drive
drive / drove / driven / driving
Use the word “drive” as a verb when operating a vehicle such as a car, a truck, or a bus.
When “drive” is a verb, it changes a lot from one verb tense to another.
a. drive = use a vehicle
- Peter drives to work every day. (present tense)
- Christy has been driving the same car for the last ten years. (present perfect continuous tense)
- Last week, I drove to Chicago. (past tense)
- It took seven hours to drive there. (infinitive)
- Driving a car requires a driver’s license. (gerund)
- Do you know how to drive a car? (infinitive)
- How often do you drive a car? (present tense)
- Have you ever driven a really fast car? (present perfect tense)
- Barbara needs driving lessons. (adjective)
- She hired a driving instructor. (adjective)
People drive cars, buses, and trucks on streets, roads, and highways.
As a noun, the word “drive” is used for the experience of operating a car.
b. drive = trip; travel experience
- We took a long drive along the coast of California.
- The drive was four hours.
- It was a four-hour drive.
- It was a nice drive.
- Kevin has a one-hour drive to work. He spends over two hours in his car every day.
- Let’s go for a drive!
Some commuters have a one-hour drive to work every day, there and back. (commuter = person who drives or takes mass transit to work)
c. drive = ambition
- An ambitious person has the drive to succeed. (noun)
- He‘s driven to become successful. (passive, present)
- An interest in gaining personal wealth is what drives him. (verb)
- The desire for knowledge and understanding often drives human beings to explore the unknown. (verb)
d. drive = force
- This situation is driving me crazy. (This is an expression.)
- Too much competition drove Leo’s company out of business.
- Political unrest can drive citizens to protest and demand change from their government.
His ambition drives him forward. / He’s driven by his ambition.