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The Verb "Speak" in English

Conjugation of "To Speak"

The verb "speak" is an irregular verb. (This means that "speak" 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 Speak"

FormspeakAlternative Name
Base FormspeakInfinitive Form
The -S FormspeaksThird Person Singular Form
Past FormspokeSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormspeakingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formspoken[no alternative name]

"To Speak" in All the Tenses

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

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