Know (to be aware of) is a fundamental English verb used to express awareness, understanding, or familiarity with information, facts, people, or skills.
- Used for awareness and understanding rather than just meeting or seeing.
- Applies to information, facts, concepts, and sometimes skills.
Meaning and Usage
Know means to have knowledge or be aware of something. It expresses mental possession of information, understanding, or familiarity.
- Can be used with nouns, noun clauses, and sometimes infinitives.
- Not used for first encounters (use meet or see for that).
Examples:
- I know the answer.
- She knows how to swim.
- Do you know John?
- We know that the earth is round.
Forms and Conjugation
Know is an irregular verb:
| Tense | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present | know/knows | I/You/We/They know; He knows |
| Past | knew | They knew the truth. |
| Past Participle | known | She has known him for years. |
| Present Participle | knowing | He is knowing more each day. (rare use) |
- In the present, use knows for he/she/it.
- Use knew for all subjects in the past.
'knew' is the correct past tense form.
Typical Constructions
- Know + noun: know the answer, know the rules
- Know + noun clause: know that..., know where..., know why...
- Know + how + to infinitive: know how to drive, know how to cook
- Know + people: know someone (meaning familiarity)
Examples:
- I know the truth.
- She knows that you’re coming.
- Do you know where he lives?
- We know how to fix the car.
- They know my parents.
Negative and Question Forms
- Negative: do/does not know, did not know
She does not know the answer.
They did not know about the meeting.
- Question: Do/Does... know...? Did... know...?
Do you know him?
Did they know the truth?
Common Mistakes
- Do not use know for first meetings (meet is correct).
❌ I know him yesterday.
✅ I met him yesterday.
- Use know for information or facts, not just names in some contexts.
❌ Do you know me? (if first time)
✅ Do you know who I am? / Have you met me?
For first encounters, use 'meet'.
Conclusion
Know is essential for expressing awareness, understanding, and familiarity. It is irregular and used in specific constructions for facts, information, and relationships.
- Expresses mental possession of information or understanding.
- Irregular verb: know/knows, knew, known.
- Used with nouns, clauses, and in forms like "know how to...".
- Not for first encounters (use meet).