What’s the past tense of let?
Let is an irregular verb and only has one form in the past tense: let.
Let’s with an apostrophe is a contraction that combines let + us.
Avoid confusing let’s (let us) with lets (third-person present singular). Please, lettuce explain what Romaine’s; that is, the correct use of the verb and word, to let.
Verb forms of let
To define today’s topic first, let, as defined by Collins Dictionary: If you let something happen, you allow it to happen without doing anything to stop or prevent it. Example: She let the door slam.
| present | past | future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| simple | I let | I let | I will let |
| continuous | I am letting | I was letting | I will be letting |
| perfect | I have let | I had let | I will have let |
| perfect continuous | I have been letting | I had been letting | I will have been letting |
Examples of “let” in different forms
| Form | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Present tense | I love sweets but Mum doesn’t let me have them very often. |
| Simple past | He stepped aside to let her pass. |
| Past participle | Our boss had been let go due to poor performance. |
| Present participle | We are letting them take the test again. |
| Third-person present singular | If Dad lets us go to the movies without him, I’d be surprised. |
“Let’s” vs “lets”
| Form | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| lets | He lets his kids eat candy whenever they want. | Third-person singular present |
| let’s | Let’s meet at 6 p.m. | Contraction for “let us” |
Past tense vs. past participle of “let”
| Form | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Past simple | I let him use my car yesterday. |
| Past participle | I had better go and let the dog out. |
Participles pair with auxiliaries to form perfect or progressive tenses, as in the past perfect or past continuous. The past perfect or continuous show events from the past that either relate to the present, or progress into the present.
Verbs with one form (present & past)
| base verb | past tense | past participle |
|---|---|---|
| let | let | let |
| burst | burst | burst |
| bet | bet | bet |
| shut | shut | shut |
| hit | hit | hit |
| set | set | set |
“Let” in sentences
| Example Sentence | Tense/Usage |
|---|---|
| I let myself into the flat. | Present/Past |
| Let me take your coat. | Imperative |
| Let me get you something to drink. | Imperative |
| The Americans won’t let her leave the country. | Future/Modal |
| Will you let the dog out? | Future simple |
Examples of let in sentences (past tense)
| Example Sentence |
|---|
| He stepped aside to let her pass. |
| I can’t let myself be distracted by those things. |
| They let us go to the movies on our own. |
| I let him use my car yesterday. |
| Because I let you use my car every day, I expect you to buy a tank of gas once in a while. |
Examples sentences of let as a participle
| Example Sentence |
|---|
| Some children are spoilt because their parents let them do whatever they like. |
| I had to let them into the building because they had lost their keys. |
| I’d better go and let the dog out. |
| The guards were removing a section of fencing to let it through. |
| You had better not let this happen again. |
Synonyms of let
- allow
- permit
- enable
- grant
- make
- cause
Origin of the verb let
From etymology online on let (v.):
Old English lætan (Northumbrian leta) “to allow; to leave behind, depart from; leave undone; bequeath,” also “to rent, put to rent or hire” (class VII strong verb; past tense let, leort, past participle gelæten), from Proto-Germanic *letan (source also of Old Saxon latan, Old Frisian leta, Dutch laten, Old High German lazan, German lassen, Gothic letan “to leave, let”).
Other commonly confused verb tenses
| Commonly Confused Verbs | Link |
|---|---|
| What’s the Past Tense of Begin? | Read |
| What’s the Past Tense of Lose? | Read |
| What is the Past Tense of Teach? | Read |
| What’s the Past Tense of Read? | Read |
| What’s the Past Tense of Seek? Seeked or Sought? | Read |
| What’s the Past Tense of Buy? Brought or Bought? | Read |
| Take, Took, or Taken: What’s the Correct Past Tense of Take? | Read |
WORKSHEET
FAQs
| FAQ | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the past tense of let? | The post states that “let” is an irregular verb and has only one form in the past tense. Therefore, the past tense of “let” is simply “let.” |
| Is let an irregular verb? | Yes, according to the grammar post, “let” is classified as an irregular verb. Irregular verbs like “let” do not follow standard rules for forming the past tense. |
| How are “let’s” and “lets” different? | The post explains that “let’s” with an apostrophe is a contraction for “let us.” “Lets” without an apostrophe is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb “to let.” |
| Is let used as a past participle? | Yes, the post indicates that “let” serves as both the simple past tense and the past participle form. The past participle is typically used with auxiliary verbs in perfect tenses. |
| Give a past tense example of let. | The post provides several examples. One is, “He stepped aside to let her pass,” where “let” is used in the simple past tense. Another is “I let him use my car yesterday.” |
Sources
- Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
- Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of let.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/let. Accessed 21 February, 2023.
