The Verb "Spill" in English

Conjugation of "To Spill"

The verb "spill" is an irregular verb. (This means that "spill" 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 Spill"

FormspillAlternative Name
Base FormspillInfinitive Form
The -S FormspillsThird Person Singular Form
Past Formspilt (also spilled)Simple Past Tense
The -ING FormspillingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formspilt (also spilled)[no alternative name]

"To Spill" in All the Tenses

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