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Past Tense of run: Conjugations in Past and Present Participles

What is the past tense of “run?” Most commonly, the past tense of the word “run” is “ran.” Although the word form will change based on its participle. And the sentence where it’s used. For example, referencing “run” in the present participle form will change it to “running,” but in the infinitive form, will be “run.”

What is the past tense of the word "run"

The past tense (past participle) form of “run” is “ran.” The infinitive of the word form is “run.” The present participle form is “running.” The past tense form is “ran” and past participle form is “run.”

Understanding verb tenses

The general grammar rules that govern past tenses are as follows. The simple past tense form is created by adding a -ed or -d affix to the root word of the verb. Some verbs use a -t variation where they end in a -t. For example, when "dream" turns into "dreamt."

The past perfect tense is formed for regular verbs (ending in -ed, -d, or -t) by adding "had" followed by the verb. For example, "I had finished."

The past continuous tense is formed by the verb "be" followed by the affix or ending of -ing. For example, "we were having dinner."

Lastly, the past perfect continuous tense is formed by adding "had been" followed by the affix or ending of -ing. For example, "I had been building a castle with my sister."

For more information on forming all past tenses, visit our "understanding verb tenses" resource.

Sentence examples for the past tense of the word "run"

  • Infinitive: I run.
  • Present participle: She is running.
  • Past tense: I ran.
  • Past particle: I have run.

Verb forms of the word "run"

Example sentences in all verb forms:

Indefinite present tense

I run.

Present continuous tense

She/he/it is running.

Present perfect continuous tense

She/he/it has/had run.

Present perfect tense

She/he/it has/had been running.

Simple past tense

She/he/it ran.

Past continuous tense

She/he/it were running.

Past perfect tense

She/he/it has/had been running.

Perfect continuous tense

She/he/it will/shall run.

Simple future tense

She/he/it will/shall be running.

Future perfect tense

She/he/it will/shall have run.

Future perfect continuous tense

She/he/it will/shall have been running.

Sentence examples in all forms

Sentence examples in all participles and parts of speech:

Verb TenseExample sentence
Simple Present TenseI run
Present Continuous TenseShe/he/it running
Present Perfect TenseShe/he/it has/had been running
Simple Past TenseShe/he/it ran
Past Continuous TenseShe/he/it were running
Past Perfect TenseI had run.
Past Perfect Continuous TenseShe/he/it has/had been running
Simple Future TenseShe/he/it will/shall be running
Future Continuous TenseI will be running.
Future Perfect TenseShe/he/it will/shall have run
Future Perfect Continuous TenseShe/he/it will/shall have been running

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About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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