The Verb "Leave" in English

Conjugation of "To Leave"

The verb "leave" is an irregular verb. (This means that "leave" 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 Leave"

FormleaveAlternative Name
Base FormleaveInfinitive Form
The -S FormleavesThird Person Singular Form
Past FormleftSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormleavingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formleft[no alternative name]

"To Leave" in All the Tenses

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

This page was written by Craig Shrives.