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The Verb "Cling" in English

Conjugation of "To Cling"

The verb "cling" is an irregular verb. (This means that "cling" 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 Cling"

FormclingAlternative Name
Base FormclingInfinitive Form
The -S FormclingsThird Person Singular Form
Past FormclungSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormclingingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formclung[no alternative name]

"To Cling" in All the Tenses

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