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The Verb "Hold" in English

Conjugation of "To Hold"

The verb "hold" is an irregular verb. (This means that "hold" 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 Hold"

FormholdAlternative Name
Base FormholdInfinitive Form
The -S FormholdsThird Person Singular Form
Past FormheldSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormholdingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formheld[no alternative name]

"To Hold" in All the Tenses

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

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