Remember this!
The present tense form of 'derail' is derail or derails. Example: They are worried that the new regulations may derail their plans. (They are worried that the new regulations may derail their plans.)
Definition of “derail”
- to cause a train to leave its tracks accidentally
- to cause something to fail or go off course
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 | derail |
| Present Continuous | derailing |
| Present Perfect | derailed |
Example
The unexpected news derails their plans.
Example
She often tries to derail the conversation.
Example
The ongoing conflict is derailing the peace process.
Example
They are derailing their own progress with their indecisiveness.
Example
The recent scandal has derailed their reputation.
Example
He has derailed his own success with his poor choices.
derail 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) | derail |
| Singular Second Person (You) | derail |
| Singular Third Person (He/She/It) | derails |
| Plural (We/You/They) | derail |
Example
I derail the conversation.
Example
You derail the conversation.
Example
He derails the conversation.
Example
She derails the conversation.
Example
It derails the conversation.
Example
We derail the conversation.
Example
You derail the conversation.
Example
They derail the conversation.
