Understanding and Using the Past Tense of “Hold” in English

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2. Introduction

Mastering irregular verbs is essential for clear, fluent English communication, and the verb “hold” is among the most important. As a versatile irregular verb, “hold” appears in countless everyday expressions, formal writings, narratives, and idioms. Using its past tense forms correctly enhances your ability to narrate past events, report information accurately, and express yourself with confidence.

This article benefits English learners at all levels aiming to improve accuracy, teachers designing lessons, writers polishing their grammar, and linguistics enthusiasts exploring verb forms. We will focus on the past tense forms of “hold,” explore their usage, highlight common errors, and provide numerous examples and exercises to strengthen your command.

You can expect a comprehensive journey that begins with definitions and grammatical classification, moves through sentence structures and contextual uses, contrasts active and passive forms, and ends with advanced nuances, idioms, and practical exercises. This guide includes detailed tables, 50+ examples, and practice materials with answers, making it a valuable reference for your English mastery.

Table of Contents

3. Definition Section: What Is the Past Tense of “Hold”?

3.1 Overview of “Hold” as a Verb

The verb hold is an irregular verb with multiple core meanings:

  • Grasp or carry something physically (e.g., She holds the baby)
  • Keep or maintain a state or condition (e.g., Hold a position)
  • Organize or conduct an event (e.g., Hold a meeting)
  • Contain or store (e.g., This tank holds water)
  • Maintain an opinion or belief (e.g., He holds strong views)

3.2 Grammatical Classification

“Hold” can be:

  • Transitive: requires an object (She held the book)
  • Intransitive: less common, e.g., in phrasal verbs (Hold on!)
  • Phrasal verb component: combines with particles for new meanings (hold up, hold on, hold back)

Irregular vs. regular: Unlike regular verbs that add -ed (e.g., work → worked), “hold” changes form unpredictably, making it an irregular verb.

3.3 Past Simple Form

The past simple of “hold” is held.

  • Pronounced as /hɛld/ (rhymes with “meld”)
  • Indicates an action completed entirely in the past

Example: She held the umbrella during the storm.

3.4 Past Participle Form

The past participle of “hold” is also held.

Used in:

  • Perfect tenses: have held, had held
  • Passive voice: was held, have been held
Table 1: Forms of “Hold”
Base Form Past Simple Past Participle Present Participle 3rd Person Singular
hold held held holding holds

3.5 Usage Contexts

  • Narrating past actions: “She held my hand tightly.”
  • Describing past states: “The festival was held in June.”
  • Perfect tenses: “They have held five championships.”
  • Passive forms: “The meeting was held at noon.”

4. Structural Breakdown of Past Tense of “Hold”

4.1 Formation of Past Simple with “Hold”

Since “hold” is irregular, its past simple form is held, not holded.

Memorizing irregular forms is crucial because they do not follow predictable patterns.

Sentence structures:

Table 2: Sentence Structures with “Held”
Sentence Type Structure Example
Affirmative She held the umbrella.
Negative She did not hold the umbrella.
Interrogative Did she hold the umbrella?

Note that in negatives and questions, we use the base form hold with did/did not.

4.2 Use in Past Continuous

Formed with was/were + holding.

Function: Describes ongoing actions in the past.

Example: “He was holding the door open when I arrived.”

4.3 Use in Present Perfect

Formed with has/have + held.

Function: Past action relevant to the present.

Example: “They have held talks recently.”

4.4 Use in Past Perfect

Formed with had + held.

Function: Action completed before another past action.

Example: “They had held the ceremony before we arrived.”

4.5 Passive Voice with Past Form

Formed with was/were + held.

Example: “The concert was held outdoors last weekend.”

4.6 Phrasal Verbs with “Hold” in Past Tense

  • Held on: waited or persisted

    Example: “They held on despite the difficulties.”
  • Held up: delayed or robbed

    Example: “The train was held up by bad weather.”
  • Held back: restrained

    Example: “She held back her tears during the speech.”

5. Types or Categories Related to “Held”

5.1 Past Simple vs. Past Participle

Both forms are held, but their usage differs.

Table 3: Comparison of Past Simple and Past Participle Usage
Form Context Example
Past Simple Completed past action “She held the baby yesterday.”
Past Participle Perfect tenses, passive voice “The baby has been held by many relatives.”

5.2 Active vs. Passive Voice

In the active voice, the subject performs the action.

In the passive voice, the subject receives the action.

Examples:

  • Active: “They held a seminar last week.”
  • Passive: “A seminar was held last week.”

5.3 Literal vs. Figurative Meanings in Past

  • Literal: Physically grasped

    “He held the rope tightly.”
  • Figurative: Organized, maintained, or expressed abstract concepts

    “She held a grudge for years.”

5.4 Phrasal Verb Variations in Past

Phrasal verbs with “hold” can change meaning significantly.

  • Held on: persisted or waited

    “She held on to hope.”
  • Held up: delayed or robbed

    “The store was held up last night.”
  • Held back: restrained or prevented

    “He held back his laughter.”
  • Held out: resisted or extended

    “They held out until reinforcements arrived.”

6. Examples Section: Extensive Demonstration

6.1 Basic Past Simple Sentences

  • She held the baby gently.
  • He held the ladder steady.
  • They held a press conference yesterday.
  • The dog held the stick in its mouth.
  • Our school held a science fair last month.
  • She held her breath underwater.
  • The judge held court on Monday.
  • I held out my hand for a handshake.
  • He held the trophy high above his head.
  • They held a moment of silence.

6.2 Negative Past Sentences

  • They did not hold the door open for us.
  • She did not hold a grudge against him.
  • We did not hold any meetings last week.
  • He did not hold back his opinion.
  • The company did not hold an annual party in 2020.

6.3 Questions Using “Held”

  • Did he hold your place in line?
  • Did they hold the ceremony outdoors?
  • Did you hold the baby yesterday?
  • Did the team hold practice on Saturday?
  • Did she hold back during the debate?

6.4 Past Continuous with “Holding”

  • They were holding hands when I saw them.
  • She was holding a cup of coffee.
  • I was holding the door when it suddenly closed.
  • He was holding the phone and smiling.
  • We were holding a meeting when the alarm rang.

6.5 Present Perfect with “Held”

  • We have held several discussions.
  • He has held the record for ten years.
  • They have held many charity events.
  • The company has held onto its market share.
  • She has held important positions in the government.

6.6 Past Perfect with “Held”

  • She had held the position for years before retiring.
  • They had held the event annually until the pandemic.
  • By then, he had held his breath for over a minute.
  • We had held high hopes for success.
  • The rebels had held out for weeks before surrendering.

6.7 Passive Voice Examples

  • The ceremony was held at the city hall.
  • The conference was held in Paris.
  • The game was held under rainy conditions.
  • The exams were held last Friday.
  • The hostage was held for several days.

6.8 Phrasal Verb Examples

  • The traffic was held up for hours.
  • She held on to his arm tightly.
  • The police held back the crowd.
  • They held out hope for rescue.
  • The bank was held up by armed robbers.

6.9 Idiomatic Expressions with Past Tense

  • He held his tongue during the argument.
  • She held her breath while opening the letter.
  • They held their ground despite criticism.
  • He held a grudge for many years.
  • She held fast to her beliefs.

6.10 Summary Tables

Table 4: Examples Categorized by Tense and Voice
Category Example
Past Simple (active) They held a concert last night.
Past Simple (negative) They did not hold a concert last night.
Past Continuous They were holding a concert when it rained.
Present Perfect They have held many concerts.
Past Perfect They had held a concert before the festival.
Passive Voice A concert was held last night.
Table 5: Phrasal Verbs with ‘Hold’ in Past Forms
Phrasal Verb Meaning Example
held on persisted, waited They held on despite difficulties.
held up delayed or robbed The delivery was held up by traffic.
held back restrained He held back his anger.
held out resisted, extended The soldiers held out for days.
held off delayed or postponed They held off making a decision.

7. Usage Rules for Past Tense of “Hold”

7.1 When to Use “Held”

  • For completed actions in the past: “She held the title last year.”
  • In perfect tenses: “They have held elections recently.”
  • In passive voice when the event happened in the past: “The event was held on Monday.”
  • With phrasal verbs in past: “The train was held up.”

7.2 Common Irregular Past Tense Patterns

Unlike regular verbs (e.g., play → played), irregular verbs like hold → held do not follow the -ed pattern.

Tip: Use flashcards or lists to memorize irregular forms.

7.3 Subject-Verb Agreement in Past Tense

The form held is the same for all subjects (singular and plural).

  • She held
  • They held
  • My friend held
  • All students held

7.4 Negative and Interrogative Forms

Use auxiliary did/did not + base form hold:

  • Incorrect: “Did you held the book?”
  • Correct: “Did you hold the book?”

Similarly:

  • Incorrect: “She didn’t held it.”
  • Correct: “She didn’t hold it.”

7.5 Passive Voice Rules

Use passive when:

  • The agent is unknown or unimportant: “The test was held last week.”
  • A formal tone is needed: “The conference was held internationally.”

7.6 Differences in Formal and Informal Contexts

  • Formal: “The annual summit was held in Geneva.”
  • Informal: “We had a get-together last night.”

7.7 Exceptions and Special Cases

  • Idiomatic uses: “held his tongue,” “held her ground”
  • Regional variations: Minimal; “held” is standard in all dialects.

8. Common Mistakes with Past Tense of “Hold”

8.1 Misusing the Irregular Past

  • Incorrect: “She holded my bag.”
  • Correct: “She held my bag.”

8.2 Incorrect Use in Questions and Negatives

  • Incorrect: “Did they held the event?”
  • Correct: “Did they hold the event?”

8.3 Confusing Past Simple and Past Participle

  • Incorrect: “I have hold it.”
  • Correct: “I have held it.”

8.4 Misplaced Passive Constructions

  • Incorrect: “The event held at noon.”
  • Correct: “The event was held at noon.”

8.5 Overextending Literal Meaning

Misinterpreting idioms such as “held his ground” literally instead of understanding their figurative meaning.

8.6 Summary Table of Mistakes

Table 6: Common Errors and Correct Forms
Mistake Correction
She holded my hand. She held my hand.
Did you held the door? Did you hold the door?
I have hold it. I have held it.
The meeting held at 3 PM. The meeting was held at 3 PM.
They holds the record. They hold the record.

9. Practice Exercises

9.1 Fill-in-the-Blank

  1. Yesterday, she ____ a large bouquet.
  2. The company has ____ several workshops.
  3. They did not ____ the door open.
  4. We were ____ hands when the photo was taken.
  5. The conference was ____ last week.
  6. He ____ onto the rope tightly.
  7. They had ____ the records before the inspection.
  8. Did you ____ your breath underwater?
  9. The show was ____ in the main hall.
  10. She has ____ that position since 2018.

9.2 Error Correction

  1. The company holded a party last week.
  2. Did you held the ladder?
  3. I have hold the tickets for you.
  4. The seminar held on Tuesday.
  5. They didn’t held the event outdoors.
  6. Have you holded any meetings?
  7. The team was hold practice yesterday.
  8. She holds her breath during the race last week.
  9. We was holding hands when it rains.
  10. He hold the job for five years before quitting.

9.3 Identify Tense and Voice

  1. The awards were held at the theater.
  2. They have held the championship title.
  3. Did you hold the elevator?
  4. She was holding a cup of tea.
  5. He had held several patents by 2010.
  6. They held the door open.
  7. The hostage was held for three days.
  8. Were you holding my hand?
  9. We have been held responsible.
  10. She did not hold back her tears.

9.4 Sentence Construction

  • Make a sentence using “held up” in the past tense.
  • Make a question about someone holding a baby.
  • Write a negative sentence about not holding a grudge.
  • Use had held in a sentence about a position.
  • Use the passive form of “hold” about a festival.

9.5 Advanced Transformation

  • They held the protest. → _________
  • She has held the record. → _________
  • We were holding the banner. → _________
  • The bank was holding funds. → passive: _________
  • I held a meeting before lunch. → past perfect: _________

9.6 Answer Key

9.1 Fill-in-the-Blank

  1. held
  2. held
  3. hold
  4. holding
  5. held
  6. held
  7. held
  8. hold
  9. held
  10. held

9.2 Error Correction

  1. held
  2. hold
  3. held
  4. was held
  5. hold
  6. held
  7. was holding
  8. held
  9. were holding / rained
  10. had held

9.3 Identify Tense and Voice

  1. Passive past simple
  2. Present perfect active
  3. Past simple interrogative active
  4. Past continuous active
  5. Past perfect active
  6. Past simple active
  7. Passive past simple
  8. Past continuous interrogative
  9. Present perfect passive
  10. Past simple negative active

9.4 Sentence Construction

  • The traffic was held up by an accident.
  • Did you hold the baby?
  • She did not hold a grudge.
  • She had held that position for ten years.
  • The festival was held downtown.

9.5 Advanced Transformation

  • The protest was held.
  • The record has been held by her.
  • The banner was being held by us.
  • Funds were being held by the bank.
  • I had held a meeting before lunch.

10. Advanced Topics

10.1 Nuances of Meaning with “Held”

“Held” can convey subtle emotional or contextual shades:

  • Held a grudge: maintained resentment
  • Held dear: cherished or valued
  • Held responsible: considered accountable
  • Held steady: maintained stability
  • Held fast: persisted firmly

10.2 Stylistic Choices: Active vs. Passive

Active voice is generally clearer and more direct (“The council held a vote.”).

Passive voice often sounds more formal or is used when the actor is unknown (“A vote was held.”).

10.3 Collocations and Idioms with “Held”

  • She held accountable the responsible parties.
  • They held responsible the manager for the error.
  • He held dear his childhood memories.
  • The rebels held out against the siege.
  • The company held off launching the new product.

10.4 Discourse Functions

“Held” helps organize reports or stories by indicating past events:

  • “The initial meeting was held in March. Discussions followed in April.”
  • “The ceremony was held after the announcement.”

10.5 Register and Variety

  • Formal written contexts: “A conference was held to address the issue.”
  • Informal spoken contexts: “We had a quick meeting.”
  • Minimal difference between British and American English in past forms of “hold.”

11. FAQ Section

1. What is the past tense of “hold”?
The past simple and past participle of “hold” is held.

2. Is “holded” ever correct?
No, “holded” is incorrect. The correct past tense is “held” because “hold” is irregular.

3. How do I use “held” in passive sentences?
Use “was/were + held”: “The event was held on Saturday.”

4. What’s the difference between “held” and “holding”?
“held” is the past simple or past participle; “holding” is the present participle/gerund used for continuous tenses or as a noun.

5. Can “held” be used in perfect tenses?
Yes, with “has/have/had”: “They have held meetings.”

6. How do I form negatives with “held”?
Use “did not” + base form: “They did not hold the event.”

7. What are some common phrasal verbs using “held”?
“Held on,” “held up,” “held back,” “held out,” “held off.”

8. What are typical mistakes with “held”?
Using “holded”; wrong negatives/questions (“Did you held?”); confusing participles (“have hold”).

9. How can I remember irregular past tense forms like “held”?
Practice with flashcards, lists, reading, and exercises focusing on irregular verbs.

10. Is “held” used differently in British and American English?
No, “held” is standard in both varieties.

11. Can “held” be used figuratively?
Yes, in idioms like “held a grudge,” “held dear,” or “held accountable.”

12. How do I teach the past tense of “hold” effectively?
Use tables, contrast examples, highlight irregularity, provide lots of practice, and correct common mistakes.

12. Conclusion

In summary, “hold” is an irregular verb with the past simple and past participle form “held”. Mastering its forms is crucial for accurate storytelling, writing, and conversation. Remember:

  • “Holded” is never correct; always use “held.”
  • In negatives and questions, use “did not/did” + base “hold.”
  • Use “held” for past simple, perfect tenses, and passive voice.
  • Recognize its literal and figurative meanings, including idioms and phrasal verbs.

Regularly practice with the examples and exercises above, memorize irregular forms, and pay attention to context and sentence structure. This mastery will improve your fluency and confidence in English communication.

Continue exploring irregular verbs and advanced grammar topics to further enhance your skills.

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