"contribute to" vs "contributed to"

Question

"contribute to" vs "contributed to"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Contribute to" is used in the present tense to indicate ongoing actions or general truths, while "contributed to" is used in the past tense to indicate actions that have already happened.

Last Updated: March 30, 2024

Use "contribute to" when talking about ongoing actions or general truths in the present tense. It indicates that something is adding to or helping to cause a particular result.

Examples:

Regular exercise contributes to good health.
Education can contribute to economic growth.

Alternatives:

adds to
helps with
plays a part in
is a factor in
leads to

Use "contributed to" when talking about actions that have already happened in the past. It indicates that something has added to or helped to cause a particular result in the past.

Examples:

His hard work contributed to the success of the project.
The discovery of penicillin contributed to the advancement of medicine.

Alternatives:

helped with
played a part in
was a factor in
led to

Answer 1

contribute to

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Answer 2

contributed to

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"contribute to" vs "contributed to"

contribute to

contributed to

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