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Why "had tore" tears grammar apart: a common mistake explained
Reviewed and edited by 
Lloyd Cooper 08/10/2024, 16:15
Lloyd Cooper 08/10/2024, 16:15English.me team member
What kind of error is it?
Incorrect verb form - misuse of past participle
Why do people make this mistake?
The error occurs because "tore" is mistaken as the past participle, when it is actually the simple past tense of "tear". People often confuse past tense forms with past participles, especially with irregular verbs.
What is correct?
"Had torn" is correct because "torn" is the past participle of "tear", used with "had" to form the past perfect tense.
Examples of correct usage
- She had torn the letter before realizing its importance.
- By the time we got there, the poster had torn off the wall.
- He noticed that his shirt had torn during the hike.
Grammar
