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What’s the Past Tense of “Shoot”? Shoot or Shot?

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Shoot/shoot (in text conversation).
Shoot/shot (used in text conversation).

What’s the past tense of “shoot”?  

👍🏼Example sentences

They shoot this show in Toronto.

He shoots from the three-point line.

I shooted the video.

The arrow shotted past me.

Take a shot at this grammar question: what’s the past tense of the verb shoot?

  • Shoot is an irregular verb with one form as a past tense and past participle, i.e., shot. Shot is an irregular past tense form since it doesn’t end in –ed (like most regular verbs do in the past tense). 

Verb forms of shoot

To start with a definition, the verb shoot is defined by the Oxford Learner’s dictionary as, “to fire a gun or other weapon; to fire something from a weapon”.

present past future
simple I shoot I shot I will shoot
continuous I am shooting I was shooting I will be shooting
perfect I have shot I had shot I will have shot
perfect continuous I have been shooting I had been shooting I will have been shooting
Verb tenses of ‘shoot’
💡Pro Grammar Tip

Remember to always pair participles with auxiliaries to create perfect and continuous tenses! Use ‘have’, ‘has’, or ‘had’ to form perfect tenses, and a form of ‘to be’ for continuous.

Shoot is in the present tense: Don’t shoot—I surrender.

Shot is the simple past: He shot an arrow from his bow.

Shot is the past participle: They had been shot in the back while trying to escape.

Irregular verbs like “shoot”

Shoot is an irregular verb, since its past forms do not add an –ed. Instead, shoot drops an ‘o’ to become shot. Shoot has two forms altogether, and belongs to the class of irregular verbs with two verb forms, like spit/spat or meet/met.

base verb past tense past participle
spit spat spat
sit sat sat
tell told told
win won won
shoot shot shot
lose lost lost

Is it ‘shoot‘ or ‘shot‘? Shoot in the past tense

In the simple past tense, use the past tense verb conjugation.

Example: Accidentally, he shot himself in the foot.

To form the past perfect tense, use the auxiliary [had] + past participle of verb [shot].

Example:  Accidentally, he had shot himself in the foot while defending from the attackers.

To form the past perfect continuous, pair the auxiliaries [had been] + present participle of verb [shoot+ing].

Example: Accidentally, he had been shooting himself in the foot while defending from the attackers.

Examples of shoot in sentences (present tense)

1. The soldiers were given orders to shoot on sight

2. Don’t shoot—I surrender.

3. Flames were shooting up through the roof.

4. The film crew returned to the area to shoot more footage.

5. Cameras ready? OK, shoot!

Examples of shot in the past tense:

1. He shot himself during a fit of depression.

2. He accidentally shot himself in the foot.

3. He shot an arrow from his bow.

4. Her hand shot out to grab my wrist.

5. A plane shot across the sky.

Examples of the past participle, shot:

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1. Three people were shot dead during the robbery.

2. They were shot in the back while trying to escape.

3. The film is beautifully shot and edited.

4. I’d been shot in the foot and couldn’t walk.

5. I’d shot the movie in black and white.

Origin of the verb shoot

From etymology online on shoot (v.):

Middle English sheten “hasten from place to place; move swiftly; thrust forward; discharge a missile, send an arrow from a bow,” from Old English sceotan (class II strong verb; past tense sceat, past participle scoten), “dart forth, go swiftly and suddenly,” also “discharge (a missile or weapon).” 

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Other commonly confused verb tenses

Learn more about verbs

Sources  

1. Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of shoot.” Online Etymology Dictionary, Accessed 1 March, 2023.

Worksheet

Question 1 of 10

According to the blog post, what type of verb is “shoot”?



What is the correct simple past tense form of “shoot”?



Why is “shot” considered an irregular past tense form?



Besides the simple past, what other verb form is “shot” used for?



Which of these sentences uses the simple past tense of “shoot” correctly?



Accidentally, he _______ himself in the foot.



They had been _______ in the back while trying to escape.



Don’t _______—I surrender.



To form the past perfect tense of “shoot,” you use “had” + _______.



A plane _______ across the sky.





Frequently Asked Questions

What is the past tense of the verb “shoot”?
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The past tense and past participle of the verb “shoot” is “shot”. This is an irregular form that doesn’t add -ed like regular verbs do. Use it for simple past like “He shot himself.”

Is “shoot” a regular or irregular verb?
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“Shoot” is an irregular verb. Its past forms, like “shot,” do not add the typical -ed ending found on regular verbs. It changes its form instead, dropping an ‘o’ to become “shot”.

Is using “shooted” correct for the past tense?
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No, “shooted” is incorrect. “Shoot” is an irregular verb, so its past tense and past participle form is “shot”, not “shooted” which follows the pattern of regular verbs.

How is “shot” used as a past participle?
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“Shot” is used as the past participle with auxiliary verbs like “have” or “had” to form perfect tenses. For example, the post mentions “They had been shot in the back.”

Can you give an example of “shot” in simple past?
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Yes, the post gives several examples. In the simple past tense, you use “shot” directly after the subject. For instance, “He shot an arrow from his bow.”

Yash, D. "What’s the Past Tense of “Shoot”? Shoot or Shot?." Grammarflex, Jun 17, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-past-tense-of-shoot/.

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