The Verb "Take" in English

Conjugation of "To Take"

The verb "take" is an irregular verb. (This means that "take" 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 Take"

FormtakeAlternative Name
Base FormtakeInfinitive Form
The -S FormtakesThird Person Singular Form
Past FormtookSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormtakingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formtaken[no alternative name]

"To Take" in All the Tenses

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