Is 'taken' only a verb?

No, it's primarily the past participle of the verb 'take', but it can also function as an adjective (e.g., 'a taken seat', 'I was taken with her').

What's the difference between 'took' and 'taken'?

'Took' is the simple past tense (I took a book yesterday). 'Taken' is the past participle, used with auxiliary verbs 'have' or 'be' (I have taken a book, The book was taken).

Can 'taken' be used in active voice?

Not as a main verb alone. It requires an auxiliary like 'have' to form the perfect aspect in active voice (e.g., They have taken the money). Without an auxiliary, it functions as an adjective.

Is 'taken' formal or informal?

It is neutral and used universally across all registers of English, from casual conversation to formal writing.

taken

UK/ˈteɪkən/US/ˈteɪkən/

Neutral (used across all registers from informal to formal)

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

The past participle form of 'take', indicating something has been removed, acquired, occupied, or accepted.

Also used as an adjective describing someone being captivated, deceived, or a place being occupied. Can describe a state of being affected or seized.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

'Taken' indicates a completed action or resulting state. It is one of the most common irregular past participles and functions heavily in passive voice constructions and perfect tenses.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences in meaning or form. Minor potential differences in collocational frequency for certain fixed phrases (e.g., 'taken aback' is equally common).

Connotations

Identical.

Frequency

Equally high frequency in both dialects.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

be taken abackbe taken withill-takenwell-taken

medium

taken fromtaken by surprisetaken seriouslytaken hostage

weak

taken timetaken placetaken care oftaken part

Grammar

Valency Patterns

be taken + from/by/withhave taken + NPbe taken + Adj (e.g., ill-taken)be taken + to-INF

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

confiscatedcommandeeredappropriatedusurped

Neutral

seizedacquiredremovedcaptured

Weak

gotreceivedobtainedaccepted

Vocabulary

Antonyms

givenreturnedreleasedrestoredrelinquished

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“taken aback”
“taken for granted”
“taken with”
“taken ill”
“taken hostage”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

"The opportunity was taken by our competitors." (Passive voice common in reports)

Academic

"Samples were taken at regular intervals." (Frequent in scientific method descriptions)

Everyday

"Has anyone taken my pen?"

Technical

"The reading was taken from the main sensor."

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

He hasn't taken his holiday yet.
The decision has been taken out of our hands.

American English

She hasn't taken her vacation yet.
The decision has been taken out of our hands.

adverb

British English

(No standard adverbial use for 'taken')

American English

(No standard adverbial use for 'taken')

adjective

British English

I'm quite taken with the new design.
This seat is taken, I'm afraid.

American English

I'm really taken with the new design.
This seat is taken, sorry.

Examples

By CEFR Level

My bag was taken from the table.
Have you taken your medicine?
She has taken two apples.

I was taken by his sincere apology.
The children were taken to the zoo yesterday.
Notes were taken during the lecture.

The audience was completely taken with the performer's energy.
His comments were not well taken by the committee.
Several prisoners were taken during the raid.

He was taken aback by the audacity of the proposal.
The point you raised is well taken and will be addressed.
She had taken umbrage at his casually dismissive tone.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: 'Take' + '-en' = Taken. It's the form you use after 'have' or 'be': I have TAKEN the cake. The cake was TAKEN.

Conceptual Metaphor

POSSESSION IS HOLDING (He has taken the lead), UNDERSTANDING IS GRASPING (I haven't taken it in), TIME IS A RESOURCE (It has taken an hour).

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Avoid translating directly from Russian passive constructions using 'быть' + past active participle (e.g., 'быть взятым'). English uses 'be taken' much more naturally. Do not confuse with 'taken' as an adjective meaning 'занятый' (The seat is taken = место занято).

Common Mistakes

*I have took the book. (Correct: I have taken)
*She was took by the story. (Correct: She was taken)
Confusing 'taken' with 'taking' after prepositions (e.g., *without taken → without taking).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

She was completely by his charming stories.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence uses 'taken' correctly?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: No, it's primarily the past participle of the verb 'take', but it can also function as an adjective (e.g., 'a taken seat', 'I was taken with her').
: 'Took' is the simple past tense (I took a book yesterday). 'Taken' is the past participle, used with auxiliary verbs 'have' or 'be' (I have taken a book, The book was taken).
: Not as a main verb alone. It requires an auxiliary like 'have' to form the perfect aspect in active voice (e.g., They have taken the money). Without an auxiliary, it functions as an adjective.
: It is neutral and used universally across all registers of English, from casual conversation to formal writing.