摘要：Hold on to Yesterday: The Past Form and Participle of Hold Hold is a versatile verb. It can mean to grasp firmly with your hand, to keep someone or something in
Hold on to Yesterday: The Past Form and Participle of Hold
Hold is a versatile verb. It can mean to grasp firmly with your hand, to keep someone or something in a particular position, to support or maintain something, and even to have or keep something in your mind. This article will focus on the past form and participle of hold, examining its various uses and nuances.
The Past Form: Held
The past form of hold is held, which is also the past participle. Held is used to express an action that happened and ended in the past. It is formed by adding -ed to the base form of the verb. For example:
- Yesterday, I held a meeting with my colleagues to discuss our upcoming project.
- He held on to the railing as he walked down the stairs.
- The town held a festival to celebrate its anniversary.
As with all irregular verbs, the past form and past participle of hold cannot be derived from its base form, and must be memorized separately. However, it is worth noting that the spelling of held remains the same regardless of the subject of the sentence. This is in contrast to some irregular verbs, such as bring, where the past form changes depending on the subject (e.g. he brought, they brought).
The Participle: Holding
The present participle of hold is holding, which is used to express an ongoing action. It is formed by adding -ing to the base form of the verb:
- She is holding a cup of coffee.
- The bridge is holding up well despite the heavy traffic.
- He is holding on to his dream of becoming a successful musician.
The present participle can also be used as an adjective to describe something that is capable of holding or supporting something else:
- The holding tank can hold up to 500 gallons of water.
- The holding bar keeps the door securely closed.
- The holding wheel prevents the boat from drifting away.
The Many Uses of Hold
As mentioned earlier, hold is a multifaceted verb that can be used in a variety of contexts. Here are a few more examples:
Hold as a Noun
Hold can also be used as a noun to refer to a secure or tight grip, or a firm grasp:
- The wrestler had a tight hold on his opponent.
- She lost her hold on the rope and fell to the ground.
- He struggled to get a hold of the jar lid, but eventually managed to open it.
Hold as a Phrasal Verb
Hold can also be used in various phrasal verbs that convey different meanings:
- Hold back: to refrain from doing something or to restrain something from progressing.
- She held back her tears and put on a brave face.
- The police tried to hold back the crowd from entering the restricted area.
- Hold off: to delay or postpone something.
- We need to hold off the meeting until everyone arrives.
- The game was held off due to bad weather conditions.
- Hold out: to offer something for acceptance or consideration.
- The seller is holding out for a better offer on the property.
- The company is holding out hope for a financial bailout.
These are just a few examples of the different ways hold can be used in English. As with any language, the more you use it in context, the more familiar and comfortable you will become with its nuances and variations.
