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The Verb "Shear" in English

Conjugation of "To Shear"

The verb "shear" is an irregular verb. (This means that "shear" 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 Shear"

FormshearAlternative Name
Base FormshearInfinitive Form
The -S FormshearsThird Person Singular Form
Past Formshore (also sheared)Simple Past Tense
The -ING FormshearingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formshorn (also sheared)[no alternative name]

"To Shear" in All the Tenses

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

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