Arised or Arose: to the Correct Past Tense of Arise

English verb conjugations can be tricky, especially when dealing with irregular verbs like “arise.” Many writers and speakers find themselves hesitating between “arised and arose” when trying to express the past tense. This comprehensive guide will not only answer the “arose or arised” debate but also provide deep linguistic insights, practical examples, and historical context to help you master this verb completely.

The Quick Answer (With Important Nuances)

For those who need an immediate answer:

• Correct past tense: “Arose”
• Incorrect form: “Arised” (this word does not exist in standard English)

However, there’s more to this story. While “arised” is always incorrect in modern English, it’s worth noting that:

• The non-standard form “arised” appears in some dialectal speech
• Historical texts from the 16th-18th centuries occasionally show variant spellings
• Some English learners create this form by analogy with regular verbs

Example of correct usage:
“The opportunity arose unexpectedly during our meeting.”

Example of incorrect usage:
“The opportunity arised unexpectedly during our meeting.”

Why the Confusion Exists: A Linguistic Deep Dive

The confusion between “arose” and “arised” stems from several factors in English grammar:

1. Regular vs. Irregular Verb Patterns

• About 60% of English verbs follow the regular “-ed” pattern
• Only 40% are irregular like “arise/arose/arisen”
• Our brains naturally prefer regular patterns, leading to overgeneralization

1. Frequency of Use

• “Arise” is relatively uncommon compared to similar verbs
• Google Ngram data shows “arise” appears 10 times less frequently than “rise”

1. Phonetic Similarity

• The “-ise” ending makes speakers expect “-ised” (British) or “-ized” (American)
• Compare with “surprise/surprised” or “realize/realized”

Interesting Fact: A 2022 study of English learners found that 73% initially produced “arised” before learning the correct form.

Complete Conjugation of “Arise”

Tense	Form	Example Sentence
Base Form	arise	Problems arise when communication fails.
Simple Past	arose	A conflict arose between the departments.
Past Participle	arisen	New challenges have arisen recently.
Present Participle	arising	New opportunities are arising daily.
3rd Person Present	arises	The need arises frequently in this field.

Special Note: The verb “arise” is what linguists call a “strong verb,” following the same pattern as:

• drive/drove/driven
• write/wrote/written
• ride/rode/ridden

“Arise” vs. Similar Verbs: A Comparative Analysis

Many confuse “arise” with other verbs of motion or appearance. Here’s how they differ:

1. Arise vs. Rise

• “Arise” typically refers to abstract concepts appearing
• “Rise” refers to physical upward movement Correct: “The sun rises in the east.”
  Incorrect: “The sun arises in the east.”

1. Arise vs. Occur

• “Arise” suggests gradual emergence
• “Occur” suggests a specific event happening Correct: “Complications arose during surgery.”
  Also correct: “Complications occurred during surgery.”

1. Arise vs. Appear

• “Arise” implies origin or causation
• “Appear” is more about visibility Correct: “New evidence arose from the investigation.”
  Also correct: “New evidence appeared during the investigation.”

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Historical Evolution of “Arise”

The verb “arise” has an interesting etymological journey:

1. Old English (pre-1150): “Ārīsan”

• Meaning: “to get up, to stand up”
• Used both literally and metaphorically

1. Middle English (1150-1500): “Arisen”

• Began shifting toward more abstract meanings
• Chaucer used it in both physical and metaphorical senses

1. Early Modern English (1500-1700):

• The past tense “arose” became standardized
• Variant spellings like “arose” and “arose” appeared

1. Modern English (1700-present):

• Complete standardization of “arise/arose/arisen”
• Physical meanings became less common

Quote from Shakespeare:
“Many mischiefs arise from one man’s neglect.” (Henry VI, Part 2)

Common Collocations With “Arise”

These are phrases where “arise” naturally appears:

1. With abstract nouns:

• Problems arise
• Opportunities arise
• Questions arise
• Difficulties arise
• Needs arise

1. In legal/formal contexts:

• Disputes arise
• Liabilities arise
• Obligations arise

1. In scientific writing:

• Complications arise
• Errors arise
• New species arise

Example from Academic Writing:
“As the experiment progressed, unforeseen complications arose in the data collection process.”

Regional Variations and Dialectal Forms

While “arised” is non-standard everywhere, some interesting regional variations exist:

1. Scottish English:

• Sometimes uses “arose” for both past and participle
• “He’s arose early” instead of “He’s arisen early”

1. African American Vernacular English (AAVE):

• May use “arised” in informal contexts
• Still considers “arose” the standard form

1. Indian/Pakistani English:

• Tends to regularize irregular verbs
• “Arised” appears more frequently than in other varieties

Important Note: While these variations exist, standard written English always requires “arose.”

Professional Writing Tips for Using “Arise”

1. Formal Writing:

• Prefer “arise” to synonyms in academic/legal contexts
• Use precise collocations (“problems arise” not “problems happen”)

1. Business Communication:

• “Should any issues arise” (common in contracts)
• “As new opportunities arise” (common in proposals)

1. Technical Writing:

• Be specific about what arises
• “Errors arose in the testing phase” not just “Problems arose”

Bad Example: “Stuff arised during the project.”
Good Example: “Several technical challenges arose during the development phase.”

Memory Tricks for Correct Usage

1. Rhyme Technique:

• “Arose” rhymes with “those” – “Those problems arose yesterday.”

1. Pattern Recognition:

• It follows the same pattern as “drive/drove”
• If you wouldn’t say “drived,” don’t say “arised”

1. Visual Association:

• Picture a rose (flower) to remember “a-rose”

1. Sentence Frame:

• “When X happens, Y will arise/arose”

Advanced Usage: “Arisen” as Past Participle

Many writers stumble when using the perfect tenses:

Correct:

• “Problems have arisen” (present perfect)
• “Had the opportunity arisen” (past perfect)

Incorrect:

• “Problems have arose”
• “Had the opportunity arised”

Pro Tip: The past participle always uses “arisen,” never “arose” in perfect tenses.

Frequency Analysis: How Often These Forms Appear

According to the Corpus of Contemporary American English:

Form	Frequency per million words
arise	58
arises	12
arose	24
arising	18
arisen	15
arised	0.2 (almost always errors)

Common Errors and How to Fix Them

1. Error: Using “arised” in any context

• Fix: Always use “arose” for simple past

1. Error: Confusing “arose” and “arisen”

• Fix: Remember “arose” = simple past, “arisen” = participle

1. Error: Using “arise” for physical rising

• Fix: Use “rise” for physical movement

1. Error: Overusing “arise” when simpler verbs work

• Fix: Sometimes “happen” or “appear” may be better

Exercises for Practice

Test your understanding with these exercises:

1. Complete the sentences:

• Yesterday, a new problem __ (arise).
• Many questions __ (arise) during the discussion.
• Similar issues have __ (arise) before.

1. Correct the errors:

• “The sun arised at 6 am.”
• “We have arose this issue before.”
• “When the need arised, we acted.”

(Answers: 1. arose, arose, arisen; 2. rose, raised/arisen, arose)

Final Checklist for Proper Usage

Before submitting any formal writing, check:

1. Did I use “arose” for simple past?
2. Did I use “arisen” for perfect tenses?
3. Did I avoid “arised” completely?
4. Is “arise” the best verb for the context?

Conclusion: Mastering This Subtle Distinction

Understanding the correct past tense of “arise” is more than just memorizing forms—it’s about recognizing patterns in English verb conjugation. While “arised” might sound plausible, especially to non-native speakers, “arose” has been the standard form for centuries.

Key takeaways:

• Always use “arose” as the simple past tense
• “Arised” is never correct in standard English
• The verb follows the “drive/drove/driven” pattern
• Perfect tenses always use “arisen”

By internalizing these rules and practicing with real examples, you’ll eliminate this common grammar mistake from your writing permanently. Remember—when in doubt, “arose” is always the safe choice!