SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES: PAST FORMS OF VERBS IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK LANGUAGES

INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE “INTEGRATION OF MODERN LINGUISTICS WITH SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND PRACTICE IN THE PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION: NEW APPROACHES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CHALLENGES”, DECEMBER 4, 2025 290 SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES: PAST FORMS OF VERBS IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK LANGUAGES Sanaqulova Ma’mura, Ramazonova Dinara, Utayeva Malika Akmalovna NSU https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17810187 Annotation. This article aim to explore the similarities and differences of past tense forms in English and Uzbek languages. By analyzing relevant theories in English and Uzbek linguists and giving examples from both languages, the main laws and rules are studied. Through this comparative analysis, we intend to understand the approaches of these two languages to the forms of the past tense and indentify their specific features and coomon aspects. Key words: verb, past, form, irregular, regular, action. Аннотация: Цель этой статьи - изучить сходства и различия форм прошедшего времени в английском и узбекском языках. Анализируя соответствующие теории английских и узбекских лингвистов и приводя примеры из обоих языков, изучаются основные законы и правила. С помощью этого сравнительного анализа мы намерены понять подходы этих двух языков к формам прошедшего времени и выявить их специфические особенности и общие аспекты. Ключевые слова: глагол, прошедшее, форма, неправильный, регулярный, действие Annotatsiya: Ushbu maqolaning maqsadi ingliz va o’zbek tillarida o’tgan zamon shakllarining o’xshash va farqli tomonlarini o’rganishdan iborat. Ingliz va o’zbek tilshunoslarining tegishli nazariyalarini tahlil qilib, har ikki tildan misollar keltirish orqali asosiy qonun va qoidalar o’rganiladi. Ushbu qiyosiy tahlil orqali biz ikki tilning o’tgan zamon shakllariga munosabatini tushunish, ularning o’ziga xos xususiyatlari va umumiy tomonlarini ko’rib chi qamiz. Kalit so’zlar: fe’l, o’tgan zamon, shakl, tartibsizlik, muntazam, harakat Grammar plays an essential role in understanding and using languages effectively, as it provides the structural foundation and rules needed to produce meaningful and accurate sentences. When studying the past tense forms of verbs, it becomes especially important to compare the grammatical systems of different languages in order to identify their specific, similar, and contrasting features. Such comparisons help learners understand how languages encode time, action, and meaning differently. In the context of learning English, many Uzbek students face difficulties when they try to relate English past tense forms to those in their mother tongue. This is mainly because English and Uzbek belong to different language families, and therefore use different grammatical mechanisms to express past actions. English typically forms the past tense through inflectional changes, such as adding -ed to regular verbs or using completely different forms for irregular verbs. It also employs auxiliary verbs to create more complex past forms, such as the past continuous or past perfect. On the other hand, Uzbek expresses past meaning primarily through suffixes like -di, -gan, or -ibdi, each of which carries its own nuance. These markers indicate whether an action was completed, observed, reported, or assumed. As a result, the Uzbek past tense system is rich in shades of meaning that do not INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE “INTEGRATION OF MODERN LINGUISTICS WITH SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND PRACTICE IN THE PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION: NEW APPROACHES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CHALLENGES”, DECEMBER 4, 2025 291 always correspond directly to English forms. In this article, we will examine the grammatical structure of past tense forms in both English and Uzbek and analyze how each language conveys past actions and events. By comparing these systems, students can deepen their understanding of both languages and develop more effective strategies for learning and translation. There are two past forms of verbs: regular and irregular verbs. Regular verbs add “-ed” for the past tense, while irregular verbs require memorization due to their unpredictable forms. 1 When it is compared with Uzbek language it includes past forms like the definite past tense “–ib, -di ” and indefinite past tense “-gan”. 2 "I worked very hard to make my raft, and as I found some things to secure it, I succeeded in getting it to float." 3 “Hovliga kirib, talmovsirab tursam, ko’chadan eshak hangragani eshitildi.” 4 From the point of view of the formation of the Past Tense verbs are classified into two groups: 5 1) Regular verbs which form their basic forms by means of productive suffixes-(e)d. The majority of verbs refer to this class. 2) Irregular verbs form their basic forms by such nonproductive means as: a) variation of sounds in the root: should - would - initial consonant change begin - began - begun - vowel change of the root catch - caught - caught - root - vowel and final consonant change spend - spent - spent - final consonant change; b) suppletion: be – was / were go – went c) unchanged forms: cast - cast – cast put - put – put By suppletion we understand the forms of words derived from different roots. A. Smirnitsky (20) gives the following conditions to recognize suppletive forms of words; 1. when the meaning of words are identical in their lexical meaning. 2. when they mutually complement one another, having no parallel opposemes. 3. when other words of the same class build up a given opposemes without suppletivity, i.e. from one root. Thus, we recognize the words be - am, bad - worse as suppletive because they express the same grammatical meanings as the forms of words: light – lighter, big – bigger, work– worked. It is impossible to see irregular verbs in Uzbek language. Uzbek Past tense forms indicate that an action or state happened before the moment of speaking. These tense forms are formed by adding the suffixes -di, -b, -gan / -kan / -qan to the verb stem, followed by personal endings. Remember: All past tense suffixes are considered stylistically neutral 6 like kelmoqkeldi, bormoqbrogan, olmoqolib without changing the root of the verb. "I went to the shore and saw a footprint in the sand. 7 " “Qulog‘ida oltin baldoq, chiroyli, qayrilma qoshiga bilinar-bilinmas o’sma qo’ygan. 8 ” 1 Raymond Murphy. English Grammar in Use, 4th Edition: “Cambridge University Press”,2012. pp 38-40 2 Erkaboyeva N. O’zbek tilidan ma’ruzalar to’plami. T.: “Akademnashr”, 2014. pp 382-384 3 Daniel Defoe. Robinso Crusoe: London, Englaand , 1719, Chapter 4 4 O’tkir Hoshimov. Ikki eshik orasi. T.: “Sharq”, 2012 , p 147 5 Irisqulov A. T. Theoretical grammar of English. T.: “Nashriyot”, 2006. p 31 6 Erkaboyeva N. O’zbek tilidan ma’ruzalar to’plami. T.: “Akademnashr”, 2014. pp 382-384 7 Daniel Defoe. Robinso Crusoe: London, England , 1719, Chapter 4 8 O’tkir Hoshimov. Ikki eshik orasi. T.: “Sharq”, 2012 , p 75 INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE “INTEGRATION OF MODERN LINGUISTICS WITH SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND PRACTICE IN THE PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION: NEW APPROACHES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CHALLENGES”, DECEMBER 4, 2025 292 “ Xolposh xola ikkala kelinini birdek ko’radi. 9 ” In conclusion, there are several important differences between the grammar systems of English and Uzbek, mainly because English belongs to the analytical type of languages, while Uzbek is classified as an agglutinative language. This fundamental distinction influences how each language forms tenses, expresses grammatical relations, and constructs meaning within a sentence. In analytical languages like English, grammatical functions are often shown through separate auxiliary words, fixed word order, and limited inflection. For example, English relies heavily on auxiliary verbs such as did, was/were, or had to form its past tense structures. On the other hand, Uzbek, as an agglutinative language, forms grammatical meanings by attaching various suffixes directly to the verb stem. These suffixes clearly indicate tense, person, and sometimes even mood. Because of this, a single Uzbek verb form can often express information that requires multiple words in English. Despite these structural differences, both languages share some similarities in the formation of past verb forms. For instance, both English and Uzbek use morphological changes to signal the past tense. In English, this is typically seen in the addition of “-ed” or in irregular verb changes such as go – went. In Uzbek, past tense markers like “-di,” “-gan,” or “-ib” perform a similar function. Recognizing these similarities and differences helps language learners better understand how past actions are expressed in each language. It also supports more effective teaching, as students gain deeper awareness of how meaning is constructed. Overall, comparing the two systems strengthens learners’ analytical thinking and enhances their ability to use both languages accurately and confidently. References 1. Daniel Dafoe. Robinso Crusoe: Harward University, 2006, 418 p 1. 2.Erkaboyeva N. O’zbek tilidan ma’ruzalar to’plami. T.: “Akademnashr”, 2014. 432 p 2. Irisqulov A. T. Theoretical grammar of English. T.: “Nashriyot”, 2006. 64 p 3. Raymond Murphy. English grammar in Use 4th edition: “Cambridge University Press”, 2012. 312p 4. O’tkir Hoshimov. Ikki eshik orasi. T.: “Sharq” , 2012, 224 p 9 O’tkir Hoshimov. Ikki eshik orasi. T.: “Sharq”, 2012 , p 75