The Verb "Abide" in English

Conjugation of "To Abide"

The verb "abide" is an irregular verb. (This means that "abide" 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 Abide"

FormabideAlternative Name
Base FormabideInfinitive Form
The -S FormabidesThird Person Singular Form
Past Formabode (also abided)Simple Past Tense
The -ING FormabidingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formabode (also abided)[no alternative name]

"To Abide" in All the Tenses

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

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.