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The Verb "Light" in English

Conjugation of "To Light"

The verb "light" is an irregular verb. (This means that "light" 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 Light"

FormlightAlternative Name
Base FormlightInfinitive Form
The -S FormlightsThird Person Singular Form
Past FormlitSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormlightingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formlit[no alternative name]

"To Light" in All the Tenses

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