What is the past tense of “grind”?
I’m asking this as someone who might grind coffee beans, not as someone dancing scandalously at a club. Yes, this changes the answer. Does that give you enough of a hint to know the difference?
If you’re looking to history, there has always been the same answer to this question—well, maybe not about the scandalous dancing part. The incorrect answer has indeed had multiple surges in popularity over the past three hundred years, but unlike other instances when the non-standard form sometimes becomes more popular (here’s looking at you, “spilled” vs. “spilt,” “went” vs. “gaed,” “hiccup” vs. hiccough,” and the still fighting it out pair of “lighted” vs. “lit”), the correct answer always has remained “ground.” I’m not willing to commit to the idea that it always will be correct, but for now at least, it’s the hands-down winner.
Yes, that’s right. “Ground” is the correct past tense form of “grind.”
And to speak to my earlier note, the only exception to this is when referencing the verb “to grind,” meaning the sexual, up-close-and-personal dance moves. If it’s the “grinding” you wouldn’t necessarily chat to your parents about, this would be a story of how someone “grinded.”
If you want an easier hint, though, remember this:
The answer you found was “ground.”
Did you see my reminder there? Just like “find,” which has a past tense of “found,” “grind” has a past tense of “ground.”
Did you get this one right?
Bonus tip: It’s true for your coffee beans too. Whether you’re prepping them for your morning brew or saving them for your compost, remember that they are “coffee grounds,” not “coffee grinds.”
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