Think
Primary: verbCan function as: verb, noun
Noun form derived from verb through zero derivation
π Pronunciation
/ΞΈΙͺΕk/
Syllables: think
Stress: single syllable
Commonly mispronounced as /tΙͺΕk/ by speakers of languages lacking /ΞΈ/
π¨βπ©βπ§βπ¦ Word Family
| Word Class | Forms |
|---|---|
| Verbs | think, thinks, thinking, thought, rethink |
| Nouns | think, thinking, thought, thinker, rethink |
| Adjectives | thinking, thoughtful, thoughtless, unthinking |
| Adverbs | thoughtfully, thoughtlessly |
Rich derivational family with both prefixation and suffixation patterns
π Noun Forms
| Singular: | think |
| Plural: | thinks |
| Possessive: | think's |
Note: Rarely used in plural form
Compound Forms
rethink
Derived Forms
With suffixes: thinker (-er), thinking (-ing)
With prefixes: rethink (re-)
π― Verb Forms
| Infinitive: | to think |
| Base form: | think |
| 3rd person singular: | thinks |
| Past simple: | thought |
| Past participle: | thought |
| Present participle: | thinking |
| Gerund: | thinking |
Note: Irregular past forms: thought/thought
π Meanings & Definitions
Noun Meanings
1
an act of thinking; a thought
Countability: countable
“Let me have a think about it”
“I'll need a quick think”
Common collocations: quick think, have a think
Synonyms: thought, consideration, reflection
informalgeneral
Verb Meanings
1
to form or hold an opinion
Aspect: state | Continuous: Yes
Can be both state (opinion) and action (process of consideration)
“I think you're right”
“What do you think about this?”
Synonyms: believe, consider, reckon
neutralgeneral
2
to use one's mind actively to form connected ideas
Aspect: action | Continuous: Yes
Describes mental activity
“Let me think carefully about this proposal”
Synonyms: contemplate, reflect, ponder
neutralcognitive
π§ Verb Patterns
think + that-clause
“I think that we should leave now”
Note: 'that' is often omitted in informal speech
think + about/of + noun/gerund
“I'm thinking about moving house”
Note: Used for consideration or contemplation
think + of/about + gerund
“He's thinking of studying abroad”
Meaning: Indicates considering a future action
Transitivity
Type: both
Passive possible: Yes
Passive examples:
“It was thought to be impossible”
π€ Collocations
Verb + Noun
Adjective + Noun
β οΈ Common Errors
β I think you are right yesterdayββ I thought you were right yesterday
Failure to use past tense with past time reference
Common for: Languages without complex tense systems
Medium impact
β I'm thinking you are wrongββ I think you are wrong
Incorrect use of continuous with stative meaning
π Etymology
Origin: Old English 'ΓΎencan'
Original meaning: “to conceive in the mind, consider”
Development: From Proto-Germanic *thankjan
Related words in other languages: German 'denken', Dutch 'denken'
π Register & Frequency
Frequency: top 200 words
Spoken: very common
Written: very common
Academic: common
Business: common
Formality: neutral