Awake
Both words are verbs, referring to the process of moving from being asleep to being alert.
- “Awake” has choices for its past tenses:
- both simple past and past participle = “awaked” or “awoke” (no wonder I am confused)
- may have an object or not.
- can also be used as an adjective, the opposite of “asleep.”
Wake
- “Wake” has similar forms:
- both simple past and past participle = “waked” or “woke”
- can be used with an object or not.
- is often used with the adverb “up.”
- as a noun refers to
- a vigil the night before the funeral or
- the waves following a boat moving through the water.
Merriam-webster.com says the two mean the same thing. One will sound better to you than the other, depending on where you live.
Examples:
- Mother entered the bedroom, shook her son’s arm, and whispered, “Wake up now.”
- “wake” = present tense
- no object
- Mother entered the bedroom and woke him up.
- “woke” = past tense
- object = “him”
- The preacher raised his arms and thundered, “We must awake to the dangers of hatred.”
- “awake” = present tense (with helping verb “must”)
- The drive through the mountains awoke in Sandra the memories of her childhood.
- “awoke” = past tense
- object = “memories”
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