AEE 2552: How to Master Confusing Past Tense Verbs in English

Summary

All Ears English Podcast - Episode 2552

How to Master Confusing Past Tense Verbs in English

Hosts: Lindsay McMahon and Aubrey Carter
Date: January 21, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into one of the trickiest aspects of English grammar for learners (and even native speakers): the past tense forms of multi-word verbs, especially those like "blow dry." Lindsay and Aubrey explore the difference between compound verbs and phrasal verbs, clarify why so many people say "blew dry" instead of "blow dried," and provide practical, real-life examples to solidify understanding. The episode showcases how to master these confusing forms in a fun, conversational way, making it valuable for intermediate to advanced English learners aiming for both accuracy and fluency.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why "Blow Dry" Sparks Confusion

• Issue Introduced (02:28)
  • Aubrey explains that even native speakers get confused about how to form the past tense, often mistakenly saying "blew dry" instead of "blow dried."
  • Lindsay highlights this as a common struggle when using two-word verbs in the past tense.
  • Quote:

    “Native speakers struggle with it in the past. I think I just said I blew dried my hair. And there’s like blow dried... two-word verbs can be really confusing, especially in the past for sure.” (Aubrey, 02:28)

2. Compound Verbs vs. Phrasal Verbs

• Grammar Clarification (03:11)
  • Compound Verbs: Any multi-word verb, e.g., "will go," "is running," or single concepts like "babysit."
  • Phrasal Verbs: A compound verb that changes meaning idiomatically when a verb is combined with a preposition or adverb (e.g., "blow off," "give in").
  • Quote:

    "A phrasal verb is a type of compound verb that forms a new idiomatic meaning. And this is the key." (Lindsay, 03:33)

3. The "Blow Dry" Dilemma

• Explanation & Examples (04:40)
  • "Blow dry" acts as a compound verb, not a phrasal verb, because there’s no significant change in meaning and no preposition.
  • Correct past tense: "blow dried," not "blew dry."
  • Quote:

    "When you change the tense, you change the whole verb. So blow dry becomes blow dried, not blue dry." (Aubrey, 05:11)

4. Past Tense of Phrasal Verbs with “Blow”

• Key Examples (06:00)
  • Blow out: To extinguish (e.g., “She blew out the candles”).
  • Blow up: Multiple meanings—explode ("The boiler blew up"), get angry ("She blew up when she heard the news"), enlarge a photo ("I blew up the photo for the presentation"), or get angry at ("She blew up at me").
  • Quote:

    "So for phrasal verbs, the particle remains unchanged and the main verb, blow, is changed to past tense." (Aubrey, 05:36)

5. Practical Role Play: Using the Verbs in Context

• Role Play Segment (08:36-09:19)
  • Lindsay and Aubrey act out a birthday party scenario using "blow dried," "blow out," "blew up at," and "blew out" naturally in conversation.
  • Key Phrases:
    • “I blow dried my hair before coming over, but it’s still damp.” (Aubrey, 08:45)
    • “I can’t wait for her to blow out the candles.” (Aubrey, 08:55)
    • “Her tire blew out on her way home.” (Lindsay, 09:00)
    • “She actually blew up at me over a misunderstanding.” (Aubrey, 09:05)

6. Common Mistakes & Connection-Not-Perfection Philosophy

• Reassurance and Advice (10:08)
  • The hosts stress it’s normal to make mistakes with these forms—even native speakers falter.
  • Language use is about connection, not perfection.
  • Quote:

    "Don’t worry about it if they make that mistake...we’re here for connection, not perfection." (Lindsay, 10:08)

7. Cultural and Practical Notes

• Idiomatic Usage & Subtle Differences (11:32)
  • Discussion of "blow up at" being subjective—how much anger qualifies, and contrasts in perceptions.
  • Lighthearted chat about cupcakes at children’s vs. adults’ parties adds real-life flavor and makes the language stickier.
  • Quote:

    "Sometimes my kids will say, ‘Don’t yell at me.’ And I’m like, I was not yelling." (Aubrey, 12:02)

8. Series Preview: More Phrasal Verbs With "Blow"

• Upcoming Episodes Teased (12:34)
  • Aubrey announces that because there are so many phrasal verbs with "blow" (each with multiple meanings), this will become a three-part series.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This mistake is common...because we do hear phrasal verbs with blue in the past tense. Blew out, blew up.” – Aubrey (06:00)
• "We’re not going to call people out on you. Correct them. Maybe just laugh with them, because they might even say that...blow dried...blue dried..." – Lindsay (10:08)
• "It’s really natural English...there are six more phrasal verbs with the word blow, but they each have a lot of meaning, multiple meanings like today’s." – Aubrey (12:28)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:28] — Introduction to the “blow dry” confusion and why native speakers get it wrong
• [03:11] — Explanation: Compound verbs vs. phrasal verbs
• [04:40] — Main grammar point: “Blow dry” as a compound verb
• [06:00] — Past tense forms of phrasal verbs with “blow”: examples and meanings
• [08:36] — Birthday party role play: using all these verb forms in context
• [10:08] — Connection not perfection: making mistakes is natural
• [11:32] — Idiomatic usage: “blow up at” and conversational nuance
• [12:34] — Announcement of upcoming series on “blow” phrasal verbs

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Conclusion

• The episode demystifies a confusing aspect of English verb tense by breaking it down step-by-step, from grammar theory to real life.
• Listeners are encouraged to focus on meaningful connections through language, rather than stressing over perfection.
• This is the first of a multi-part series—listeners can anticipate deeper dives into more “blow” phrasal verbs in future episodes.

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For English learners:

• Review and practice the examples from the role play.
• Remember that even native speakers make these mistakes, so communication and connection come first!
• Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 for an even richer understanding of English phrasal verbs.

Transcript

[A]

This is an Allers English podcast. Episode 2552, how to Master Confusing Past Tense verbs in English.

[B]

Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American host, Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz, and Lindsey McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, usa. And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish.com subscribe do you get confused by English grammar when you have to put two word phrases in the past tense today? Clear up your confusion and get some great examples with a common phrasal verb. Do you often end up in situations where you know exactly what you want to say but you don't have the English vocabulary words that you need in that moment? To succeed in English, you need nuanced English vocabulary. But first you need to know your English level. Take our free English level quiz to find out if you are B1, B2 or C1. Go to allearsenglish.com fluency score. That's allearsenglish.com F L U E N C Y S C O R E. Hey, Aubry, what's shaking?

[A]

I am doing great. How are you, Lindsay?

[B]

Good. Aubry, how often do you blow dry your hair?

[A]

About once or twice a week for recording on video. If you see my hair kind of straight, looking nice. I, I blow dried my hair.

[B]

We're so honored for that.

[A]

I never. What about you, Lindsay?

[B]

No, I don't.

[A]

So luxurious.

[B]

Yeah, no, I never blow dry my hair and I, I don't even really brush my hair. I comb it in the shower. But I don't do anything because.

[A]

Oh, that's like when you have curly.

[B]

Hair, you have to, you can't do those things. It'll make it all poofy and weird.

[A]

Special maintenance. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Special, special projects here. But yeah. Why are we talking about this, Aubry?

[A]

So this verb came up recently because native speakers struggle with it in the past. I think I just said I blew dried my hair. And there's like blow dried. Michelle went to say it, you know, and she was like, wait, is it blow dried or blue dry? And I was like, let me think. Two word verbs can be really confusing, especially in the past for sure.

[B]

Because some function as single verbs and some are phrasal verbs and this changes their past tense form. So we're really going to get into this today for our listeners.

[A]

Yeah. Yes. With lots of examples it's going to be fun. But first, a quick grammar lesson. This is interesting. Most native speakers actually are not aware of this grammar, so after this little brief lesson, you will be above and beyond. Most native speakers love it.

[B]

So the difference between compound verb and phrasal verb, what do we think it is?

[A]

Exactly. So a compound verb is this broad category for any verb that's made of multiple words. So some include auxiliary verbs like will, go or is running. And then some are combinations of multiple words like babysit, daydream, backflip. Okay, and then what's a phrasal verb? Lindsay.

[B]

Different.

[A]

Right.

[B]

A phrasal verb is a type of compound verb that forms a new idiomatic meaning. And this is the key. It has to change the meaning when you put the. The verb and the preposition together.

[A]

Right, Exactly. Like blow off, meaning to dismiss something or give in, meaning to do what someone wants. Right. So it's a base verb plus an adverb or a preposition.

[B]

All right, so we know that the phrase blow off does not mean the same thing as blow. So that's how it changes the meaning. Right?

[A]

Exactly. So essentially, all phrasal verbs are compound verbs, but not all compound verbs are phrasal verbs. And here's what's really tricky. Many words can be both, depending on the context.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. For example, look up. What about this one? Look up.

[A]

Yeah. So when it means the direction, one is looking. Just a verb with a preposition. Right. A common verb. I looked up from my book and saw she was leaving. But what if it's a phrasal verb? Lindsay.

[B]

But it's a phrasal verb. It would mean search for information. Right. So I need to look up my flight times. I need to look up that word in the dictionary. That then changes the meaning of look slightly. Right?

[A]

Exactly. It means, like, research actually has to do with the direction one is looking. So. Yes, but very interesting. So blow dry. This is a single verb. And there's a reason native speakers mess it up a lot in the past tense, because it functions as a single verb, meaning to dry something with a blow dryer. It's not a typical phrasal verb where the meaning changes dramatically. It just combines blow and dry to describe an action forming a compound verb.

[B]

Yeah, and also we would need a preposition there for it to be a phrasal verb. Right. We don't have a preposition.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. This is a compound verb. It's just combining two words. Yeah, but when you change the tense, you change the whole verb. So blow dry becomes blow dried, not blue dry. So, like, she blow dried her hair this morning.

[B]

Yes. Nice.

[A]

And the reason this is. Oh, so I was gonna say.

[B]

That's okay.

[A]

This mistake is common, is that when it's a phrasal verb, it works differently in the past, right?

[B]

Okay. Yep. Tell us more, Aubry. What do we mean by that?

[A]

So for phrasal verbs, the particle remains unchanged and the main verb, blow, is changed to past tense. So let's give some examples. For example, the phrasal verb blow out.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Meaning, like, to extinguish a flame. How would we say this in the past tense?

[B]

Yeah, in the past tense, of course. We say she blew out the candles on her cake. So then we are putting that blow into the past tense.

[A]

Right, Exactly. Or it could also mean for a tire to burst. If we say this in the past tense, I was late because my tire was blew out on the highway. So we can see why, you know, speakers make this mistake. Because we do hear phrasal verbs with blue in the past tense. Blew out. We got a couple more examples here, but blow dried or blow up.

[B]

Another phrasal verb here, Right. Ex, meaning a couple different meanings, though. Explode, Right. The old boiler suddenly blew up last night, right?

[A]

Yeah. This means there was an actual explosion. It blew up. But it could also mean a person's becoming very angry. Right. She blew up when she heard the news. Does not mean she literally exploded. She got angry.

[B]

Right. Or another meaning. Oh, my gosh. There are three meanings.

[A]

Jesus.

[B]

Enlarge. A photo or an image. I blew up the photo for the presentation. Yeah. Sometimes you might go on vacation and you take a great photo of, let's say, a pyramid or something, and then you want to blow it up, you take it into the Photoshop and you make it a poster.

[A]

Right? Exactly right. And so you can, of course, say enlarge. But as with many verbs, we also has a have a phrasal verb that means the same thing. You can blow up. I blew up the photo.

[B]

And the worst one is when we blow up at someone.

[A]

Right. Which we do sometimes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We do very angry with someone and yell at them. Maybe he blew up at his coworker during the meeting. So this doesn't just mean he got angry and sat there silently. Would mean you took it out on them, you reacted, maybe you yelled at them.

[B]

I feel like typically this will happen more at home, right. With a spouse or something. But it could happen at work, for sure.

[A]

If you are good friends, really angry for some reason, maybe.

[B]

Yeah. For sure. Not good. Not good.

[C]

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[B]

Okay, Aubry, let's deploy these in a role play because I know that our listeners love role plays. Guys, by the way, before we go any further in the episode, make sure you hit the follow button. Just take a second as you're listening, go ahead into the show. Hit follow on Apple podcast or Spotify, or if you're watching on YouTube, hit the subscribe button. Okay?

[A]

Yes, absolutely. Okay, Lindsay, you and I are friends getting ready for a birthday party in this role play. All right, start us out. Ready? Yes.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Lindsay, can I borrow your hair dryer? I blow dried my hair before coming over, but it's still damp.

[B]

Sure. I'm almost done frosting the cupcakes and then I'll grab it for you.

[A]

Oh, wow, those look amazing. I can't wait for her to blow out the candles.

[B]

By the way, did you hear about Angie's bike tire last night? It totally blew out on her way home.

[A]

Oh, no, seriously, I've been meaning to call her. She actually blew up at me over a misunderstanding and we need to talk.

[B]

Oh, sorry to hear it. Hopefully she comes tonight and you two can chat. Oh, Aubrey, why'd you put cupcakes in this? I'm hungry now.

[A]

Now you want a cupcake? I do have a cupcake. Well, it's funny. Some cupcakes, like at kids birthday parties, I cannot stand. I don't know if listeners out there, if you have these where cake tasting it's and it has this giant glob of frosting that will like stain everything. It's like purple or green or something. Sure. Some cupcakes like adult cupcakes. Three adult cupcakes. Oh my gosh.

[B]

So good. So good. So we used a lot of instances here of the phrasal, phrasal verbs with blow. So for example, we started with our nemesis here, right? I blow dried my hair before coming over. Right?

[A]

Yes, exactly. And you may hear native English speakers say I blew dry my hair because we have all of these other phrasal verbs with blow that would say blew out blew up at me. So it's an easy mistake to make.

[B]

Yeah. And don't worry about it if they make that mistake. Right. Because again, we're here for connection, not perfection. We're not going to call people out on you. Correct them.

[A]

Yeah. Maybe just laugh with them, because they might even say that they'll be like, blue, dried. Blow dried.

[B]

Yeah. Just laugh with them and be the.

[A]

One that knows and then come back to the story.

[B]

The point of why they're speaking. Right.

[A]

The connection.

[B]

Good. What else?

[A]

Then I said, I can't wait for her to blow out the candles. So, of course, past tenses would be, she blew out the candles. That's extinguishing a flame. Often when you blow out those candles on a birthday cake or a cupcake.

[B]

Yeah. And then we're talking about Angie's bike tire. She had an unfortunate incident. Her tire blew out on her. Oh, sorry. On her way home. But not on her. Blew out on her way home.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. So when she was riding home, the tire popped, exploded. Whatever it was, it blew out. So we'll also use the noun to have a blowout for either a bike tire or a car tire. That's when the tube needs replaced. Or some. The. The tire needs replaced.

[B]

That just gave me a great episode idea. Aubrey. I misread that phrase and I thought it said it blew out on her period. Like, you know when something happens to you. Right. Oh, my car broke down on me. Does that mean on top of me?

[A]

Like, no, you would not survive that.

[B]

No, you would not survive that. But that deserves an episode, don't you think?

[A]

Absolutely. Be sure to hit follow. We will definitely plan a follow up about that.

[B]

Good. All right, so what else did we say here?

[A]

All right, then I said, I've actually been meaning to call her. She blew up at me over a misunderstanding. Now, this is interesting because I could be exaggerating. You know, maybe she just snapped at me, or she could have fully yelled at me. It's kind of hard to know when someone says, she blew up at me. Everyone. This is sort of subjective. Everyone has different tolerances for how angrily someone speaks to them.

[B]

Or for some people, a blowup is, you know, no big deal, but it also depends on the person's baseline personality.

[A]

Yeah. This reminds me, sometimes my kids will say, don't yell at me. And I'm like, I was not yelling.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I might have been speaking strictly. Yeah, you should hear me yell. I don't think you ever.

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah. That's a threat. I love that.

[A]

Right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally.

[B]

No, it really depends on the personality. So. But these are all such common examples. Guys, this, you know, blow up, this phrase you're gonna blow in. Blow up, blow up. You're gonna see it everywhere.

[A]

Okay?

[B]

So just be ready for it. Go back and review today's episode. It's really natural. English.

[A]

Okay? Absolutely. Yes. And there are six more phrasal verbs with the word blow, but they each have a lot of meaning, multiple meanings like today's. So we're actually going to make this a three part series. So follow for part two and part three and we'll cover all of those fun phrasal verbs.

[B]

Awesome. Looking forward to that. So we will come full circle and Aubry, I'll see you in the next one. You have a good day. All right, bye. Thanks for listening. To all ears. English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com forward/fluency score. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.

[A]

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