Past Tense of “do”
The past simple of “do” is “did” and the past participle is “done”. Below are the pronunciation, three example sentences, the mistake learners make most often, and a short drill to check yourself.
Forms of “do”
do – did – done
carry out an action; helper verb in questions and negatives
- Base form
- do/duː/
- Past simple
- did/dɪd/
- Past participle
- done/dʌn/
- -ing form
- doing
- He / she / it
- does
Pronunciation (US)
Quick practice
5 questions. Type the missing form.
Example sentences
Three everyday sentences that show how the forms are used.
Past simple
I did my homework before dinner.
Past participle
Have you done the shopping yet?
Passive
The work was done by a local company.
The most common mistake
Wrong
I have did all the exercises.
Correct
I have done all the exercises.
After “have”, use the past participle “done”, not the past simple “did”.
Verbs with the same pattern
All 3 forms different. Learn these together.