Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:
BURST / BUSTED
The common mistake here is use of the word busted to mean burst. Perhaps the confusion lies in similar definitions for these two verbs (bust, busted, busted versus burst, burst, burst) that involve the use of force. Something that has been busted has been smashed to pieces or broken, often beyond repair, by force. Things that burst break open or apart due to impact or pressure from within.
INCORRECT: I fell off my bike and burst my watch on the concrete.
CORRECT: I fell off my bike and busted my watch on the concrete.
INCORRECT: We watched with delight as the eggs busted open and baby chicks appeared.
CORRECT: We watched with delight as the eggs burst open and baby chicks appeared.
ALSO CORRECT: The fireman busted down the door in order to save people trapped inside the room.
ALSO CORRECT: The door burst open after the police busted the lock.
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