Irregular verbs  Regular verbs

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swim, swims, swimming, swum, swam

Synonyms: bathe, float, glide, paddle, dive

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Antonyms: sink, drown, walk, stand, founder

The Verb Swim – Definition, Usage, and Clarification


The verb swim is a common irregular verb that means to propel oneself through water using one's limbs.


VERB FORMS


■ Base Form: swim
■ Past Simple: swam
■ Past Particiciple: swum
■ Present Participle/Gerund: swimming


USAGE AND CONTEXT


'Swim' is used for the act of moving through water and figuratively for being overwhelmed.


1. Propelling Through Water
This is its primary, literal meaning.


■ Activity: 'We swam in the lake all afternoon.'
■ Ability: 'Can you swim?'


2. Being Overwhelmed (Figurative)
This describes a feeling of being inundated or dizzy.


■ Sensation: 'After staring at the screen for hours, my head was swimming.'
■ Information: 'My mind was swimming with facts and figures before the exam.'


ℹ IMPORTANT: 'SWAM' VS. 'SWUM'


This is a classic grammatical point and a very common source of errors.


■ Swam (Simple Past): Use 'swam' to describe a completed action in the past.
■ Correct: 'Yesterday, she swam across the entire lake.'


■ Swum (Past Participle): Use 'swum' with auxiliary verbs like 'have,' 'has,' 'had,' or in the passive voice.
■ Correct: 'I have swum in the Atlantic Ocean, but never the Pacific.'
■ Incorrect: 'I swum in the lake yesterday.'