How to Use Grind Past Tense (Ground vs Ground)

What's the past tense of "grind"?

The simple past tense of grind is ground, and the past participle is also ground. Use ground for both simple past and past participle forms.

Definition of grind

The Oxford English Dictionary defines grind as "to reduce something to small particles or powder by crushing it." It's an irregular verb that doesn't follow the standard "-ed" pattern for past tenses.

• The past tense of grind is ground.
• The past participle of grind is ground.

Verb forms of 'grind'

Examples of 'grind' in sentences

Here are some examples of how to use the different forms of grind in sentences:

Simple Present

• I grind coffee beans every morning.
• The machine grinds the wheat into flour.

Simple Past

• I ground the spices for the curry.
• She ground the coffee beans fresh.

Past Participle

• I have ground the pepper finely.
• The wheat was ground into flour.

Present Perfect

• She has ground all the coffee beans.
• We have ground the spices for the recipe.

Common mistakes with 'grind'

Here are some common mistakes people make when using the verb grind:

❌ Incorrect

• I grinded the coffee beans. (Should be "ground")
• She has grinded the spices. (Should be "ground")
• We grinded the wheat. (Should be "ground")

✅ Correct

• I ground the coffee beans.
• She has ground the spices.
• We ground the wheat.

Quiz: Test your knowledge

Choose the correct form of grind for each sentence:

1. I _____ the coffee beans yesterday.
   • grind
   • ground
   • grinded
2. She has _____ the spices.
   • grind
   • ground
   • grinded
3. They _____ the wheat into flour.
   • grind
   • ground
   • grinded

Answers: 1. ground, 2. ground, 3. grind

Summary

The verb grind is irregular, with ground as both the simple past tense and past participle. Remember that irregular verbs don't follow the standard "-ed" pattern, so it's important to memorize their forms. Practice using these forms in context to become more comfortable with them.