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The Verb "Slay" in English

Conjugation of "To Slay"

The verb "slay" is an irregular verb. (This means that "slay" 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 Slay"

FormslayAlternative Name
Base FormslayInfinitive Form
The -S FormslaysThird Person Singular Form
Past FormslewSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormslayingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formslain[no alternative name]

"To Slay" in All the Tenses

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