What’s the past tense of “leap”?
It’s a bit of a trick question. As it sometimes happens, both leaped and leapt are acceptable past tense and past participial forms of leap (present tense).
British English prefers leapt as a past tense and past participle; US English prefers the standard “ed” form, leaped.
- US English favours leaped as both simple past tense and past participial forms;
- UK English favours leapt for both past conjugations.
- Lept is incorrect, and a misspelling of the past tense form, leapt.
Verb forms of “leap”
To leap, which is a “jump or spring a long way, to a great height, or with great force”, and usually follows a preposition of place such as onto, down, at, into, etc. uses the forms:
| present | past | future | |
| simple | I leap | I leapt/leaped | I will leap |
| continuous | I am leaping | I was leaping | I will be leaping |
| perfect | I have leapt/leaped | I had leapt/leaped | I will have leapt/leaped |
| perfect continuous | I have been leaping | I had been leaping | I will have been leaping |
1. Leap uses present tense: Make sure to look before you leap!
2. Leaps is third-person present singular: Do you see how that swimmer leaps into the water?
3. Leaping is the present participle form: We were leaping out of our excitement at the news.
4. Leaped/leapt is past tense: A dolphin leapt out of the water.
5. Will leap is future tense: Tomorrow, I will leap over the hurdle and win the race.
6. Had leapt/leaped is the past participle verb form: The cat had leapt onto the windowsill and gazed outside.
Similar verb forms (to leap)
| base verb | past tense | past participle |
| dream | dreamed/dreamt | dreamed/dreamt |
| burn | burned/burnt | burned/burnt |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| leap | leapt/leaped | leapt/leaped |
| lean | leant/leaned | leant/leaned |
| smell | smelled/smelt | smelt/smelled |
“Leap”, used in sentences
Look before you leap.
Don’t be so nervous—anyone would think I was about to leap on you.
The photo seemed to leap off the page
Spiderman made a huge leap over the wall and continued on his chase
Progress toward democracy has to be made in steps, rather than a sudden leap.
“Leaped” / “leapt”, used in sentences
The horse leapt a five-foot wall.
A dolphin leapt out of the water.
Rose immediately leapt to her feet.
He leapt out of bed when he heard the telephone.
They leapt into action immediately.
Practice questions: forms of ‘leap’
| Questions | Answer options: |
|---|---|
| 1. True or false: “leap” is a regular verb. | a. true b. false c. it can be regular or irregular |
| 2. True or false: “leapt” is the simple past tense of ‘leap’. | a. true b. false |
| 3. True or false: “leaped” is the simple past tense of ‘leap’. | a. true b. false |
| 4. Which tense is this sentence in: I leapt to the conclusion. | a. simple past b. present continuous c. past perfect |
| 5. The sentence is in which tense: I’ve leapt. | a. present perfect b. present continuous c. past continuous |
| 6. Select the tense the sentence is in: we’d leapt from excitement. | a. present perfect b. past perfect c. simple past |
Answers
- c
- a
- a
- a
- a
- b
Synonyms of leap
- jump
- bound
- hop
- vault
- spring
- bounce
- dive
- launch
- hurtle
- propel
The origin of ‘leap’
From etymology online on leap (v.):
c. 1200, from Old English hleapan “to jump, spring clear of the ground by force of an initial bound; run, go; dance, leap upon (a horse)” from Proto-Germanic *hlaupanan.
Learn more about verbs
- What are regular and irregular verbs?
- Transitive and intransitive verbs?
- What are verbs?
- What’re personal pronouns?
- What’s the difference between they’re, their, and there?
- Whose vs who’s?
Sources
- Origin of the verb, leap.
- Government of Canada, leaped or leapt.
