The Verb "Burst" in English

Conjugation of "To Burst"

The verb "burst" is an irregular verb. (This means that "burst" 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 Burst"

FormburstAlternative Name
Base FormburstInfinitive Form
The -S FormburstsThird Person Singular Form
Past FormburstSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormburstingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formburst[no alternative name]

"To Burst" in All the Tenses

The tables below show how "burst" 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
  • burst
  • burst
  • burst
  • burst
  • burst
  • burst
The simple past tense is for a completed activity that happened in the past.
  • was bursting
  • were bursting
  • was bursting
  • were bursting
  • were bursting
  • were bursting
The past progressive tense is for an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
  • had burst
  • had burst
  • had burst
  • had burst
  • had burst
  • had burst
The past perfect tense is for emphasizing that an action was completed before another took place.
  • had been bursting
  • had been bursting
  • had been bursting
  • had been bursting
  • had been bursting
  • had been bursting
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
  • burst
  • burst
  • bursts
  • burst
  • burst
  • burst
The simple present tense is mostly for a fact or a habit.
  • am bursting
  • are bursting
  • is bursting
  • are bursting
  • are bursting
  • are bursting
The present progressive tense is for an ongoing action in the present.
  • have burst
  • have burst
  • has burst
  • have burst
  • have burst
  • have burst
The present perfect tense is for an action that began in the past. (Often, the action continues into the present.)
  • have been bursting
  • have been bursting
  • has been bursting
  • have been bursting
  • have been bursting
  • have been bursting
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 burst
  • will burst
  • will burst
  • will burst
  • will burst
  • will burst
The simple future tense is for an action that will occur in the future.
  • will be bursting
  • will be bursting
  • will be bursting
  • will be bursting
  • will be bursting
  • will be bursting
The future progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.
  • will have burst
  • will have burst
  • will have burst
  • will have burst
  • will have burst
  • will have burst
The future perfect tense is for an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.
  • will have been bursting
  • will have been bursting
  • will have been bursting
  • will have been bursting
  • will have been bursting
  • will have been bursting
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.