The Verb "Beat" in English

Conjugation of "To Beat"

The verb "beat" is an irregular verb. (This means that "beat" 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 Beat"

FormbeatAlternative Name
Base FormbeatInfinitive Form
The -S FormbeatsThird Person Singular Form
Past FormbeatSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormbeatingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formbeaten[no alternative name]

"To Beat" in All the Tenses

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