The Verb "Bid" in English

Conjugation of "To Bid"

The verb "bid" is an irregular verb. (This means that "bid" does not form its simple past tense or its past participle by adding "-ed" or "-d" to the base form.)

The Five Forms of "To Bid"

FormbidAlternative Name
Base FormbidInfinitive Form
The -S FormbidsThird Person Singular Form
Past FormbadeSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormbiddingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formbidden[no alternative name]

"To Bid" in All the Tenses

The tables below show how "bid" conjugates in the past, present, and future tenses.

Past Tenses

PersonSimple PastPast Progressive TensePast Perfect TensePast Perfect Progressive Tense
  • I
  • you
  • he/she/it
  • we
  • you
  • they
  • bade
  • bade
  • bade
  • bade
  • bade
  • bade
The simple past tense is for a completed activity that happened in the past.
  • was bidding
  • were bidding
  • was bidding
  • were bidding
  • were bidding
  • were bidding
The past progressive tense is for an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
  • had bidden
  • had bidden
  • had bidden
  • had bidden
  • had bidden
  • had bidden
The past perfect tense is for emphasizing that an action was completed before another took place.
  • had been bidding
  • had been bidding
  • had been bidding
  • had been bidding
  • had been bidding
  • had been bidding
The past perfect progressive tense is for showing that an ongoing action in the past has ended.

Present Tenses

PersonSimple PresentPresent Progressive TensePresent Perfect TensePresent Perfect Progressive Tense
  • I
  • you
  • he/she/it
  • we
  • you
  • they
  • bid
  • bid
  • bids
  • bid
  • bid
  • bid
The simple present tense is mostly for a fact or a habit.
  • am bidding
  • are bidding
  • is bidding
  • are bidding
  • are bidding
  • are bidding
The present progressive tense is for an ongoing action in the present.
  • have bidden
  • have bidden
  • has bidden
  • have bidden
  • have bidden
  • have bidden
The present perfect tense is for an action that began in the past. (Often, the action continues into the present.)
  • have been bidding
  • have been bidding
  • has been bidding
  • have been bidding
  • have been bidding
  • have been bidding
The present perfect progressive tense is for a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present (or finished very recently).

Future Tenses

PersonSimple FutureFuture Progressive TenseFuture Perfect TenseFuture Perfect Progressive Tense
  • I
  • you
  • he/she/it
  • we
  • you
  • they
  • will bid
  • will bid
  • will bid
  • will bid
  • will bid
  • will bid
The simple future tense is for an action that will occur in the future.
  • will be bidding
  • will be bidding
  • will be bidding
  • will be bidding
  • will be bidding
  • will be bidding
The future progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.
  • will have bidden
  • will have bidden
  • will have bidden
  • will have bidden
  • will have bidden
  • will have bidden
The future perfect tense is for an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.
  • will have been bidding
  • will have been bidding
  • will have been bidding
  • will have been bidding
  • will have been bidding
  • will have been bidding
The future perfect progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future.

Most Common Irregular Verbs

The two most common irregular verbs in English are "be" and "have." These pages give more details about these two verbs: Here are the next 10 most common irregular verbs in English:

Most Common Irregular Verbs

The two most common irregular verbs in English are "be" and "have." These pages give more details about these two verbs: Here are the next 10 most common irregular verbs in English:
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This page was written by Craig Shrives.