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The Verb "Tear" in English

Conjugation of "To Tear"

The verb "tear" is an irregular verb. (This means that "tear" 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 Tear"

FormtearAlternative Name
Base FormtearInfinitive Form
The -S FormtearsThird Person Singular Form
Past FormtoreSimple Past Tense
The -ING FormtearingPresent Participle Form
The Past Participle Formtorn[no alternative name]

"To Tear" in All the Tenses

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