Past Tense of “seek”
The past simple of “seek” is “sought” and the past participle is “sought”. Below are the pronunciation, three example sentences, the mistake learners make most often, and a short drill to check yourself.
Forms of “seek”
seek – sought – sought
look for; try to get (formal)
- Base form
- seek/siːk/
- Past simple
- sought/sɔːt/
- Past participle
- sought/sɔːt/
- -ing form
- seeking
- He / she / it
- seeks
Pronunciation (US)
Quick practice
5 questions. Type the missing form.
Example sentences
Three everyday sentences that show how the forms are used.
Past simple
He sought advice from a lawyer.
Past participle
The company has sought new investors.
Passive
Experienced nurses are sought by many hospitals.
The most common mistake
Wrong
They seeked help from the police.
Correct
They sought help from the police.
“Seek” is irregular: seek – sought – sought. It is formal; in everyday English people often say “looked for”.
Verbs with the same pattern
Past = participle. Learn these together.