What is the Past Tense of 'Aware' and 'Know': A Comprehensive Guide

Hearing the query, "What is the past tense of 'aware'?" might lead you to assume it would follow a similar structure as verbs. However, 'aware' is an adjective and as such, it doesn't have a past tense form. Understanding the differences between verbs and adjectives, especially when discussing tenses, is crucial for clarity in language usage.

The Past Tense of 'Know'

Let's address the more straightforward verb, 'know,' and break it down into its past tense and past participle forms.

Present Tense: I know the answer.

Past Tense: I knew the answer.

Past Perfect Tense: I have known the answer.

The paradigm for 'know' is straightforward: know, knew, known. So, 'knew' is the past simple form, and 'known' is the past participle.

Example Sentence: I knew the answer so I raised my hand.

Additionally, using the past participle form, you can say: 'I have known Suzy since 1960 for 63 years.'

Remember, when forming the past tense and past participle of 'know,' the word 'knew' and 'known' are the correct forms to use.

Understanding 'Aware'

Whereas 'know' is a verb, 'aware' is an adjective describing someone's state of knowledge or understanding. Adjectives do not have tenses like verbs do. They simply describe a noun without indicating any change over time.

For example:

'Brown dog' where 'brown' is an adjective describing the color of the dog.

'Tall building' where 'tall' is an adjective describing the height of the building.

'Friendly person' where 'friendly' is an adjective describing the character of the person.

However, if we want to describe an action or state in the past, we can use a linking verb, such as 'be,' to indicate that the state was true at a specific time in the past. A linking verb connects the subject of the sentence with the predicate, which can be a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. The linking verbs include 'am,' 'is,' 'are,' 'was,' and 'were.'

For instance:

I am smiling.

But to indicate that a state was true in the past, we use the past form of 'be,' which is 'was.'

Example: She was aware of the rules – This sentence indicates that she knew about the rules in the past.

This sentence structure can be applied to any adjective, not just 'aware.' So, while 'aware' itself does not have a past tense, a linking verb like 'was' can be used to describe a state of awareness in the past.

Conclusion

Understanding the differences between verbs and adjectives with regards to tense is key to accurate language usage. For adjectives like 'aware,' the way to describe a state in the past is by using a linking verb, such as 'was,' rather than trying to form a past tense.

For verbs like 'know,' the past tense and past participle are straightforward and follow a simple pattern.

So, while 'aware' does not have a past tense form, using the past form of a linking verb can help you express that a state was true at a specific time in the past.