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I'm trying to figure out what the correct past tense form of "he bears the weight" would be.

Wiktionary says that "bear" has a simple past "bore" and a past participle "borne", but I don't understand when one is used instead of the other.

So, would the correct form be

He has bore the weight

or

He has borne the weight

?

It would also be helpful if I could see example sentences for "borne" and "bore" to illuminate the distinction.

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3  
He bore the weight. He has borne the weight. – Andrew Leach Sep 22 '12 at 20:48
Thanks @Andrew, that clears it up :) – Antonio Vargas Sep 22 '12 at 21:01

closed as general reference by StoneyB, Andrew Leach, Peter Shor , kiamlaluno, tchrist Sep 23 '12 at 20:48

This question is too basic; it can be definitively and permanently answered by a single link to a standard internet reference source designed specifically to find that type of information. See the FAQ for guidance on how to improve it.

1 Answer

up vote 3 down vote accepted

Bore is the past tense, borne is the past participle. The past participle is used in the present perfect construction He has borne. If you are a foreign learner of English and are not familiar with the distinction, you need to consult a qualified English teacher or a book of English grammar designed for foreign learners.

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Cheers, thank you. I'm a native English speaker who grew up in the US. – Antonio Vargas Sep 22 '12 at 20:59

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