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The Verb "Lead" in English

Conjugation of "To Lead"

The verb "lead" is an irregular verb. (This means that "lead" 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 Lead"

FormleadAlternative Name
Base FormleadInfinitive Form
The -S FormleadsThird Person Singular Form
Past FormledSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormleadingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formled[no alternative name]

"To Lead" in All the Tenses

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