##  [Forming and using verb tenses](/hypergrammar-2/forming-and-using-verb-tenses)

##  Avertissement

Ce contenu est offert en anglais seulement.

<a id="tenses">English verb tenses</a> are formed by combining one of the <a id="principalforms">principal forms</a> of a main [verb](what-is-a-verb#whatisverb) with one or more [auxiliary verbs](compound-verbs#auxiliaryverb). There are four principal forms: basic or root, [present participle](verbals#presentparticiple), past and [past participle](verbals#pastparticiple).

<a id="basicform">The basic form</a> (or <a id="verbroot">root</a>) is the form listed in the dictionary, which is generally the [first-person](noun-and-pronoun-characteristics#firstperson) [singular](noun-and-pronoun-characteristics#singular) of the [simple present](using-verb-tenses#simppres) tense (except in the case of the verb *to be*):

- walk
- paint
- accompany
- drop
- think
- grow
- sing

<a id="infinitive">The infinitive</a> form is a [compound verb](compound-verbs#verbcmp) made up of the [preposition](what-is-a-preposition#whatispreposit) *to* and the basic form:

- to walk
- to paint
- to accompany
- to drop
- to think
- to grow
- to sing

To form the present participle, the suffix *ing* is generally added to the basic form:

- walking
- painting
- accompanying
- dropping
- thinking
- growing
- singing

Note that the present participle cannot function as a [predicate](subject-and-predicate#predicate) unless it has an auxiliary verb. For example, the word group *I walking to the store* is an incomplete and ungrammatical [sentence](subject-and-predicate#sentence), while the word group *I am walking to the store* is a complete sentence. The present participle is often used as a [modifier](modifiers).

<a id="pastform">The past tense</a> is a little trickier. If the verb is <a id="regularverb">regular</a> (or <a id="weakverb">weak</a>) add *ed*, *d*, or *t* to the present form. When a basic form ends in *y*, it is generally changed to *i*. In many cases the terminal consonant is doubled before adding *ed* (see [Words with double consonants](words-with-double-consonants)). For example:

- walked
- painted
- accompanied
- dropped
- thought
- grew
- sang

The past participle of regular verbs is usually identical to the past tense, while the past participle of irregular verbs is often different:

- walked
- painted
- accompanied
- dropped
- thought
- grown (past form: grew)
- sung (past form: sang)

## Irregular verbs

The past participle and the past tense of irregular verbs are not generally formed by adding *(e)d* or *t*. For example, the past tense of the verb *break* is *broke* and the past participle is *broken*.

The following verbs form their [past tenses](using-verb-tenses#pasttenses) (past and past participle) irregularly:

| Verb | Past tense | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| **arise** | arose | arisen |
| **awake** | awoke (or awaked) | awaked (or awoken) |
| **awaken** | awakened | awakened |
| **bear** (to carry) | bore | borne |
| **bear** (to give birth) | bore | born |
| **beat** | beat | beaten (or beat) |
| **become** | became | become |
| **begin** | began | begun |
| **bet** | bet | bet |
| **bid** (to offer) | bid | bid |
| **bid** (to order, invite) | bade | bidden |
| **bind** | bound | bound |
| **bite** | bit | bitten |
| **bleed** | bled | bled |
| **blow** | blew | blown |
| **break** | broke | broken |
| **breed** | bred | bred |
| **bring** | brought | brought |
| **burst** | burst | burst |
| **buy** | bought | bought |
| **cast** | cast | cast |
| **catch** | caught | caught |
| **choose** | chose | chosen |
| **cling** | clung | clung |
| **come** | came | come |
| **creep** | crept | crept |
| **cut** | cut | cut |
| **deal** | dealt | dealt |
| **dig** | dug | dug |
| **dive** | dived (or dove) | dived |
| **do** | did | done |
| **draw** | drew | drawn |
| **dream** | dreamed (or dreamt) | dreamed (or dreamt) |
| **drink** | drank | drunk |
| **drive** | drove | driven |
| **eat** | ate | eaten |
| **fall** | fell | fallen |
| **feed** | fed | fed |
| **feel** | felt | felt |
| **fight** | fought | fought |
| **find** | found | found |
| **flee** | fled | fled |
| **fly** | flew | flown |
| **forbid** | forbade | forbidden |
| **forget** | forgot | forgotten |
| **forgive** | forgave | forgiven |
| **forsake** | forsook | forsaken |
| **freeze** | froze | frozen |
| **get** | got | got (or gotten) |
| **give** | gave | given |
| **go** | went | gone |
| **grind** | ground | ground |
| **grow** | grew | grown |
| **hang** (to suspend) | hung | hung |
| **hang** (to execute) | hanged | hanged |
| **have** | had | had |
| **hear** | heard | heard |
| **hide** | hid | hidden |
| **hit** | hit | hit |
| **hold** | held | held |
| **hurt** | hurt | hurt |
| **keep** | kept | kept |
| **kneel** | knelt (or kneeled) | knelt (or kneeled) |
| **knit** | knitted (or knit) | knitted (or knit) |
| **know** | knew | known |
| **lay** | laid | laid |
| **lead** | led | led |
| **leap** | leaped (or leapt) | leaped (or leapt) |
| **leave** | left | left |
| **lend** | lent | lent |
| **let** | let | let |
| **lie** | lay | lain |
| **light** | lighted (or lit) | lighted (or lit) |
| **lose** | lost | lost |
| **make** | made | made |
| **mean** | meant | meant |
| **meet** | met | met |
| **mistake** | mistook | mistaken |
| **overcome** | overcame | overcome |
| **pay** | paid | paid |
| **prove** | proved | proved (or proven) |
| **put** | put | put |
| **quit** | quit | quit |
| **read** | read | read |
| **ride** | rode | ridden |
| **ring** | rang | rung |
| **rise** | rose | risen |
| **run** | ran | run |
| **say** | said | said |
| **see** | saw | seen |
| **seek** | sought | sought |
| **sell** | sold | sold |
| **send** | sent | sent |
| **set** | set | set |
| **shake** | shook | shaken |
| **shed** | shed | shed |
| **shoot** | shot | shot |
| **shrink** | shrank (or shrunk) | shrunk |
| **shut** | shut | shut |
| **sing** | sang | sung |
| **sink** | sank | sunk |
| **sit** | sat | sat |
| **slay** | slew | slain |
| **sleep** | slept | slept |
| **slide** | slid | slide |
| **sling** | slung | slung |
| **slink** | slunk | slunk |
| **speak** | spoke | spoken |
| **speed** | sped (or speeded) | sped (or speeded) |
| **spend** | spent | spent |
| **spin** | spun | spun |
| **spit** | spit (or spat) | spit (or spat) |
| **split** | split | split |
| **spread** | spread | spread |
| **spring** | sprang (or sprung) | sprung |
| **stand** | stood | stood |
| **steal** | stole | stolen |
| **stick** | stuck | stuck |
| **stink** | stank (or stunk) | stunk |
| **strew** | strewed | strewn |
| **stride** | strode | stridden |
| **strike** | struck | struck |
| **string** | strung | strung |
| **strive** | strove (or strived) | striven (or strived) |
| **swear** | swore | sworn |
| **sweep** | swept | swept |
| **swell** | swelled | swelled (or swollen) |
| **swim** | swam | swum |
| **swing** | swung | swung |
| **take** | took | taken |
| **teach** | taught | taught |
| **tear** | tore | torn |
| **tell** | told | told |
| **think** | thought | thought |
| **thrive** | throve (or thrived) | throve (or thriven) |
| **throw** | threw | thrown |
| **thrust** | thrust | thrust |
| **wake** | woke (or waked) | waked (or woken) |
| **weep** | wept | wept |
| **win** | won | won |
| **wind** | wound | wound |
| **wring** | wring | wrung |
| **write** | wrote | written |

##  Avis de droit d’auteur pour l’outil HyperGrammar 2

© Département d’anglais, Faculté des arts, Université d’Ottawa
Un outil mis en ligne par le Bureau de la traduction, Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada

## Rechercher par thèmes connexes

Vous voulez en apprendre davantage sur un thème abordé dans cette page? Cliquez sur un lien ci-dessous pour voir toutes les pages du Portail linguistique du Canada portant sur le thème choisi. Les résultats de recherche s’afficheront dans le [Navigateur linguistique](/fr/navigateur-navigator).

- [Grammar and syntax](/fr/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=All&sort_by=views&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A476#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results)
- [Verbs](/fr/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=All&sort_by=views&f%5B0%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A476&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A488#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results)

## Liens connexes

- [HyperGrammar 2](/fr/hypergrammar-2/index-fra) (page d’accueil)
- [Outils d’aide à la rédaction](/fr/outils-tools/index-fra)
- [Navigateur linguistique](/fr/navigateur-navigator) (permet de trouver rapidement des conseils linguistiques)
- [TERMIUM Plus®](http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-fra.html?lang=fra)
- [Communiquer avec le Portail linguistique du Canada](/fr/apropos-about-fra#a8)