Is it creeped or crept?
If you’re trying to say that you’re creeped out by something, use creeped. Otherwise, both creeped and crept are accepted past tenses of the verb creep [i.e., a verb that describes when we “move slowly and carefully in order to avoid being heard or noticed.”]
Verb forms of creep
| present | past | future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| simple | I creep | I crept (or creeped) | I will creep |
| continuous | I am creeping | I was creeping | I will be creeping |
| perfect | I have crept (or creeped) | I had crept (or creeped) | I will have crept (or creeped) |
| perfect continuous | I have been creeping | I had been creeping | I will have been creeping |
Creep, creeped and crept, used in sentences
| Examples: forms of “creep”, used in sentences |
|---|
| I crept up the stairs, trying not to wake my parents. I heard someone creeping around the house. I could hear someone creeping around downstairs. He crept forward towards the sound of voices. She crept into her sister’s room. |
Worksheet: tenses of creep
| Questions | Answer options: |
|---|---|
| 1. True or false: “Creep” is a regular verb. | a. true b. false c. both |
| 2. True or false: Creep looks the same in the past tense as it does in the present. | a. true b. false |
| 3. Choose the correct tense: We crept up and peeked over the wall. | a. simple present b. simple past c. past perfect d. present perfect |
| 4. Which tense is this sentence in: I’ve been creeping her blog and found some great recipes. | a. present continuous b. past continuous c. present perfect continuous |
| 5. The sentence is in which tense: Time just seems to creep along on these hot summer days. | a. simple present b. simple past c. past perfect d. present perfect |
| 6. Choose the form of ‘creep’ to complete the sentence: He spends a lot of time ___ on her Facebook profile. | a. creep b. creeps c. crept d. creeping |
Answers
- c
- b
- b
- c
- a
- d
Creep [synonyms & word forms]
- glide
- inch
- lurk
- slink
- slither
- snake
- sneak
- tiptoe
- wriggle
The origin of creep
From etymonline on creep (v.):
Old English creopan “to move the body near or along the ground as a reptile or insect does” (class II strong verb; past tense creap, past participle cropen), from Proto-Germanic *kreupanan.
Learn more about verbs
Sources
- Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of creep.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/creep. Accessed 26 March, 2024.
