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

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Mastering the past tense of irregular verbs is a cornerstone of achieving fluency and precision in English, particularly in academic, legal, and professional writing. One such verb, ‘uphold’, is frequently encountered in formal documents, news reports, and everyday conversation when referring to support or maintain decisions, principles, or traditions.

Unlike regular verbs, ‘uphold’ features an irregular past tense form, which can be confusing for learners. This comprehensive article offers a step-by-step, in-depth guide to understanding and correctly using the past tense of ‘uphold’. We will cover definitions, grammatical structures, common contexts, advanced usage tips, frequent mistakes, and ample examples.

Whether you are a student, ESL learner, teacher, writer, or language enthusiast, this resource will help you confidently use ‘uphold’ in the past tense, enhancing both your written and spoken English.

Read on to gain a thorough understanding of how to form, pronounce, and accurately employ the past tense of ‘uphold’ in various settings.

Table of Contents

3. Definition Section

3.1. What Does ‘Uphold’ Mean?

The verb ‘uphold’ means to support, maintain, defend, or keep a principle, law, decision, tradition, or standard. It often implies sustaining something considered right, just, or established.

Example sentences:

  • They uphold the highest ethical standards in their work.
  • The court upholds the constitutionality of the new law.
  • She upholds her family’s traditions with pride.
  • Our policy upholds equal treatment for all employees.
  • The organization upholds freedom of speech.

3.2. Grammatical Classification of ‘Uphold’

‘Uphold’ is an irregular, transitive verb.

Transitive means it always takes a direct object — something that is being upheld.

Table 1: Regular vs. Irregular Verbs
Type Base Form Past Simple Past Participle Example
Regular work worked worked She worked late yesterday.
Irregular go went gone They have gone home.
Irregular uphold upheld upheld The court upheld the ruling.

3.3. Overview of Tenses with ‘Uphold’

Here are the key forms of ‘uphold’:

  • Base form: uphold
  • Past simple: upheld
  • Past participle: upheld
  • Present participle: upholding

This article focuses mainly on the past tense forms, especially ‘upheld’.

3.4. Function of the Past Tense of ‘Uphold’

Using the past tense ‘upheld’ indicates that an action of supporting or defending was completed in the past. This is common when narrating events in legal cases, academic reports, or recounting personal or historical actions.

Examples:

  • The court upheld the decision made last year.
  • She upheld her family’s tradition by hosting the annual festival.
  • The university upheld the academic standards despite challenges.

3.5. Contexts Where ‘Uphold’ Is Frequently Used

‘Uphold’ is common in several formal and professional contexts:

  • Legal judgments: The judge upheld the previous ruling.
  • Ethical or moral standards: The committee upheld ethical principles.
  • Cultural or societal customs: They upheld ancient traditions.
  • Policies and regulations: The company upheld its zero-tolerance policy.
  • Academic or institutional standards: The board upheld the university’s admission criteria.

4. Structural Breakdown

4.1. Irregular Verb Patterns and ‘Uphold’

Irregular verbs do not follow the standard ‘-ed’ ending rule to form the past tense and past participle. Instead, they have unique forms that must be memorized.

Examples of irregular verbs:

  • go → went → gone
  • bring → brought → brought
  • buy → bought → bought
  • uphold → upheld → upheld

‘Uphold’ changes to ‘upheld’ in both the past simple and past participle.

4.2. Base, Past Simple, and Past Participle Forms

Table 2: Forms of ‘Uphold’
Base Form Past Simple Past Participle Present Participle
uphold upheld upheld upholding

4.3. Pronunciation Notes

  • ‘Uphold’: /ʌpˈhoʊld/ — stress on the second syllable ‘hold’
  • ‘Upheld’: /ʌpˈhɛld/ — stress on the second syllable ‘held’

Note: The vowel sound changes from /oʊ/ in ‘hold’ to /ɛ/ in ‘held’.

4.4. Sentence Structure with Past Tense ‘Upheld’

Affirmative: Subject + upheld + object

  • The judge upheld the verdict.
  • They upheld the company policy.
  • The tradition upheld community values.

Negative: Subject + did not + uphold + object

  • The judge did not uphold the appeal.
  • They did not uphold the agreement.
  • The committee did not uphold the complaint.

Interrogative: Did + subject + uphold + object?

  • Did the court uphold the sentence?
  • Did they uphold the tradition?
  • Did the university uphold the policy?

4.5. Passive Voice with Past Tense

Passive structure: Object + was/were + upheld + (by agent)

  • The decision was upheld by the court.
  • The policy was upheld despite criticism.
  • The ruling was upheld after appeal.

4.6. Time Expressions with Past Tense

Common time expressions: yesterday, last year, in 2010, two days ago.

  • The verdict was upheld in 2015.
  • They upheld the decision two weeks ago.
  • The court upheld the sentence last month.
  • She upheld her promise yesterday.
  • The policy was upheld during last year’s review.

5. Types or Categories

5.1. Simple Past Tense Usage

Use the simple past ‘upheld’ to state that the action was completed in the past.

  • The ruling upheld the existing law.
  • She upheld family values throughout her life.

5.2. Past Perfect Tense

Structure: had + past participle (had upheld)

Use to indicate an action completed before another past event.

  • They had upheld the law before the reform was proposed.
  • She had upheld the agreement before it was canceled.
  • The court had upheld the sentence before the appeal was filed.

5.3. Passive Past Forms

Past simple passive:

  • The verdict was upheld.
  • The policy was upheld by the board.

Past perfect passive:

  • The decision had been upheld before the complaint.
  • The law had been upheld in previous rulings.

5.4. Past Continuous Contexts (rare)

Sometimes, ‘uphold’ appears in the past continuous to emphasize an ongoing support at a past time.

  • They were upholding the rules during the competition.
  • The committee was upholding high standards throughout the process.

6. Examples Section

6.1. Basic Past Tense Sentences

  • The committee upheld the policy.
  • She upheld her promise.
  • The court upheld the sentence.
  • They upheld a long-standing tradition.
  • The board upheld the decision unanimously.
  • The school upheld the disciplinary action.
  • The council upheld community standards.
  • The manager upheld the complaint.
  • He upheld his beliefs despite opposition.
  • The organization upheld its reputation.
  • The Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling.
  • The appellate court upheld the conviction.
  • The judge upheld the evidence as admissible.
  • The tribunal upheld the contract terms.
  • The verdict was upheld after appeal.
  • The panel upheld the disciplinary measure.
  • The constitutionality was upheld by the court.
  • The fine was upheld despite objections.
  • The sentence was upheld on review.
  • The ban was upheld by the highest court.

6.3. Ethical and Cultural Context

  • They upheld their cultural traditions during the festival.
  • She upheld her family’s honor.
  • The company upheld its ethical code.
  • The community upheld its values despite modernization.
  • He upheld moral principles in his decisions.
  • The team upheld fair play throughout the season.
  • The parents upheld strict discipline at home.
  • The activists upheld human rights.
  • The council upheld environmental standards.
  • The teacher upheld rules of academic honesty.

6.4. Passive Voice Examples

  • The verdict was upheld after review.
  • The contract was upheld in court.
  • The sentence was upheld by the appellate judge.
  • The decision was upheld under scrutiny.
  • The law was upheld by the tribunal.
  • The ban was upheld despite protests.
  • The fine was upheld after appeal.
  • The order was upheld in the Supreme Court.
  • The policy was upheld unanimously.
  • The regulations were upheld by the industry board.

6.5. Complex Sentences with Past Perfect

  • By the time the appeal was filed, the decision had been upheld.
  • They had upheld the agreement before any dispute arose.
  • The court had upheld the law prior to the amendment.
  • The board had upheld the policy before the new CEO arrived.
  • She had upheld her promise long before doubts emerged.
  • Before the protests, the university had upheld the regulation.
  • The judge had upheld the sentence before the governor’s pardon.
  • They had upheld the standard until new evidence appeared.
  • The council had upheld the tradition for decades before change.
  • The tribunal had upheld the original verdict before the appeal succeeded.

6.6. Comparison Table of Tenses (Table 3)

Table 3: Tense Comparison with ‘Uphold’
Tense Example Sentence
Past Simple The court upheld the ruling.
Past Perfect They had upheld the policy before it was revised.
Passive Past Simple The policy was upheld by the board.
Passive Past Perfect The decision had been upheld before the complaint.

6.7. Idiomatic and Less Common Uses

  • He upheld the family name through his actions.
  • The team upheld their reputation as champions.
  • She upheld the spirit of generosity.
  • The company upheld its image despite setbacks.
  • They upheld their end of the bargain.

7. Usage Rules

7.1. When to Use ‘Upheld’ Instead of ‘Uphold’

Use ‘upheld’ to describe actions completed in the past. It clearly signals the event is over.

  • Correct: The judge upheld the decision last week.
  • Incorrect: The judge uphold the decision last week.

7.2. Agreement with Time Expressions

Align the verb tense with past time markers like yesterday, last year, in 2012.

  • Correct: The court upheld the verdict in 2018.
  • Incorrect: The court uphold the verdict in 2018.

7.3. Passive vs. Active Voice

Active: The subject performs the action.

Passive: The focus shifts to the object receiving the action; the doer may be omitted or added with ‘by’.

Examples:

  • Active: The judge upheld the appeal.
  • Passive: The appeal was upheld (by the judge).

Use passive voice to emphasize the result or object, common in formal writing.

7.4. Formal vs. Informal Contexts

‘Uphold’ is generally more formal, used in legal, academic, and professional contexts. In informal speech, synonyms like ‘support’ or ‘keep’ are more common.

  • Formal: The board upheld the policy.
  • Informal: The board kept the policy.

7.5. Collocations with ‘Upheld’

Common combinations:

Table 4: Collocations and Examples
Collocation Example Sentence
upheld a decision The court upheld the decision.
upheld a ruling The Supreme Court upheld the ruling.
upheld a principle She upheld the principle of fairness.
upheld the law They upheld the law despite criticism.
upheld a tradition They upheld family traditions.
upheld ethics The company upheld its ethics policy.
upheld a complaint The ombudsman upheld the complaint.
upheld standards The council upheld environmental standards.

7.6. Exceptions and Special Cases

While ‘upheld’ usually appears in simple or perfect tenses, it may sometimes appear in continuous forms to highlight an ongoing process:

  • They were upholding the rules during the ceremony.
  • She has been upholding the family’s legacy for years.

8. Common Mistakes

8.1. Using Regular Past Form ‘upholded’ (Incorrect)

  • Incorrect: They upholded the verdict.
  • Correct: They upheld the verdict.

8.2. Confusing Past Simple and Past Participle

Both forms are ‘upheld’, but their use depends on sentence structure:

  • Past Simple: The court upheld the law.
  • Past Perfect: The court had upheld the law.

8.3. Incorrect Use in Negative and Questions

  • Incorrect: They didn’t upheld it.
  • Correct: They didn’t uphold it.
  • Incorrect: Did the court upheld the ruling?
  • Correct: Did the court uphold the ruling?

8.4. Misusing Passive Forms

  • Incorrect: The policy was upholded.
  • Correct: The policy was upheld.

8.5. Incorrect Time Alignment

  • Incorrect: Last year, the court uphold the decision.
  • Correct: Last year, the court upheld the decision.

8.6. Summary Table of Mistakes (Table 5)

Table 5: Common Mistakes and Corrections
Common Mistake Correct Form
They upholded the law. They upheld the law.
They didn’t upheld it. They didn’t uphold it.
The verdict was upholded. The verdict was upheld.
Last year, they uphold the rule. Last year, they upheld the rule.
Did the court upheld the appeal? Did the court uphold the appeal?

9. Practice Exercises

9.1. Fill-in-the-Blank (15 sentences)

  1. The Supreme Court ___ the appeal. (Answer: upheld)
  2. Last year, the board ___ the policy.
  3. The judge ___ the contract’s validity.
  4. The organization ___ its reputation after the scandal.
  5. They ___ the tradition during the festival.
  6. The committee ___ the complaint after review.
  7. She ___ her promise despite difficulties.
  8. The agency ___ environmental standards.
  9. In 2015, the tribunal ___ the fine.
  10. The council ___ community values.
  11. The court ___ the ban on advertising.
  12. The verdict ___ after two appeals.
  13. The university ___ the academic code.
  14. The panel ___ the disciplinary measure.
  15. The policy ___ during last year’s audit.

9.2. Error Correction (10 sentences)

  1. The policy was upholded. → The policy was upheld.
  2. They didn’t upheld the complaint. → They didn’t uphold the complaint.
  3. The judge uphold the sentence yesterday. → The judge upheld the sentence yesterday.
  4. Did the court upheld the verdict? → Did the court uphold the verdict?
  5. Last year, the council upholded the rules. → Last year, the council upheld the rules.
  6. The appeal was upholded by the panel. → The appeal was upheld by the panel.
  7. She upholded her promise. → She upheld her promise.
  8. The sentence had upholded before the pardon. → The sentence had been upheld before the pardon.
  9. The company upholded its reputation. → The company upheld its reputation.
  10. They was upheld the decision. → The decision was upheld.

9.3. Identify the Verb Form (10 questions)

  1. ‘upheld’ (past simple or past participle?) — Both
  2. ‘uphold’ — Base form
  3. ‘upholding’ — Present participle
  4. ‘had upheld’ — Past perfect (past participle with ‘had’)
  5. ‘was upheld’ — Passive past simple (past participle)
  6. ‘is upholding’ — Present continuous
  7. ‘has upheld’ — Present perfect (past participle)
  8. ‘did uphold’ — Past simple (base form with auxiliary)
  9. ‘were upholding’ — Past continuous
  10. ‘had been upheld’ — Past perfect passive

9.4. Sentence Construction (10 prompts)

  1. (court / uphold / decision / last week) → The court upheld the decision last week.
  2. (policy / uphold / by company / in 2020) → The policy was upheld by the company in 2020.
  3. (she / uphold / her promise / despite difficulties) → She upheld her promise despite difficulties.
  4. (board / not uphold / agreement) → The board did not uphold the agreement.
  5. (judges / uphold / sentence / after appeal) → The judges upheld the sentence after appeal.
  6. (complaint / uphold / by tribunal) → The complaint was upheld by the tribunal.
  7. (they / uphold / traditions / every year) → They upheld traditions every year.
  8. (council / uphold / environmental standards / last year) → The council upheld environmental standards last year.
  9. (ruling / had upheld / before second trial) → The ruling had been upheld before the second trial.
  10. (university / uphold / academic honesty) → The university upheld academic honesty.

9.5. Advanced Context Rewrite (5 exercises)

  1. Active to Passive: The judge upheld the sentence. → The sentence was upheld by the judge.
  2. Passive to Active: The complaint was upheld by the ombudsman. → The ombudsman upheld the complaint.
  3. Simple Past to Past Perfect: They upheld the decision before the appeal. → They had upheld the decision before the appeal.
  4. Simple Past to Passive Past Simple: The court upheld the verdict. → The verdict was upheld by the court.
  5. Past Perfect Passive to Simple Past: The ruling had been upheld before the complaint. → The ruling was upheld before the complaint.

9.6. Answer Key

9.1 Fill-in-the-Blank

  1. upheld
  2. upheld
  3. upheld
  4. upheld
  5. upheld
  6. upheld
  7. upheld
  8. upheld
  9. upheld
  10. upheld
  11. upheld
  12. was upheld
  13. upheld
  14. upheld
  15. was upheld

9.2 Error Correction

  1. The policy was upheld.
  2. They didn’t uphold the complaint.
  3. The judge upheld the sentence yesterday.
  4. Did the court uphold the verdict?
  5. Last year, the council upheld the rules.
  6. The appeal was upheld by the panel.
  7. She upheld her promise.
  8. The sentence had been upheld before the pardon.
  9. The company upheld its reputation.
  10. The decision was upheld.

9.3 Identify the Verb Form

  1. Both
  2. Base form
  3. Present participle
  4. Past perfect
  5. Passive past simple
  6. Present continuous
  7. Present perfect
  8. Past simple
  9. Past continuous
  10. Past perfect passive

9.4 Sentence Construction — Provided above.

9.5 Context Rewrite — Provided above.

10. Advanced Topics

10.1. Historical Development of ‘Uphold’ and Its Forms

‘Uphold’ originates from Middle English, combining up + holden (to hold). The past tense ‘upheld’ follows irregular verb evolution from Old English, where the past tense of ‘hold’ was heold, later ‘held’.

‘Uphold’ is a key term in legal language, meaning to confirm, maintain, or sustain a previous decision or law. It appears in court rulings, appellate decisions, and legal writing.

Example from case law:

  • “The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the statute.”
  • “The lower court’s judgment was upheld on appeal.”

10.3. Register and Formality Nuances

‘Uphold’ is more formal and precise than ‘support’ or ‘keep’.

  • Uphold: formal, legal, or institutional contexts.
  • Support: general agreement or help.
  • Keep: maintain possession or continuation.

10.4. Synonyms and Subtle Differences

Table 6: ‘Uphold’ vs. Similar Verbs
Verb Meaning Example
uphold maintain or confirm a principle/decision The court upheld the law.
support agree with or assist She supported his ideas.
maintain keep in existence or condition They maintained high standards.
sustain continue or uphold under challenge The court sustained the objection.

10.5. Stylistic Tips for Academic and Professional Writing

  • Use ‘upheld’ for precise reference to decisions or principles confirmed in the past.
  • Avoid informal synonyms in legal or scholarly contexts.
  • Prefer active or passive voice based on emphasis:
    • Active for highlighting the decision-maker.
    • Passive for focusing on the decision or principle.

10.6. Idiomatic Expressions with ‘Uphold’

  • Uphold the law — follow the law strictly.
  • Uphold one’s end of the bargain — fulfill a promise or agreement.
  • Uphold a tradition — continue a customary practice.
  • Uphold someone’s reputation — maintain respect or honor.
  • Uphold a complaint — agree that a complaint is valid.

11. FAQ Section

  1. What is the past tense of ‘uphold’?
    The past tense is ‘upheld’.
  2. Is ‘upholded’ ever correct?
    No. The correct past tense and past participle is ‘upheld’; ‘upholded’ is incorrect.
  3. Are past simple and past participle of ‘uphold’ the same?
    Yes, both are ‘upheld’.
  4. How do you use ‘upheld’ in passive voice?
    Object + was/were + upheld + (by agent). Example: “The verdict was upheld by the court.”
  5. Can ‘upheld’ be used with continuous tenses?
    Not usually, but the participle ‘upholding’ can be used. Example: “They were upholding the rules.”
  6. What prepositions commonly follow ‘upheld’?
    Often none needed. Sometimes ‘by’ (in passive), or ‘against’ (resistance). Example: “The appeal was upheld by the judge.”
  7. What are common collocations with ‘upheld’?
    Decision, ruling, law, complaint, tradition, principle, policy, standard.
  8. How do you pronounce ‘upheld’?
    /ʌpˈhɛld/ — stress on the second syllable.
  9. What are synonyms of ‘upheld’ in past tense?
    Supported, maintained, sustained, confirmed, defended.
  10. Is ‘upheld’ more formal than ‘supported’?
    Yes, especially in legal or academic contexts.
  11. What is the difference between ‘upheld’ and ‘sustained’?
    ‘Upheld’ means confirmed or maintained; ‘sustained’ means continued or accepted, often in a courtroom context to accept an objection.
  12. Can you give examples of ‘upheld’ in a legal context?
    Yes:

    • The Supreme Court upheld the conviction.
    • The appellate court upheld the ruling.
    • The verdict was upheld after appeal.

12. Conclusion

Understanding the irregular past tense ‘upheld’ is essential for accurate, effective communication in English, especially in formal, legal, and academic settings. We have covered the meaning, forms, sentence structures, usage contexts, common errors, and advanced nuances of this important verb.

Remember these key points:

  • ‘Upheld’ is both the simple past and past participle of ‘uphold’.
  • It is irregular – never use ‘upholded’.
  • It is common in legal, academic, and ethical discussions.
  • Carefully match tense and time expressions.
  • Use active or passive voice appropriately.
  • Practice with examples and exercises builds confidence.

Mastering irregular verbs like ‘uphold’ will greatly enhance your English fluency, clarity, and professionalism. Continue exploring other irregular verbs to expand your skills even further!

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