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“Chose” is the past tense of “choose.” The difference is when.




Choose
“Choose” (for the present or future) has the “oo” sound of “moon.” It also has the “o” sound in “today” and “tomorrow.”
Think “Today I choose to snooze. Zzzz.” Both present tense, both have the double “oo.”
Chose
“Chose” is the past tense of “choose.” The difference in meaning is when the “choosing” occurs, sometime before now.
“Chose” has the long “o” sound of the vowel, a consonant, and a silent “e” (like “home”). It sounds like “rose” or “blows.”
Think “Yesterday I chose to not to doze.”
Examples:
- When I have a cold, I choose to stay home sick rather than contaminate my fellow workers.
- (“Choose” with the future “will.”)
- Yesterday the boss chose to make a point of protecting others.
- (“Chose” = past tense to go with “yesterday”)
- He said, “Choose between taking a sick day or using comp time.”
- (“Choose” = present tense)
- Because he chose the road less traveled, his employees stayed healthier.
- (“Chose = past tense of “choose”)
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