Confusion often arises over the spelling of words like submitted and submited. This article clears up the confusion by highlighting the correct usage and common mistakes in spelling these terms. It’s crucial for effective communication, especially in professional settings, to use the right spelling.
The correct form is submitted. This word is the past tense and past participle of ‘submit.’ It means to present or propose something to others for review or consideration. For example, “She submitted her application last week.”
Using the incorrect form ‘submited’ can confuse readers and appears unprofessional. Always double-check your spelling to ensure clarity and maintain credibility in your writing.
Understanding Common Verb Confusions
Have you ever sat down to write an email and suddenly stopped to wonder if you’re using the right word? It’s something we all go through. Let’s clear up one common confusion today.
Getting to Know the Verb “Submit”
Submit is a verb that means to present or propose something to others for consideration or judgment. Now, when you want to talk about doing this in the past, how do you say it? Let’s look closely at the different forms of this verb.
The Correct Past Tense
The verb “submit” follows a regular pattern when it turns into the past tense. How do most regular verbs in English form their past tense? They usually add -ed to the end. However, it sometimes needs a bit of tweaking.
When a regular verb ends in a consonant and a single vowel before it, the final consonant doubles before you add -ed. This rule applies to “submit” as well. So, which one looks correct now: submited or submitted? Yes, it’s submitted.
Why Doubling the Consonant?
Why do we double the consonant? It helps maintain the short vowel sound in the original word. Imagine if we didn’t double the ‘t’ in “submit” when adding -ed. It could lead to mispronunciation, sounding like the vowel in ‘computer’. This isn’t what we want! Doubling the ‘t’ keeps the pronunciation consistent with the original word.
Examples in Sentences
Let’s see how this works in real sentences:
- I submitted my application last week.
- She has submitted several poems to the magazine.
- They submitted their report before the deadline.
Finding Patterns in Other Verbs
Do other words follow this rule? Absolutely. Consider “commit.” It also ends with a single vowel followed by a consonant. Thus, the past tense is “committed.” How about “admit”? Yep, it becomes “admitted.” Listen to how it sounds. It all follows the same pattern.
Practicing Correct Usage
How can you make sure you always choose the right form? Practice, of course! Next time you write or speak with the verb “submit,” remember the double ‘t’ in the past tense. Would you have spotted the mistake if you heard someone say “submited”? Maybe now you will!
Reading a lot also helps. The more you see words used correctly, the more natural it becomes for you to use them correctly too. Why not start by reading this article again? Or try writing a few sentences using the word “submitted.”
Summary
So, mastering the past tense of “submit” isn’t too tough, right? With a simple double of the consonant and adding -ed, you convert a present form into its past. It’s all about keeping the sound consistent. Start noticing how you and others use it, and soon, it’ll become second nature.
Do you see how understanding a small word, like the correct form of “submit,” can improve your speaking and writing? It’s little steps like these that build your confidence and polish your English. Why not teach someone else this trick? Sharing knowledge is one of the best ways to solidify your understanding.
Now, go on, practice writing some sentences using “submitted” and see how natural it feels. Who knew such small changes could make a big difference in your English language mastery?
