"I had eaten" vs "I had ate"

Question

"I had eaten" vs "I had ate"

The correct phrase is 'I had eaten.' 'Ate' is the simple past form of 'eat,' while 'eaten' is the past participle. In this case, 'had' is used as part of the past perfect tense, which requires the past participle form of the verb.

Last Updated: March 27, 2024

This phrase is used in the past perfect tense to indicate an action that occurred before another past action. It shows that the eating happened before a specific point in the past.

Examples:

By the time I arrived, he had already eaten dinner.
I had eaten all the cookies before the party started.
She had eaten at that restaurant many times before.
They had eaten breakfast before heading out.
Had you eaten before the movie started?

Alternatives:

I had finished eating
I had consumed
I had dined
I had partaken
I had ingested

Answer 1

I had eaten

This phrase is correct. 'Eaten' is the past participle form of 'eat,' which is used in the past perfect tense.

Answer 2

I had ate

This phrase is incorrect. 'Ate' is the simple past form of 'eat,' and it should not be used with 'had' in this context.

"I had eaten" vs "I had ate"

I had eaten

I had ate

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