Difference between gave up, give up and given up
Rules Using “Give up”, “Gave up”, and “Given up”
The verb “to give” is one of the most common and important irregular verbs in the English language. It means “to transfer something to someone” and has three main forms:
- Infinitive: to give
- Past Simple: gave
- Past Participle: given
Using the Verb “to give”
“To give” is used to express the action of transferring something from one person to another. For example:
- She gives a present to her friend.
- He gave me a book.
- They have given us their support.
The Phrasal Verb “give up” and Its Forms
The phrasal verb “give up” is derived from “to give” and means “to surrender,” “to stop doing something,” or “to abandon something.” The forms of “give up” include:
- Present: give up
- Past Simple: gave up
- Past Participle: given up
Let’s examine the grammar, rules, and examples of using the phrasal verbs “give up,” “gave up,” and “given up” in more detail.
1. Give up (Present Tense)
“Give up” is used in the present tense to express:
- A habitual action
- A general truth
- A scheduled future event
Examples:
- I never give up on my dreams.
- Successful people don’t give up easily.
- The store gives up its lease next month.
2. Gave up (Past Simple)
“Gave up” is used to describe:
- A completed action in the past
- A series of completed actions in the past
Examples:
- She gave up smoking last year.
- They gave up trying after several attempts.
3. Given up (Past Participle)
“Given up” is used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions:
- Present Perfect: have/has given up
- Past Perfect: had given up
- Future Perfect: will have given up
- Passive Voice: is/was/will be given up
Examples:
- I have given up caffeine for health reasons.
- By the time we arrived, they had given up waiting.
- The project will have been given up if we don’t secure funding soon.
Key Differences and Usage Tips
- Tense: “Give up” (present), “gave up” (past), “given up” (perfect/passive)
- Context: Use the appropriate form based on when the action occurred or is occurring
- Auxiliary verbs: “Given up” always requires an auxiliary verb (have, has, had, will have, is, was, etc.)
Let’s take a closer look at the grammar, rules and examples of using the phrasal verbs “Give up”, “Gave up” and “Given up”.
Usage and Rules of “Give up” in English
The phrasal verb “give up” means to surrender, stop doing something, or abandon something. It’s used in various contexts and has specific usage rules.
- Meanings of “give up”
“Give up” has several primary meanings:
- To surrender or stop doing something due to difficulties or failures.
- To quit a habit or activity.
Examples:
- I give up smoking. (I quit smoking.)
- She always tells me not to give up. (She always encourages me to persevere.)
- They will give up their project. (They will abandon their project.)
- Using “give up” in present and future tenses
“Give up” is used in the Present Simple and Future Simple tenses:
Present Simple:
- I give up easily when things get tough.
- She never gives up on her dreams.
Future Simple:
- He will give up his job next month.
- They won’t give up until they find a solution.
- Usage with other parts of speech
“Give up” can be used with various parts of speech to clarify its meaning:
With verbs:
- I will not give up trying.
- She decided to give up running.
With nouns:
- They want to give up the search.
- He needs to give up his position.
With pronouns:
- She didn’t give up on him.
- They don’t want to give up on their project.
- Context-dependent meanings
“Give up” can have different meanings depending on the context:
Surrendering:
- The team doesn’t give up despite the odds.
- He never gives up easily.
Quitting something:
- He wants to give up chocolate for Lent.
- She wants to give up her bad habits.
- Phrasal verbs with “give up”
“Give up” can be part of other phrasal verbs with more specific meanings:
Give up on:
- He gives up on his dream. (He abandons his dream.)
- Don’t give up on yourself. (Don’t lose faith in yourself.)
Give up to:
- She gives up to the authorities. (She surrenders to the authorities.)
Usage and Rules of “Gave up” in English
The phrasal verb “gave up” is the past form of “give up” and is used to describe actions that occurred in the past. Here’s a detailed overview of its usage and rules:
- Meanings of “gave up”
The main meanings of “gave up” include:
- To surrender or stop doing something due to difficulties or failures in the past.
- To quit a habit or activity in the past.
- To leave something or someone in the past (less common meaning).
Examples:
- He gave up smoking last year.
- After many attempts, she finally gave up.
- They gave up their seats for the elderly.
- Yesterday, I gave up my attempt to solve the puzzle.
- She gave up on her dream of being an artist years ago.
- They gave up their vacation plans due to the pandemic.
- Using “gave up” in sentences
“Gave up” is used in sentences to express completed actions in the past:
With Past Simple:
- I gave up trying to fix the car.
- She gave up her job to take care of her family.
- They gave up hope after the accident.
- Usage with other parts of speech
“Gave up” can be used with various parts of speech to clarify its meaning:
With verbs:
- He gave up running due to an injury.
With nouns:
- She gave up her position as manager.
With pronouns:
- They gave up on their friend.
- Context-dependent meanings
“Gave up” can have different meanings depending on the context:
Surrendering:
- He gave up after hours of trying.
Quitting something:
- She gave up sweets for a healthier lifestyle.
Leaving something:
- They gave up their home to move abroad.
“Gave up” is the past form of the verb “give up” and is used to describe actions that occurred in the past.
Usage and Rules of “Given up” in English
The phrasal verb “given up” is the past participle form and is used in perfect tenses and passive voice to express an action that has already been completed or has a certain result. Below is a detailed overview of its usage and rules.
- Meanings of “given up”
The main meanings of “given up” include:
- To surrender or stop doing something in the past that is relevant to the present moment.
- To quit a habit or activity in the past with a result in the present.
- To abandon something or someone in the past.
Examples:
- She has given up smoking.
- He had given up trying before we arrived.
- The project has been given up due to lack of funds.
- The plans have been given up due to unforeseen circumstances.
- By the end of the year, she had given up her hopes for promotion.
- Using “given up” in perfect tenses
“Given up” is used in perfect tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect) to express actions that have been completed but have significance for the present or another past action:
Present Perfect:
- She has given up her dream of becoming a singer.
- They have given up hope.
Past Perfect:
- By the time we got there, he had already given up.
- She had given up her position before the new manager arrived.
- Using “given up” in passive voice
“Given up” is used in passive constructions to express an action performed on the subject:
Examples:
- The search for the missing child has been given up.
- The project has been given up due to budget cuts.
- Context-dependent meanings
“Given up” can have different meanings depending on the context:
Surrendering:
- She has given up on her studies.
Quitting something:
- They have given up meat for health reasons.
Abandoning something:
- The old habits have been given up over time.
“Given up” is the past participle form of “give up” and is used to express completed actions that have significance for the present or another past action. Use “given up” in perfect tenses and passive constructions to accurately express your thoughts in English.
Differences in Using “Give up”, “Gave up”, and “Given up”
The phrasal verbs “give up”, “gave up”, and “given up” have similar meanings but are used in different tenses and contexts. Understanding the difference between them will help you use them correctly in speech and writing.
- Using “give up”
- “Give up” is used in the present (Present Simple) and future tense (Future Simple) to express actions that are happening now or will happen in the future.
- Using “gave up”
- “Gave up” is used in the past tense (Past Simple) to describe actions that occurred in the past and have already been completed.
- Using “given up”
- “Given up” is used in perfect tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect) and passive voice to express an action that has been completed or has a result in the present or another past action.
Situations:
- Use “give up” when talking about actions that are happening now or will happen in the future.
- Use “gave up” when talking about actions that have already been completed in the past.
- Use “given up” when talking about actions that were completed in the past but have significance for the present, or in passive constructions.
Comparison Examples:
- Give up (Present tense):
- I give up easily when things get tough.
- Gave up (Past tense):
- I gave up easily when things got tough last year.
- Given up (Perfect tense):
- I have given up trying to convince him.
- Give up (Future tense):
- He will give up his job next month.
- Gave up (Past tense):
- He gave up his job last month.
- Given up (Perfect tense):
- He has given up his job recently.
Pay attention to the time of action: If the action is happening now or in the future, use “give up”. If the action has already occurred in the past, use “gave up”. If the action was completed in the past but has significance for the present, or if it’s a passive construction, use “given up”.