The Verb "Bust" in English

Conjugation of "To Bust"

The verb "bust" is an irregular verb. (This means that "bust" 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 Bust"

FormbustAlternative Name
Base FormbustInfinitive Form
The -S FormbustsThird Person Singular Form
Past FormbustSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormbustingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formbust[no alternative name]

"To Bust" in All the Tenses

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