The Verb "Drive" in English

Conjugation of "To Drive"

The verb "drive" is an irregular verb. (This means that "drive" 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 Drive"

FormdriveAlternative Name
Base FormdriveInfinitive Form
The -S FormdrivesThird Person Singular Form
Past FormdroveSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormdrivingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formdriven[no alternative name]

"To Drive" in All the Tenses

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