'Worked' signifies a completed action of effort, labor, or functioning in the past.
Mot en 30 secondes
- Past tense/participle of 'work'.
- Describes completed effort or functioning.
- Widely used in everyday contexts.
Overview
'Worked' is the past tense and past participle form of the verb 'to work'. It signifies that an action related to labor, effort, or functioning has been completed at some point before the present. It's a fundamental verb used across countless contexts to describe past activities, achievements, or states of being.
Usage Patterns
'Worked' is used to talk about past employment ('He worked as a teacher for ten years'), the completion of tasks ('I worked on my essay all night'), the functioning of objects or systems ('The new software worked well'), and even metaphorical effort ('She worked her way up the company ladder'). It can be used in simple past tense sentences or as part of perfect tenses (e.g., 'has worked', 'had worked').
Common Contexts
You'll encounter 'worked' in discussions about jobs, projects, daily routines, problem-solving, and the operation of machinery or technology. It's a versatile term applicable to both human endeavors and mechanical processes. Whether describing someone's past profession or how a device functioned, 'worked' is a go-to verb.
Similar Words Comparison
While 'worked' specifically refers to past action, words like 'done' can be more general for completed tasks. 'Operated' is often used for machines, and 'functioned' describes how something worked. 'Laborious' describes work that involves great effort, but 'worked' describes the action itself. 'Employed' focuses on the state of having a job.
Exemples
He worked as a software engineer for five years.
professionalÉl trabajó como ingeniero de software durante cinco años.
The new marketing campaign worked very well.
businessLa nueva campaña de marketing funcionó muy bien.
I worked late last night to finish the report.
everydayTrabajé hasta tarde anoche para terminar el informe.
The ancient water system had worked for centuries.
historicalEl antiguo sistema de agua había funcionado durante siglos.
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
It worked!
¡Funcionó!
worked out
resolvió / resultó
worked up
alterado / nervioso
Souvent confondu avec
'Work' is the base form (present tense) of the verb. 'Worked' is the past tense and past participle, used for actions completed in the past.
'Working' is the present participle, used for ongoing actions (e.g., 'is working') or as a gerund. 'Worked' refers to completed past actions.
Modèles grammaticaux
How to Use It
Notes d'usage
The word 'worked' is the standard past tense and past participle of 'work'. It is used in both formal and informal contexts without significant variation in meaning. Ensure you use it when referring to completed actions, rather than ongoing ones.
Erreurs courantes
A common mistake is using 'worked' with 'did' in negative or question forms; the correct structure is 'did not work' or 'did (subject) work'. For example, say 'He did not work yesterday', not 'He did not worked yesterday'. Also, ensure the context clearly indicates a past action.
Tips
Use 'worked' for past actions
Remember 'worked' is the past form. Use it when talking about something that finished before now.
Avoid present tense confusion
Don't use 'worked' for current activities. For present actions, use 'work' or 'is/am/are working'.
Value of hard work
In many English-speaking cultures, 'hard work' is highly valued and often seen as key to success and personal fulfillment.
Origine du mot
The word 'work' comes from Old English 'weorc', related to Proto-Germanic '*werką'. The past tense 'worked' evolved through centuries of English language development from these ancient roots signifying action and creation.
Contexte culturel
The concept of 'work' and having 'worked' is central to economic and social structures in most cultures. Discussing past employment or effort is a common way to understand someone's experience and background.
Astuce mémo
Think of 'worked' as the sound of a clock's hands moving - 'tick-tock-worked' - signifying time passing and a past action completed. Imagine a worker putting in their time, and their effort is now 'worked' into the result.
Questions fréquentes
4 questionsNo, 'worked' can refer to any kind of effort or task completion, not just formal employment. It can describe fixing something, studying, or even a machine functioning correctly.
'Worked' (simple past) usually describes a completed action in the past. 'Was working' (past continuous) describes an action that was in progress over a period of time in the past.
Yes, absolutely. You can say 'The plan worked' or 'The engine worked fine', meaning they functioned as intended or produced the desired result.
The past participle of 'work' is also 'worked'. It's used in perfect tenses, like 'I have worked here for five years' or 'The problem had worked itself out'.
Teste-toi
She _______ diligently on her presentation yesterday.
'Worked' is the correct past tense form needed to describe an action completed yesterday.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
The simple past tense 'worked' is appropriate for an action completed last week. The other options use incorrect verb forms.
Arrange: my / computer / worked / not / yesterday / did
When using 'did not', the base form of the verb ('work') should follow. 'Did not work' is the correct negative past tense construction.
Score : /3
Summary
'Worked' signifies a completed action of effort, labor, or functioning in the past.
- Past tense/participle of 'work'.
- Describes completed effort or functioning.
- Widely used in everyday contexts.
Use 'worked' for past actions
Remember 'worked' is the past form. Use it when talking about something that finished before now.
Avoid present tense confusion
Don't use 'worked' for current activities. For present actions, use 'work' or 'is/am/are working'.
Value of hard work
In many English-speaking cultures, 'hard work' is highly valued and often seen as key to success and personal fulfillment.
Exemples
4 sur 4He worked as a software engineer for five years.
Él trabajó como ingeniero de software durante cinco años.
The new marketing campaign worked very well.
La nueva campaña de marketing funcionó muy bien.
I worked late last night to finish the report.
Trabajé hasta tarde anoche para terminar el informe.
The ancient water system had worked for centuries.
El antiguo sistema de agua había funcionado durante siglos.
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