restaurant.
- Long ago, pirates took treasures from ships.
- I took a photo of the sunset.
- She took a nap in the afternoon.
- The cat took a fish from the kitchen.
When to Use “Taken”
“Taken” is a bit different. It’s what we call the past participle form of “take.” We use “taken” when we’re talking about an action in the past that is connected to the present or when the action is part of a bigger sentence with words like “has,” “have,” or “had.” This might sound tricky, but it’s not too bad. Here’s how you use “taken”:
- I have taken my dog for a walk. (This means you went for a walk with your dog, and it’s something you’ve done up until now. It’s part of your experience.)
- The cookies had been taken before she arrived. (The cookies were taken by someone, and this happened before she got there.)
“Taken” is used when there’s a bit more to the story. It’s not just about something that happened in the past; it’s about how that past action is connected to now or to another event.
How to Remember?
A simple way to remember is:
- Use “took” for actions that happened in the past and are complete.
- Use “taken” when you’re talking about how a past action is connected to another time or action.
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