The Verb "Mistake" in English

Conjugation of "To Mistake"

The verb "mistake" is an irregular verb. (This means that "mistake" 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 Mistake"

FormmistakeAlternative Name
Base FormmistakeInfinitive Form
The -S FormmistakesThird Person Singular Form
Past FormmistookSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormmistakingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formmistaken[no alternative name]

"To Mistake" in All the Tenses

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