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The Verb "Catch" in English

Conjugation of "To Catch"

The verb "catch" is an irregular verb. (This means that "catch" 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 Catch"

FormcatchAlternative Name
Base FormcatchInfinitive Form
The -S FormcatchesThird Person Singular Form
Past FormcaughtSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormcatchingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formcaught[no alternative name]

"To Catch" in All the Tenses

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

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