tend
verb OPAL WOPAL S
/tend/
/tend/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they tend | /tend/ /tend/ |
| he / she / it tends | /tendz/ /tendz/ |
| past simple tended | /ˈtendɪd/ /ˈtendɪd/ |
| past participle tended | /ˈtendɪd/ /ˈtendɪd/ |
| -ing form tending | /ˈtendɪŋ/ /ˈtendɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive] tend to do something to be likely to do something or to happen in a particular way because this is what often or usually happens
- Women tend to live longer than men.
- People tend to be happier if they are in a long-term relationship.
- When I'm tired, I tend to make mistakes.
- It tends to get very cold here in the winter.
- People tend to think that the problem will never affect them.
- I tend to agree with many of the points you make.
- I tend to focus on dance, but acting and singing are equally important to me.
- Large class size will tend to increase the use of the lecture.
Language Bank generallygenerallyWays of saying ‘in general’- Women generally earn less than men.
- Generally speaking, jobs traditionally done by women are paid at a lower rate than those traditionally done by men.
- In general/By and large, women do not earn as much as men.
- Certain jobs, like nursing and cleaning, are still mainly carried out by women.
- Senior management posts are predominantly held by men.
- Most senior management posts tend to be held by men.
- Women are, for the most part, still paid less than men.
- Economic and social factors are, to a large extent, responsible for women being concentrated in low-paid jobs.
- [intransitive] tend (to/towards something) to take a particular direction or often have a particular quality
- His views tend towards the extreme.
- Prices have tended downwards over recent years.
- [transitive, intransitive] to care for somebody/something
- tend somebody/something a shepherd tending his sheep
- Doctors and nurses tended the injured.
- well-tended gardens
- tend to somebody/something Ambulance crews were tending to the injured.
Extra Examples- They helped the farmers tend their cattle.
- She lovingly tended her garden.
- He tended to her every need.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- carefully
- lovingly
- to
- well-tended
- [transitive] tend something (North American English) to serve customers in a store, bar, etc.
- He had a job tending bar in San Francisco.
Word Originsenses 1 to 2 Middle English (in the sense ‘move or be inclined to move in a certain direction’): from Old French tendre ‘stretch, tend’, from Latin tendere.senses 3 to 4 Middle English: shortening of attend.