The Verb "See" in English

Conjugation of "To See"

The verb "see" is an irregular verb. (This means that "see" 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 See"

FormseeAlternative Name
Base FormseeInfinitive Form
The -S FormseesThird Person Singular Form
Past FormsawSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormseeingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formseen[no alternative name]
the verb to see in English

Example Sentences with To See

It's your go. Select the correct version of "to see":

"To See" in All the Tenses

The tables below show how "see" 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
  • saw
  • saw
  • saw
  • saw
  • saw
  • saw
The simple past tense is for a completed activity that happened in the past.
  • was seeing
  • were seeing
  • was seeing
  • were seeing
  • were seeing
  • were seeing
The past progressive tense is for an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
  • had seen
  • had seen
  • had seen
  • had seen
  • had seen
  • had seen
The past perfect tense is for emphasizing that an action was completed before another took place.
  • had been seeing
  • had been seeing
  • had been seeing
  • had been seeing
  • had been seeing
  • had been seeing
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
  • see
  • see
  • sees
  • see
  • see
  • see
The simple present tense is mostly for a fact or a habit.
  • am seeing
  • are seeing
  • is seeing
  • are seeing
  • are seeing
  • are seeing
The present progressive tense is for an ongoing action in the present.
  • have seen
  • have seen
  • has seen
  • have seen
  • have seen
  • have seen
The present perfect tense is for an action that began in the past. (Often, the action continues into the present.)
  • have been seeing
  • have been seeing
  • has been seeing
  • have been seeing
  • have been seeing
  • have been seeing
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 see
  • will see
  • will see
  • will see
  • will see
  • will see
The simple future tense is for an action that will occur in the future.
  • will be seeing
  • will be seeing
  • will be seeing
  • will be seeing
  • will be seeing
  • will be seeing
The future progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.
  • will have seen
  • will have seen
  • will have seen
  • will have seen
  • will have seen
  • will have seen
The future perfect tense is for an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.
  • will have been seeing
  • will have been seeing
  • will have been seeing
  • will have been seeing
  • will have been seeing
  • will have been seeing
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:
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This page was written by Craig Shrives.