What’s the Difference between “Was Taken Place” and “Took Place”?

When it comes to English grammar, understanding the nuances between "was taken place" and "took place" is crucial. This article will explore the grammatical and semantic differences between these two phrases and provide clear examples to clarify their usage in sentences.

Past and Past Participle Misuse

“Was taken place” is ungrammatical. If you mean “has taken place” then there is no difference in meaning unless you give an exact indication of when the event occurred. Using the past passive form of verbs is a common mistake when trying to express that something happened in the past. The expression “was taken place” is incorrect because the past and past participle forms of verbs, such as “take”, can never be used together in a sentence to indicate a completed past event.

“Took Place” vs. “Was Taken Place”

“Took place” and “was taken place” have distinct meanings and usages. Here, we will analyze why “took place” is grammatically correct and when it might be used.

Grammatical Correctness

“Took place” is the correct form and is used to indicate that an event occurred in the past. For example:

The event took place on Tuesday.

Here, this sentence uses the simple past tense to convey a completed action. The phrase “took place” is used to refer to the occurrence of an event at a specific time in the past.

Contextual Differences

“Was taken place” cannot be used in the context of a completed past event. It may be confusing if you wish to refer to an event that happened in the past and has concluded. Instead, the appropriate phrase to use is “took place”.

Example Sentences

“A basketball game took place yesterday.”

This sentence means that a basketball game occurred on the given day. The event has concluded, and no further action or information is required.

“A fight broke out in the parking lot while a basketball game was taking place.”

Here, the sentence indicates that an additional event (a fight) occurred during the time the basketball game was happening. The phrase “was taking place” conveys a continuous action in the past, while “took place” does not.

“The event took place on Tuesday.”

In this case, it is clear that the event is referred to in a completed past tense context. The phrase “took place” signifies that the event has concluded and does not imply continuity.

“I got a phone call while the basketball game was taking place.”

In this example, the “was taking place” phrase indicates that the phone call and the basketball game were both happening simultaneously. The phrase “took place” would not be used in this context because it does not imply a simultaneous action.

“I got a phone call. Then a basketball game took place.”

Here, “took place” is used to describe a separate event that happened following the phone call. The two events are presented sequentially with no simultaneous implication.

In 1944, World War II was taking place.

Using “was taking place” implies that the war was ongoing during 1944, though it gives context to the broader timeline by suggesting the war started before 1944 and continued after.

In 1944, the Invasion of Normandy took place.

In this case, the event is presented as a completed occurrence that happened in 1944 and is wrapped up.

Before the development of modern medicine, disease outbreaks often took place during wars.

This sentence indicates that disease outbreaks happened in the past, and the events are separated by a context indicating a cause-and-effect relationship.

Soldiers often had to contend with disease outbreaks taking place during war.

Here, the phrase “taking place” indicates that the disease outbreaks were happening during the war, emphasizing that the events were simultaneous.

Active vs. Passive Voice

Understanding the difference between active and passive voice can help in recognizing when to use “took place.”

Passive Voice

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence does not perform the action; it is acted upon. For example:

The event took place on Tuesday.

Here, the focus is on the event, indicated by the passive voice construction.

In summary, the usage of “took place” is a key aspect of understanding passive voice and correctly conveying the completion of an action in the past.