The Verb "Grow" in English

Conjugation of "To Grow"

The verb "grow" is an irregular verb. (This means that "grow" 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 Grow"

FormgrowAlternative Name
Base FormgrowInfinitive Form
The -S FormgrowsThird Person Singular Form
Past FormgrewSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormgrowingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formgrown[no alternative name]

"To Grow" in All the Tenses

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