The Verb "Spit" in English

Conjugation of "To Spit"

The verb "spit" is an irregular verb. (This means that "spit" 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 Spit"

FormspitAlternative Name
Base FormspitInfinitive Form
The -S FormspitsThird Person Singular Form
Past Formspat (also spit)Simple Past Tense
The -ING FormspittingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formspat (also spit)[no alternative name]

"To Spit" in All the Tenses

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