Remember this!
The present tense form of 'belie' is belie or belies. Example: His smile belies the sadness in his eyes. (His smile belies the sadness in his eyes.)
Definition of “belie”
- to give a false representation of something
- to fail to give a true impression of something
- to show to be false; contradict
Tense sentence structure and examples:
Notes from a Native English Speaker
Here are the general structures of a present and past participle. Remember, some verbs have an irregular form and may not follow this structure: Present Participle: [Verb] -ing Past Participle: [Verb] -ed
| Present Simple | belie |
| Present Continuous | belies |
| Present Perfect | belied |
Example
His actions belie his words.
Example
The calm exterior belie the storm within.
Example
The data is belied by the real-life experiences of the participants.
Example
His confident demeanor belies his lack of experience.
Example
Their achievements have belied their humble beginnings.
Example
The evidence has belied their initial assumptions.
belie Subject-Verb Agreement
Notes from a Native English Speaker
Subject-verb agreement means that a subject and its verb match. They’re either both plural or both singular. A singular subject takes a singular verb. - Example: The cat is sleeping. A plural subject takes a plural verb. - Example: The cats are sleeping.
| Singular First Person (I) | belie |
| Singular Second Person (You) | belie |
| Singular Third Person (He/She/It) | belies |
| Plural (We/You/They) | belie |
Example
I belie his story.
Example
You belie his claims.
Example
He belies the truth.
Example
She belies her true feelings.
Example
It belies the reality.
Example
We belie their excuses.
Example
You belie their intentions.
Example
They belie their promises.
