The Verb "Strive" in English

Conjugation of "To Strive"

The verb "strive" is an irregular verb. (This means that "strive" 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 Strive"

FormstriveAlternative Name
Base FormstriveInfinitive Form
The -S FormstrivesThird Person Singular Form
Past FormstroveSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormstrivingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formstriven[no alternative name]

"To Strive" in All the Tenses

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