error · Section 3: Verbs
Rule 3.1: Use only the verb forms that are given in the dictionary
For each approved verb, use only the specific inflected forms listed for it in the STE dictionary (typically the base/infinitive, the simple present, the simple past, and the past participle). Do not use, invent, or regularize any form of an approved verb that is not one of the forms the dictionary gives for it, even if that form would be grammatically valid in general English.
What a checker looks for
A clear deviation from the rule.
- For each verb used in the text, check whether the specific inflected form matches one of the forms listed in the dictionary entry for that verb (e.g. GIVE -> GIVES, GAVE, GIVEN); flag any form that is not among them.
- Pay particular attention to irregular verbs — flag a regularized or invented form (e.g. 'gived' instead of 'gave') or any extra form beyond the ones the dictionary lists.
What this rule does not cover
- A form that matches one of the dictionary-listed forms for the verb is compliant with this rule regardless of which tense/voice it is used in — tense and voice correctness are covered separately by rules 3.2-3.6.
How to fix it
Replace the non-dictionary verb form with the closest dictionary-listed form for that verb (base, present, past, or past participle) that fits the intended meaning, restructuring the sentence if needed.
Constraints on the fix
- Do not substitute a different verb altogether if the intended verb is approved — only correct the form.
Examples
Not STE: The technician gived the tool to the mechanic.
STE: The technician gave the tool to the mechanic.
Related rules
Where this fits in AI governance
A rule a checker can test is a rule a model can be held to. The same discipline, on the governance side of this site.
- Testing AI systems
Verb-form rules are deterministic tests, which is what makes them a useful regression suite for generated text. - Model drift, performance regression and versioning
A rule-level pass rate is a baseline; a provider update that changes the model changes the pass rate. - Output validation guardrails
A controlled language is a checkable output constraint. This is the control that treats model output as something to be checked rather than trusted.
Source
ASD-STE100 Issue 9, Section 3 - Verbs, page 1-3-1.
This page is commentary and does not reproduce the standard. About this rule pack.