Vocabulary · Free lesson
Win a competition, beat an opponent
Mina wins a friendly chess tournament. In the final game, she defeats Alex. You can report the event or name the opponent.
Professor Scott MendozaThe short answer
Win a game, competition or prize; beat the person or team you defeat. “Mina won the tournament” and “Mina beat her opponent” describe different parts of the result. The past forms are won and beat.
Check the object: contest or opponent?
Use win when the object is what you gain or succeed in: the tournament, a medal or the game. Use beat when the object is the opponent: Alex or the other team. Do not add to after beat in this pattern: “She beat Alex.”
Report the same result two ways
Mina won the tournament.
Mina beat Alex in the final game.
She won a small trophy.
The past of beat is still beat: “They beat us yesterday.” Do not write beated.
Choose what to report
Name the event
Mina won the tournament.
Name the person defeated
Mina beat Alex.
Try it now
Choose the result verb
Read all answers and explanations
Mina defeated Alex. Complete: Mina ___ Alex in the final.
beatAlex is the opponent, so use beat. The past form is beat, not beated.
She received the trophy as the winner. Complete: She ___ a trophy.
wonThe trophy is the prize, so use won, the past of win.
Choose the natural sentence naming the defeated team.
We beat the other team.Beat takes the opponent directly. Do not insert to or replace beat with won here.
Put it into practice
Repair a tournament report
Mina won the tournament and defeated Alex. Keep both facts.
Mina beat the tournament and won Alex.
See a model answer
Mina won the tournament and beat Alex.
Changing the objects changes which verb fits. The past tense does not turn beat into beated.
A little more clarity
Common questions
A few useful details before you move on.
Can I just say We won?
Yes. If the competition is understood, win does not need an object.
The game is over. We won!
What are the past forms?
Win becomes won. Beat stays beat in the simple past. This lesson does not use the past participle beaten.
Yesterday, we won the match and beat a strong team.
Take it into your day
Win the contest or prize; beat the opponent.
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