The verb “meet” is a friendly little word, which often paints pictures of coffee dates, first encounters, and joyous reunions.
But when it comes to time travel in your sentences, things can get a bit tricky. Gladly, this article is all you need to solve the puzzle.
Contents
Let’s Get Into The Matter
The past tense of “meet” is “met”. You need to understand that “meet” is an irregular verb. That means it doesn’t play by the usual “add an -ed” rule most verbs follow. Instead, it sheds its skin like a sneaky reptile and transforms into… “met”.
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Here Are Some Practical Examples of Using The Verb “Meet”
Present: “I meet my friends for coffee every Sunday.”
Past tense: “Moments ago, Michael met the most amusing pet in the park.
Present participle: “We’re meeting up later to discuss the project.”Past participle: “We haven’t met our new headmaster yet.”
Now, Let’s Get More Creative!
Imagine you’re writing a story about a daring detective. In the present, they might say, “I’m going to meet my informant at midnight.”
But when you reveal the flashback of the actual meeting, the verb changes: “I met my informant in a dimly lit alley, his face obscured by a fedora.” Did you see how “met” seamlessly takes its place in the past?
Now, Let’s Explore Some Wilder Terrains
Past Continuous:
Sometimes, your story might linger in the “was meeting” zone. This is the realm of the past continuous tense.
Remember, it’s all about actions happening over a longer period. So, you have to use “was/were” and pair them with “meeting”: “We were meeting every Tuesday for book club,” “He was meeting his master for dinner when the rain started.” I hope you got that piece of cake.
Present Perfect Tense:
Okay, we might be getting into slightly denser jungles here, but no need to be scared! The present perfect tense (“I have met,” “We have met”) is simply saying you’ve encountered someone at some point before now, regardless of when. Think of it as a collection of all your “met” experiences.
Past Perfect Tense:
(“I had met him before,” “They had met in college”), it’s all about something that happened before another past event. Imagine two timelines intersecting: the “met” happening first, then another action following.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
(“She had been meeting with her therapist for months”) shows an action that started in the past, continued for a while, and then ended before another past event. Like a marathon of “meets” stretched across time.
READ ALSO: Exploring The Past Tense of Seek
Final Thoughts
Did you ever think the past tense of “meet” is “meeted”? Dispel that from your vocabulary. “met” is the correct verb tense and you’ve seen why above.
So, get ready to tell your stories with clarity and flair. And hey, who knows? Maybe you’ll even impress someone with your verb knowledge.