The Verb "Shave" in English

Conjugation of "To Shave"

The verb "shave" is an irregular verb. (This means that "shave" 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 Shave"

FormshaveAlternative Name
Base FormshaveInfinitive Form
The -S FormshavesThird Person Singular Form
Past FormshavedSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormshavingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formshaven (also shaved)[no alternative name]

"To Shave" in All the Tenses

The tables below show how "shave" 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
  • shaved
  • shaved
  • shaved
  • shaved
  • shaved
  • shaved
The simple past tense is for a completed activity that happened in the past.
  • was shaving
  • were shaving
  • was shaving
  • were shaving
  • were shaving
  • were shaving
The past progressive tense is for an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
  • had shaven (also shaved)
  • had shaven (also shaved)
  • had shaven (also shaved)
  • had shaven (also shaved)
  • had shaven (also shaved)
  • had shaven (also shaved)
The past perfect tense is for emphasizing that an action was completed before another took place.
  • had been shaving
  • had been shaving
  • had been shaving
  • had been shaving
  • had been shaving
  • had been shaving
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
  • shave
  • shave
  • shaves
  • shave
  • shave
  • shave
The simple present tense is mostly for a fact or a habit.
  • am shaving
  • are shaving
  • is shaving
  • are shaving
  • are shaving
  • are shaving
The present progressive tense is for an ongoing action in the present.
  • have shaven (also shaved)
  • have shaven (also shaved)
  • has shaven (also shaved)
  • have shaven (also shaved)
  • have shaven (also shaved)
  • have shaven (also shaved)
The present perfect tense is for an action that began in the past. (Often, the action continues into the present.)
  • have been shaving
  • have been shaving
  • has been shaving
  • have been shaving
  • have been shaving
  • have been shaving
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 shave
  • will shave
  • will shave
  • will shave
  • will shave
  • will shave
The simple future tense is for an action that will occur in the future.
  • will be shaving
  • will be shaving
  • will be shaving
  • will be shaving
  • will be shaving
  • will be shaving
The future progressive tense is for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.
  • will have shaven (also shaved)
  • will have shaven (also shaved)
  • will have shaven (also shaved)
  • will have shaven (also shaved)
  • will have shaven (also shaved)
  • will have shaven (also shaved)
The future perfect tense is for an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.
  • will have been shaving
  • will have been shaving
  • will have been shaving
  • will have been shaving
  • will have been shaving
  • will have been shaving
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:
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This page was written by Craig Shrives.