Word: swam (verb)

Associations

"Swam" is the past tense of the verb "swim," which means to move through water by using your arms and legs.

• Example 1: "Yesterday, I swam in the lake." (This shows that the action of swimming happened in the past.)
• Example 2: "She swam across the river last summer." (This indicates a completed action from last summer.)
• Example 3: "They swam in the ocean during their vacation." (This describes a past activity during a specific time.)

The synonym of "swam" is "swum," but "swum" is used as the past participle, often in perfect tenses, while "swam" is used for simple past tense.

Substitution

You could use phrases like "went swimming" or "moved through the water" in place of "swam," but they change the focus slightly:

• "Went swimming" emphasizes the activity as a whole rather than just the action.
• "Moved through the water" can describe swimming but is less specific about the action.

Deconstruction

The word "swam" comes from the Old English word "sweom," which means to move in water.

• The root is "swim," and the suffix "-ed" is not used here since "swam" is the simple past form.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you swam? Where were you?
• How does swimming in a pool differ from swimming in a lake or ocean?
• What feelings do you associate with swimming?