gave
v.-
1 past tense of give (v.) A1 Beginnerthe past tense of 'give'. You use this when you handed something to someone or provided something earlier.
the simple past tense of 'give'. This form is used to indicate the completed transfer of an object, information, or permission in the past.
ExampleShe gave me a beautiful gift for my birthday last week.
ExampleThe witness gave a detailed account of the incident to the investigators, providing several key facts that had previously been overlooked.
UsageAs the past tense of an irregular verb, it does not take an '-ed' ending.
PitfallI have gave him the book yesterday.I gave him the book yesterday.Use 'gave' for the simple past. Use 'given' with 'have' or 'had' for the perfect tenses.
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2 past participle (nonstandard) (v.) C1 Advanced Dialect Informala casual way some people say 'given' in the past tense.
a nonstandard past participle of 'give'. Used in certain dialects or informal speech in place of the standard 'given'.
ExampleHe said he should have gave her more time to finish.
ExampleIn some regional dialects, speakers might say they 'should have gave' a warning, though standard English requires the participle 'given' in such constructions.
UsageOccurs in phrases like 'I should have gave' instead of 'I should have given'.
Teacher's tipThis usage is common in some regional dialects but is considered grammatically incorrect in standard English and formal writing.
From Middle English gaf, yaf, ȝaf, from Old English ġæf, ġeaf.