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The Verb "Spoil" in English

Conjugation of "To Spoil"

The verb "spoil" is an irregular verb. (This means that "spoil" 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 Spoil"

FormspoilAlternative Name
Base FormspoilInfinitive Form
The -S FormspoilsThird Person Singular Form
Past Formspoilt (also spoiled)Simple Past Tense
The -ING FormspoilingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formspoilt (also spoiled)[no alternative name]

"To Spoil" in All the Tenses

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