Were they send (sent) via WhatsApp?

Unsure whether to use sent, sented, or sending? Most errors come from three sources: (1) using simple past where a past participle is required (after have/had or be), (2) using an infinitive where a gerund is needed, and (3) using a past form after did/didn't. Scan for auxiliaries and the verb's role, then pick the form below.

Quick check: is there have/had/be/do/did? Is the verb acting as a noun after verbs like enjoy? Those clues point to the correct form.

Quick answer: Which form to use

Use a past participle after have/had and after forms of be (passive). Use simple past for a finished action with no auxiliary. Use gerund (-ing) after verbs that take actions as nouns (enjoy, avoid, finish). After did/didn't use the base verb (Did you see?).

Perfect tenses → have/had + past participle (have eaten, had come).
Passive → be + past participle (was sent, were written).
Gerund after verbs like enjoy / avoid / finish / mind → verb+ing (enjoy swimming).
Questions/negatives with did/didn't → base form (Did you go? / He didn't call).

Core explanation: fast grammar you need

Three frequently confused forms: simple past (I saw), past participle (I have seen / was seen), and gerund (seeing). Ask: is there have/had or a form of be? Then use past participle. Is this the object of a verb like enjoy? Use a gerund. Is this a question/negative with did/didn't? Use the base verb.

Two quick diagnostics:

Auxiliary test: if have/had/be present → past participle.
Do-test: if did/didn't present → base form.

Perfect: have/has/had + past participle (have eaten, had arrived).
Passive: be (is/was/were) + past participle (was sent, were hired).
Gerunds: verbs that take noun-like activities (enjoy, avoid, consider) use -ing.

Wrong: She had came before noon.
Right: She had come before noon.
Wrong: I enjoy to read novels.
Right: I enjoy reading novels.

Memory tricks to pick the right form

Keep three quick cues in mind: Auxiliary → Participle; Did → Base; Enjoy → -ing. For irregular verbs, memorise common past participles (be/been, go/gone, eat/eaten, see/seen, write/written, come/come, take/taken, give/given).

Auxiliary present (have/had/be) → expect past participle (have broken).
Did/didn't present → use base verb (Did you come?).
If the verb feels like a "thing" (the action is a noun) → use -ing (I love running).
If stuck, rephrase: turn passive into active (The memo was sent → Mark sent the memo).

Wrong: The code was fixeded by Anna.
Right: The code was fixed by Anna.

Real usage and tone: choose for clarity

Use passive (be + past participle) when the actor is unknown or unimportant; use active when who did the action matters. Use present perfect to link to the present and simple past for finished, dated events.

Passive highlights result: The file was uploaded.
Active highlights actor: Maria uploaded the file.
Present perfect for relevance now: We have completed the review. Simple past for a time-stamped action: We completed the review yesterday.

Usage: Passive/neutral: The contract was signed on Friday. Active/clear: John signed the contract on Friday.
Usage: Present perfect (current relevance): We have updated the policy. Simple past (finished, dated): We updated the policy in 2019.

Examples and common wrong/right pairs

Typical error patterns below - each wrong sentence is followed by the corrected form. Use them as templates: swap in other verbs while keeping the same structure.

Wrong: Were they send via WhatsApp?
Right: Were they sent via WhatsApp?
Wrong: We have ate already.
Right: We have eaten already.
Wrong: Did you saw the email?
Right: Did you see the email?
Wrong: He didn't saw the message.
Right: He didn't see the message.
Wrong: She had wrote the summary.
Right: She had written the summary.
Wrong: I enjoy to practice piano.
Right: I enjoy practicing the piano.
Wrong: The picture was drawed by Ana.
Right: The picture was drawn by Ana.
Wrong: Has the package arrived? - Yes, it was send this morning.
Right: Has the package arrived? - Yes, it was sent this morning.
Wrong: They already gone to lunch.
Right: They have already gone to lunch.

Rewrite help: step-by-step fixes and quick rewrites

Checklist: 1) Underline the verb phrase. 2) Look for auxiliaries (have/had/be/do/did). 3) If have/had/be → use past participle; if did/didn't → use base; if verb requires an action-as-object → use -ing. 4) If unclear, convert passive to active.

Short rewrites with one-line reasons:

Rewrite:
Wrong: Was the document send? →
Right: Was the document sent? (Be + past participle for passive.)
Rewrite:
Wrong: I enjoy to swim in the ocean. →
Right: I enjoy swimming in the ocean. (Enjoy + gerund.)
Rewrite:
Wrong: He had wrote the summary. →
Right: He had written the summary. (Had + past participle.)
Rewrite:
Wrong: Did you finished the task? →
Right: Did you finish the task? (Did + base verb.)
Rewrite:
Wrong: The meeting was cancelled by they. →
Right: The meeting was cancelled by them. Or clearer: They cancelled the meeting. (Pronoun + passive/active fix.)

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just a phrase. Context often makes the correct form obvious.

Work examples: emails, reports, and updates (copyable)

Work writing uses perfect tenses and passives frequently. Pick present perfect for items relevant now and active voice to assign responsibility.

Usage: Wrong: The files was uploaded last night. →
Right: The files were uploaded last night. (Plural + were.)
Usage: Wrong: I have sent you the invoice yesterday. →
Right: I sent you the invoice yesterday. Or: I have sent the invoice. (Time expressions require simple past.)
Usage: Correct: By Monday we had completed the audit. / The audit was completed on Monday. (Both use past participle correctly.)

School examples: essays, lab reports, and summaries

Academic writing favors precise tense choice: simple past for completed experiments, present perfect for recent findings, and passive for methods when the actor is irrelevant.

Usage: Wrong: The samples was analyzed by the team. →
Right: The samples were analyzed by the team.
Usage: Wrong: Students enjoyed to work on the project. →
Right: Students enjoyed working on the project.
Usage: Correct: Previous studies have shown a link between X and Y. (Present perfect for relevance.)

Casual examples: texts, posts, and speech

Quick messages cause small mistakes. Keep it simple: Did + base for questions, -ing after enjoy, and past participle after have/be.

Usage: Wrong: Did you watched the game? →
Right: Did you watch the game?
Usage: Wrong: I enjoyed to hang out yesterday. →
Right: I enjoyed hanging out yesterday.
Usage: Wrong: They've went already. →
Right: They've gone already.

Similar mistakes, hyphenation, spacing, and quick formatting checks

Close errors to watch: infinitive vs gerund mix-ups, using -ed adjective forms incorrectly, and losing auxiliaries because of spacing or copy-paste. Hyphenation matters for compound adjectives before a noun (a well-written report).

Infinitive vs gerund: decide by the main verb (enjoy + -ing, decide + to + verb).
Adjective vs participle: a broken window (adjective) vs the window was broken (passive).
Hyphenate compound adjectives before a noun: a well-written report. No hyphen after the noun: the report was well written.
Spacing check: if a sentence looks wrong after copying, retype auxiliaries to ensure none were lost.

Wrong: This is a well written report.
Right: This is a well-written report.
Wrong: She decided stopping the experiment.
Right: She decided to stop the experiment.

FAQ

When do I use past participle versus simple past?

Use past participle with auxiliaries (have/had) and after forms of be (passive). Use simple past when you describe a finished action without an auxiliary. Example: 'I ate' (simple past) vs 'I have eaten' (present perfect).

Why can't I say 'Did you saw'?

Did already marks past tense, so the main verb stays in base form: 'Did you see?' Similarly, say 'He didn't go' not 'He didn't went.'

Is it 'had came' or 'had come'?

Use 'had come'. After had (past perfect), the verb must be the past participle: had come, had seen, had written.

Which verbs take gerunds rather than infinitives?

Common verbs that take gerunds include enjoy, avoid, mind, suggest, finish, and consider. Example: 'I enjoy reading,' not 'I enjoy to read.' Other verbs (decide, plan, hope) take infinitives.

How can I check quickly before I send a message?

Underline the verb phrase and ask: is there have/had/be? If yes → past participle. Is there did/didn't? Use the base verb. Is the verb acting like a noun (object of enjoy/avoid)? Use -ing. When unsure, rephrase into an active, short sentence (Mark sent the file).

Quick habit to avoid errors

Before sending or posting, scan for auxiliaries and apply the simple rules above. If unsure, rephrase in active voice or read the sentence aloud. Practice with the wrong/right pairs: swap in verbs you use often (send, write, see, go) and repeat corrected sentences until they feel natural.