Mastering the Past Tense of ‘Fill’: Forms, Usage, and Examples

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The verb “fill” is one of the most common and versatile verbs in the English language. Whether you’re talking about pouring water into a glass, completing a form, or describing an emotion, “fill” appears in countless everyday situations. For learners of English, mastering the past tense of “fill” (“filled”) is essential for clear and correct communication, especially when narrating past events, describing completed actions, or recounting historical facts.

Using “filled” correctly helps you sound fluent and precise in both spoken and written English. This is especially important for ESL learners, exam candidates, teachers, writers, and professionals who aim to communicate with grammatical accuracy.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn everything there is to know about the past tense of “fill”: its definitions, grammatical rules, forms, pronunciation, common mistakes, advanced usages, idioms, and plenty of examples. You’ll also find practice exercises and answer keys to test your understanding and solidify your skills.

Table of Contents

3. Definition Section

3.1 Overview of the Verb ‘Fill’

The verb fill is a regular verb that can be used both transitively and intransitively.

Its core meanings include:

  • To make full (add content until no space remains): He filled the glass with water.
  • To occupy space: The crowd filled the stadium.
  • To supply or provide: The position was filled quickly.
  • To satisfy a need or desire: The meal filled my hunger.

3.2 Grammatical Classification

Verb Type: Regular verb

Base form: fill

Simple past: filled

Past participle: filled

Present participle: filling

3.3 What is the Past Tense of ‘Fill’?

The simple past tense of “fill” is “filled”. It refers to an action or event that was completed at a specific time in the past.

For example:

  • She filled the tank yesterday.
  • They filled the forms last week.

3.4 Function and Usage Contexts

The past tense “filled” is used to:

  • Describe completed actions: He filled the cup and left.
  • Recount experiences or stories: They filled the room with laughter during the party.
  • State historical facts: The valley was filled with water after the dam broke.
  • Give instructions in past tense contexts: Once you filled the form, you could proceed.

“Filled” appears in:

  • Affirmative statements: I filled the order.
  • Negatives: She did not fill the bucket.
  • Questions: Did they fill out the survey?

3.5 Table: Basic Verb Forms of “Fill”

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle Present Participle 3rd Person Singular
fill filled filled filling fills

4. Structural Breakdown

4.1 Formation of the Past Tense of “Fill”

Since “fill” is a regular verb, its past tense is formed by simply adding -ed to the base form:

fill + ed = filled

This rule applies to most regular verbs in English.

4.2 Pronunciation of “Filled” (-ed ending)

The -ed ending in regular past tense verbs has three possible pronunciations:

  • /t/
  • /d/
  • /ɪd/

For “filled,” the -ed ending is pronounced as a voiced /d/ because it follows the voiced consonant /l/.

-ed Pronunciation When? Example IPA
/t/ after unvoiced sounds like /k/, /p/, /s/ asked, hoped, passed /æskt/, /hoʊpt/, /pæst/
/d/ after voiced sounds other than /t/ filled, played, cleaned /fɪld/, /pleɪd/, /kliːnd/
/ɪd/ after /t/ or /d/ sounds wanted, needed /ˈwɒntɪd/, /ˈniːdɪd/

4.3 Sentence Structures Using “Filled”

Here are the basic sentence patterns with “filled”:

  • Affirmative: Subject + filled + object + (time marker)
  • Negative: Subject + did not (didn’t) + fill + object
  • Question: Did + subject + fill + object + (time marker)?

Examples:

  • Affirmative: She filled the basket yesterday.
  • Negative: They did not fill the tank last night.
  • Question: Did you fill out the form this morning?

4.4 Use in Different Tenses

While “filled” is mainly the simple past form, it also serves as the past participle in perfect tenses and passive voice.

  • Simple Past: They filled the pool.
  • Past Perfect: They had filled the pool before the guests arrived.
  • Passive Voice: The pool was filled by the staff.

4.5 Table: Past Simple vs. Past Participle Usage

Tense Example Sentence Usage Explanation
Simple Past She filled the form yesterday. Completed action in the past
Past Perfect She had filled the form before noon. Action completed before another past event
Passive Past The form was filled by the clerk. Focus on the object, not the doer

5. Types or Categories

5.1 Simple Past Affirmative

Form: Subject + filled + object

Usage: To state a completed action in the past.

Examples:

  • I filled the bucket.
  • They filled out the application.
  • She filled the bag with groceries.
  • The artist filled the canvas with color.
  • We filled the room with balloons.
  • He filled the tub with hot water.
  • The teacher filled the board with notes.
  • My friends filled my birthday with surprises.
  • The mechanic filled the tire with air.
  • The children filled their pockets with candy.

5.2 Simple Past Negative

Form: Subject + did not + fill + object

Usage: To express that an action did not happen in the past.

Examples:

  • He did not fill the tank.
  • They didn’t fill out the form.
  • She didn’t fill her plate.
  • We didn’t fill the order.
  • I did not fill the jar completely.
  • The workers didn’t fill the hole properly.
  • The students didn’t fill in all the answers.
  • She did not fill the bag with clothes.
  • They didn’t fill the report on time.
  • He did not fill the bottle to the top.

5.3 Simple Past Interrogative

Form: Did + subject + fill + object + (time marker)?

Usage: To ask questions about past actions.

Examples:

  • Did you fill the bottle?
  • Did they fill the trenches yesterday?
  • Did she fill the role successfully?
  • Did we fill all the seats?
  • Did he fill out the survey?
  • Did the kids fill the bucket with sand?
  • Did your team fill the form before the deadline?
  • Did the volunteers fill the bags with supplies?
  • Did the chef fill the pie with apples?
  • Did you fill in the missing information?

5.4 Past Continuous vs. Past Simple

Past Continuous: was/were + filling → emphasizes an ongoing past action

Past Simple: filled → emphasizes a completed action

Examples:

  • Past Continuous: She was filling the bottles when I arrived.
  • Past Simple: She filled the bottles before I arrived.
  • Past Continuous: They were filling the forms all morning.
  • Past Simple: They filled the forms yesterday.

Note: Use past continuous for actions in progress at a specific past moment; use past simple for actions seen as complete.

5.5 Active vs. Passive Voice in the Past

Active: subject performs the action

Passive: focus on the object receiving the action

Active Voice Passive Voice
She filled the cup. The cup was filled (by her).
They filled the forms. The forms were filled (by them).
The workers filled the hole. The hole was filled (by the workers).
He filled the bottle. The bottle was filled (by him).
The chef filled the pastry. The pastry was filled (by the chef).

6. Examples Section

6.1 Simple Past Affirmative Examples

  • I filled the bucket.
  • They filled out the application.
  • She filled the bag with groceries.
  • The artist filled the canvas with color.
  • We filled the room with balloons.
  • He filled the cup with coffee.
  • The mechanic filled the tire with air.
  • The students filled the classroom with noise.
  • My sister filled her diary with stories.
  • The volunteers filled the boxes with food.

6.2 Simple Past Negative Examples

  • He did not fill the tank.
  • They didn’t fill out the form.
  • She didn’t fill her plate.
  • We didn’t fill the order.
  • I did not fill the jar completely.
  • The workers didn’t fill the hole properly.
  • The students didn’t fill in all the answers.
  • She did not fill the bag with clothes.
  • They didn’t fill the report on time.
  • He did not fill the bottle to the top.

6.3 Simple Past Interrogative Examples

  • Did you fill the bottle?
  • Did they fill the trenches yesterday?
  • Did she fill the role successfully?
  • Did we fill all the seats?
  • Did he fill out the survey?
  • Did the kids fill the bucket with sand?
  • Did your team fill the form before the deadline?
  • Did the volunteers fill the bags with supplies?
  • Did the chef fill the pie with apples?
  • Did you fill in the missing information?

6.4 Examples in Complex Sentences

  • After he filled the cup, he left the kitchen.
  • They filled the forms before the deadline.
  • She had filled all the boxes when I arrived.
  • The room was filled with laughter.
  • Once the tank was filled, we started the engine.
  • When I got there, she had already filled the vase with flowers.
  • Because they filled the report late, it was rejected.
  • He filled the gap in the wall with plaster before painting.
  • After we filled the car with gas, we continued our trip.
  • Once the forms were filled out, the process was complete.

6.5 Examples of Passive Voice

  • The hole was filled with cement.
  • All positions were filled by qualified candidates.
  • The tank was filled to the brim.
  • The glass was filled by the waiter.
  • The room was filled with music.
  • The application was filled out incorrectly.
  • The bag was filled with gifts.
  • The form was filled by the assistant.
  • The bucket was filled with water.
  • The seats were filled quickly.

6.6 Example Tables

Table 1: 10 Affirmative Past Simple Sentences
Sentence
I filled the basket yesterday.
They filled the pond with water.
She filled her diary with poems.
We filled the tank before the trip.
He filled the form quickly.
The chef filled the pie with berries.
The workers filled the hole with dirt.
My friends filled my day with joy.
The mechanic filled the tire with air.
The children filled the basket with eggs.

Table 2: 10 Negative Sentences
Sentence
I did not fill the cup completely.
She didn’t fill the form on time.
They did not fill the report correctly.
He didn’t fill the bottle to the top.
We didn’t fill the pool this summer.
The team didn’t fill all the positions.
The chef didn’t fill the pastry enough.
The students didn’t fill in the worksheet.
You did not fill the application completely.
The volunteers didn’t fill the bags yesterday.

Table 3: 10 Questions
Question
Did you fill the jar with honey?
Did she fill the vase with flowers?
Did they fill out the form yesterday?
Did he fill the bucket with paint?
Did we fill the order on time?
Did the chef fill the pie well?
Did the kids fill the sandbox?
Did you fill in the gaps?
Did the mechanic fill the radiator?
Did the team fill all the seats?

Table 4: Active vs. Passive Voice Examples
Active Voice Passive Voice
She filled the bucket. The bucket was filled (by her).
They filled the room with music. The room was filled with music.
He filled the form. The form was filled by him.
We filled the pool. The pool was filled.
The chef filled the tart. The tart was filled by the chef.

Table 5: Past Simple vs. Past Perfect Sentences
Tense Sentence
Past Simple She filled the glass before dinner.
Past Perfect She had filled the glass before he arrived.
Past Simple They filled the forms yesterday.
Past Perfect They had filled the forms before the deadline.
Past Simple I filled the tank last night.
Past Perfect I had filled the tank before the trip.

7. Usage Rules

7.1 When to Use “Filled”

  • To describe completed actions in the past.
  • When the action has a definite time reference (yesterday, last week, two days ago, etc.).
  • To indicate a sequence of past events.

7.2 Time Expressions with Past Simple

Common time markers include:

  • Yesterday: I filled the form yesterday.
  • Last night: She filled the tank last night.
  • Two days ago: They filled the pool two days ago.
  • In 2010: The company filled the position in 2010.
  • Earlier: We filled the order earlier today.

7.3 Using “Filled” in Negative and Questions

In negatives and questions with “did”, always use the base form “fill”, not “filled”.

Examples:

  • Incorrect: He didn’t filled the glass.
  • Correct: He didn’t fill the glass.
  • Incorrect: Did you filled the form?
  • Correct: Did you fill the form?

7.4 Passive Voice Rule

Formed with was/were + past participle (filled).

Use passive voice when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.

Examples:

  • The bucket was filled with water.
  • The form was filled by the assistant.
  • The room was filled with applause.

7.5 Special Cases and Variations

Idiomatic uses:

  • filled with joy (full of happiness)
  • filled out a form (completed a form)

Differences between:

  • Fill in: complete missing information (e.g., She filled in the blanks.)
  • Fill out: complete a form (e.g., He filled out the application.)
  • Fill up: make full, especially containers or tanks (e.g., We filled up the car with gas.)

7.6 Table: Phrasal Verbs with “Fill” in Past Tense

Phrasal Verb Past Tense Example Meaning
fill in She filled in the blanks. Complete missing information
fill out He filled out the application. Complete a form
fill up We filled up the car with gas. Make full to capacity

8. Common Mistakes

8.1 Using “fill” Instead of “filled”

  • Incorrect: Yesterday, I fill the form.
  • Correct: Yesterday, I filled the form.

8.2 Adding Extra “ed” or Misspelling

  • Incorrect: fillled, filld
  • Correct: filled

8.3 Confusing Past Simple and Past Participle Forms

Remember, both are “filled”, but their uses differ:

  • Past simple: She filled the cup.
  • Past participle (perfect/passive): The cup was filled. or She had filled the cup.

8.4 Incorrect Negatives and Questions

  • Incorrect: He didn’t filled the bucket.
  • Correct: He didn’t fill the bucket.

8.5 Misuse in Passive Voice

  • Incorrect: The glass filled by the waiter.
  • Correct: The glass was filled by the waiter.

8.6 Table: Common Errors with Corrections

Error Correction
I fill the bottle yesterday. I filled the bottle yesterday.
Did you filled the form? Did you fill the form?
We didn’t filled the tank. We didn’t fill the tank.
The hole filled last week. The hole was filled last week.
She fillled the jar. She filled the jar.
He was fill the pot. He was filling the pot.

9. Practice Exercises

9.1 Fill-in-the-Blank

Write the correct past tense form of “fill.”

  1. She ___ (fill) the cup with coffee yesterday.
  2. They ___ (fill) out the forms last week.
  3. We ___ (fill) the tank before the trip.
  4. He ___ (fill) the bucket with water two days ago.
  5. I ___ (fill) the report earlier today.
  6. The workers ___ (fill) the hole last month.
  7. My mother ___ (fill) the jar with jam.
  8. The chef ___ (fill) the pie with apples.
  9. You ___ (fill) the form correctly.
  10. The mechanic ___ (fill) the tire with air.

9.2 Correct the Mistake

Find and correct the error.

  1. He didn’t filled the glass.
  2. They fill the report yesterday.
  3. Did you filled the application?
  4. We didn’t filled the pool last summer.
  5. The hole fillled with water quickly.
  6. She was fill the tank when I arrived.
  7. They was filled the forms last week.
  8. The bottle fill by the waiter.
  9. I fill the jar yesterday.
  10. Did he fillled the form?

9.3 Identify the Verb Tense

State if the bold verb is base, simple past, or past participle.

  1. The form was filled by the assistant.
  2. She filled the basket yesterday.
  3. Can you fill the bucket?
  4. They had filled the bottle before dinner.
  5. He did not fill the form.
  6. We fill the forms every week.
  7. The jar was filled with jam.
  8. She fills the cup every morning.
  9. They were filling the bags when I arrived.
  10. Did you fill the tank?

9.4 Sentence Construction

Make correct past simple sentences with “fill.”

  1. You / fill / the form / last week
  2. He / fill / the glass / yesterday
  3. We / not / fill / the report / on Friday
  4. They / fill / the pool / two days ago
  5. She / not / fill / the jar
  6. Did / you / fill / the tank?
  7. The workers / fill / the hole / last month
  8. The chef / fill / the pie / with cherries
  9. She / fill / the vase / with flowers
  10. Did / they / fill / out / the application?

9.5 Answer Keys

9.1 Fill-in-the-Blank Answers

  1. filled
  2. filled
  3. filled
  4. filled
  5. filled
  6. filled
  7. filled
  8. filled
  9. filled
  10. filled

9.2 Correct the Mistake Answers

  1. He didn’t fill the glass.
  2. They filled the report yesterday.
  3. Did you fill the application?
  4. We didn’t fill the pool last summer.
  5. The hole filled with water quickly. (or better: The hole was filled…)
  6. She was filling the tank when I arrived.
  7. They were filling the forms last week.
  8. The bottle was filled by the waiter.
  9. I filled the jar yesterday.
  10. Did he fill the form?

9.3 Identify the Verb Tense Answers

  1. past participle (in passive)
  2. simple past
  3. base
  4. past participle (in past perfect)
  5. base
  6. base
  7. past participle (in passive)
  8. 3rd person singular present
  9. present participle
  10. base

9.4 Sentence Construction Answers

  1. You filled the form last week.
  2. He filled the glass yesterday.
  3. We did not fill the report on Friday.
  4. They filled the pool two days ago.
  5. She did not fill the jar.
  6. Did you fill the tank?
  7. The workers filled the hole last month.
  8. The chef filled the pie with cherries.
  9. She filled the vase with flowers.
  10. Did they fill out the application?

10. Advanced Topics

10.1 Contrast with Similar Verbs in Past Tense

  • fill – to make full: She filled the bucket with water.
  • pour – to transfer a liquid: She poured water into the bucket.
  • load – to put items into a container or vehicle: They loaded boxes onto the truck.
  • pack – to put items into a container for transport/storage: We packed our bags.

10.2 Narrative Tenses with “Fill”

In storytelling, combine tenses for clarity:

Example paragraph:

While the workers were filling the hole, the supervisor arrived. By noon, they had filled most of it. After they filled the hole completely, they cleaned the area.

10.3 Idiomatic and Figurative Uses

  • filled with joy – very happy: She was filled with joy when she heard the news.
  • filled the silence – broke the silence: His laughter filled the silence.
  • filled in for someone – substituted: She filled in for her colleague yesterday.

10.4 Reported Speech

  • Direct: She said, “I filled the form.”
  • Reported: She said that she had filled the form.
  • Direct: He said, “We filled the pool last week.”
  • Reported: He said that they had filled the pool the week before.

10.5 Formal vs. Informal Contexts

Formal:

  • The application was filled out by the candidate.
  • The report was filled with detailed analysis.

Informal:

  • I filled the tank this morning.
  • We filled up the car and hit the road.

11. FAQ Section

  1. What is the past tense of “fill”?
    It is “filled”.
  2. Is “filled” a regular or irregular verb?
    “Filled” is the past of the regular verb “fill”.
  3. How do you pronounce “filled”?
    With a voiced /d/ sound: /fɪld/.
  4. What is the difference between “filled” and “had filled”?
    “Filled” is simple past; “had filled” is past perfect, used for an action completed before another past event.
  5. How do you form questions with “filled”?
    Use Did + subject + fill + object? For example: Did you fill the form?
  6. Can “filled” be used in passive voice?
    Yes. Example: The tank was filled by the mechanic.
  7. What are some common phrasal verbs with “fill” in the past tense?
    Filled in (completed missing info), filled out (completed a form), filled up (made full).
  8. Is “filled” used differently in American and British English?
    No major differences, though fill out (complete a form) is more common in American English.
  9. What mistakes do learners commonly make with “filled”?
    Using “fill” instead of “filled”, adding extra “ed”, or incorrect negatives/questions like “did you filled”.
  10. How is “filled” used in idiomatic expressions?
    Examples: filled with joy, filled the silence, filled in for someone.
  11. What is the difference between “fill out,” “fill in,” and “fill up” in past tense?
    “Filled out” means completed a form, “filled in” means supplied missing info, “filled up” means made completely full.
  12. When should I use “filled” instead of “was filling”?
    Use “filled” for a completed action, “was filling” for an ongoing past action.

12. Conclusion

In this comprehensive article, we explored every aspect of the past tense of “fill”. You learned that “fill” is a regular verb with the past tense and past participle “filled”. We covered its formation, pronunciation, sentence structures, usage in different tenses, passive voice, and phrasal verbs.

You also studied numerous examples, common mistakes to avoid, and practice exercises to build your confidence. Finally, you gained insights into its use in narrative tenses, idioms, reported speech, and formal vs. informal contexts.

Remember: mastering the past tense is crucial for expressing completed actions clearly. Practice regularly, review these rules and examples, and you’ll communicate with greater fluency and accuracy. Keep exploring other verb tenses and related verbs to deepen your understanding of English grammar!

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