What Is The Past Tense Of Undergo?
The past tense of undergo is underwent because it follows the standard pattern of forming the V2 form of irregular verbs in English. To form the past tense of “undergo”, we change “-go” to “-went”. This is an irregularity that is shared with a few other English verbs like “overthrow” (overthrew), “overdo” (overdid), and “understand” (understood).
You can check out the table below for other verb forms of undergo:
| Base/Infinitive Form (V1) | undergo |
| Present Form/3rd Person/Singular Form | undergoes |
| Past Form (V2) | underwent |
| Past Participle Form (V3) | undergone |
| Present Participle/Gerund | undergoing |
How To Pronounce “Underwent” Correctly?
According to Oxford Learner Dictionary, the transcription of undergo is /ˌʌndəˈɡəʊ/ in British accents, and /ˌʌndərˈɡəʊ/ in American accents.
The past tense underwent is pronounced as /ˌʌndəˈwent/ by Britain and /ˌʌndərˈwent/ by American.
You can take a look at the below table more details:
| Verb Forms | Pronunciation | |
| British English language | American English language | |
| undergo | /ˌʌndəˈɡəʊ/ | /ˌʌndərˈɡəʊ/ |
| underwent (V2) | /ˌʌndəˈwent/ | /ˌʌndərˈwent/ |
| undergone (V3) | /ˌʌndəˈɡɒn/ | /ˌʌndərˈɡɒn/ |
| undergoing | /ˌʌndəˈɡəʊɪŋ/ | /ˌʌndərˈɡəʊɪŋ/ |
Check out the below videos to pronounce undergo and underwent correctly:
How to say undergo:
How to say underwent in British accent:
What Are The Definitions Of Underwent?
Underwent and its base form have the same meaning. While “underwent” is used to describe a completed action that happened in the past, “undergo” is used to talk about current or ongoing events in the present or future.
- To experience or go through something that may be unpleasant or involve a significant change.
Example 1: He underwent heart surgery last year and had been recovering well.
Example 2: The old building underwent major renovations in the 1990s to meet modern safety standards.
- To experience/endure something that may be unpleasant and have a powerful impact.
Example 1: She underwent a grueling training program to prepare for last year’s Olympic Games.
Example 2: The region underwent a severe drought that devastated the crops and livestock in the area.
Exercises
FAQs
What Are The Synonyms And Antonyms Of The Verb Undergo?
According to the Thesaurus, synonyms of the verb undergo are: bear, endure, experience, go through, meet with, have, see, sustain, suffer, withstand, bow, abide, defer, feel, encounter, know, stand, share, support, weather, tolerate, yield, put up with, bear up, and submit to.
See past tense of bear here.
The antonyms of undergo include: discontinue, refuse, surrender, disallow, disapprove, let go, oppose, reject, stop, veto, commit, do, and execute.
Note that the synonyms and antonyms of “undergo” do not necessarily have the same meaning. The synonyms of “undergo” refer to experiencing a state or an event, while the antonyms refer to not undergoing or refusing to do something.
Therefore, when using the synonyms and antonyms of “undergo,” make sure that the word you choose fits the context and meaning of the sentence.
Is Undergo a Transitive Or Intransitive Verb?
Undergo is a transitive verb since it calls for a direct object in a sentence. When standing alone without an object, it can’t complete the meaning.
Examples:
- She underwent surgery last week. (surgery is the direct object that receives the action of the verb “underwent”)
- He had to undergo a background check before getting the job. (background check is the direct object of “undergo”)
- The athlete will undergo a fitness test before joining the team. (Fitness test is the direct object)
- The car underwent repairs after the accident. (repairs is the direct object that the car underwent)
His name is Benjamin Essek – The founder of Grammar Wiki. He is an English native speaker and has joined many English classes, learning communities to support other people with this common language as well.