What’s the past tense of “run”?
The verb, run, is defined by the Oxford Learner’s dictionary as, “to move using your legs, going faster than when you walk”. See the following examples of the forms of run in context:
She runs every morning.
They ran to tell you the news.
- Run is an irregular verb since its past verb forms do not use –ed.
- Run in the simple past tense; run is the past participle verb form.
| present | past | future | |
| simple | I run | I ran | I will run |
| continuous | I am running | I was running | I will be running |
| perfect | I have ran | I had ran | I will have ran |
| perfect continuous | I have been running | I had been running | I will have been running |
To run is in the present tense: Can you run as fast as Mike?
Running is the present participle: She came running to meet us.
Ran is the simple past: They turned and ran when they saw us coming.
Run is the past participle form of the verb: I had to run to catch the bus.
‘Run’ as a past participle vs. past tense
Compare these sentences that show seek in the past tense vs. past participle form of a verb:
Past tense: He ran home in tears to his mother.
Past participle: They had run five miles before breakfast.
The past participle form of a verb (e.g., run) use auxiliary verbs, which, in the past perfect aspect, is had. To form perfect or continuous tenses, participles use helping verbs (such as has/have/had).
Remember to always pair participles with an auxiliary! For perfect tenses, use has, had, or have. For continuous, use a form of “to be”.
“Run” / “ran”, used in sentences
| Examples: run / running, used in sentences |
|---|
| Try to run round the block a few times every morning.
She can run really fast. The children spent the morning running around in the park. The boy went running off to get the ball. |
| Examples: ran / run, used in sentences |
|---|
| She ran quickly downstairs.
He ran out of the house. Billy turned the corner and ran headlong into Mrs Bradley. They’ve seen us! Run for your life! We’ve run out of tea. |
Phrases with run/ran
| expression | meaning |
| still waters run deep | a calm or placid demeanour often conceals deep emotions or knowledge. |
| to run a tight ship | to manage something well. |
| to run around like a chicken with its head cut off | describes someone that’s panicking or being erratic. |
| run in the family | often in reference to a personality trait or quirk that’s typical or characteristic within their family. |
| run into a stone wall | reach a plateau or unable to make further progress. |
| run someone ragged | tire someone out all the way to “raggedness”. |
| to run something up | to charge someone, get the bill/receipt. |
Origin of the verb run
From etymology online on run (v.):
Old English, “move swiftly by using the legs, go on legs more rapidly than walking,” also “make haste, hurry; be active, pursue or follow a course,” and, of inanimate things, “to move over a course.”
Learn more about verbs
| Types of verbs & verb tenses | what’s the past tense of …? |
|---|---|
| forms of ‘to be’ | … seek? |
| auxiliary verbs | … teach? |
| present tense | … catch? |
| future tense | … buy? |
| past tense | … read? |
| perfect tense | … ring? |
| transitive vs. intransitive | … drive? |
| participles | … throw? |
| irregular verbs | … lead? |
| modals | … win? |
Worksheet
According to the post, what is the simple past tense form of the verb “run”?
Which form of “run” is used as the past participle?
Which sentence correctly uses the simple past tense of “run”?
The post states that “run” is an irregular verb because:
Which helping verb is used with the past participle “run” to form the past perfect tense?
Yesterday, the children around in the park.
They five miles before breakfast. (Complete the past perfect tense)
We out of tea. (Complete the present perfect tense)
He home in tears to his mother. (Complete the simple past tense)
Before the event, I the plan by my boss. (Complete the past perfect tense)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the simple past of “run”?
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Is the verb “run” regular?
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What is the past participle of “run”?
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When do I use “ran” vs “run”?
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Does “run” (participle) need helpers?
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Yash, D. "What’s the Past Tense of Run?." Grammarflex, Jun 6, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-past-tense-of-run/.
Sources
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Definition of run from the Collins English Dictionary. Accessed on January 21, 2023.
