The Verb "Bite" in English

Conjugation of "To Bite"

The verb "bite" is an irregular verb. (This means that "bite" 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 Bite"

FormbiteAlternative Name
Base FormbiteInfinitive Form
The -S FormbitesThird Person Singular Form
Past FormbitSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormbitingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formbitten[no alternative name]

"To Bite" in All the Tenses

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