What’s the past tense of “give”?
In conversation, when we use the verb “give“, this usually means to transfer or hand over something to someone, often voluntarily or as a gift.
“Give” [transitive verb] can also mean to provide or present something to someone, such as information, advice, or assistance. The action of giving typically involves an exchange between two parties, where one person relinquishes ownership of something to another.
- Give is the base verb and present simple tense.
- Gave is the simple past tense.
- Given is the past participle verb form (used to form perfect/continuous tense constructions).
Forms of the verb give
“Gave” is the past tense of “give,” and describes a past action. “Given” is the past participle and pairs with auxiliaries to form perfect tenses or aspects in grammar. Each of the similar irregular verbs in the chart below follows the same conjugation pattern as give/gave/given.
| Present | Past | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | I give | I gave | I will give |
| Continuous | I am giving | I was giving | I will be giving |
| Perfect | I have given | I had given | I will have given |
| Perfect Continuous | I have been giving | I had been giving | I will have been giving |
Give, gave, given, in sentence examples
| Verb: Give | Example sentences |
|---|---|
| Give (gives/giving) |
I give my cat tuna every morning for breakfast. They give donations to charities each year. The teacher is giving her students homework. |
| Gave or given | He gave her everything she wanted. He has given it his best shot. We had been given an ultimatum. |
Synonyms of give
- offer
- bestow
- proffer
- grant
- award
Idioms with ‘give’
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| give it a shot | To try something new or that you haven’t done before. |
| give someone a hand | To help someone. |
| give something your all | To put in your maximum effort into something or someone. |
| give someone the benefit of the bargain | To agree to a mutually beneficial arrangement or agreement. |
| give someone the runaround | To avoid giving a direct answer or to waste someone’s time. |
| give someone a piece of your mind | To express your anger or frustration to someone. |
| give someone the cold shoulder | To ignore or be unfriendly towards someone. |
| give someone a break | To give someone a chance to rest or to be more lenient towards someone. |
| give someone the benefit of the doubt | To believe someone without evidence to the contrary. |
Origin of the word/verb give
Old English giefan (West Saxon) “to give, bestow, deliver to another; allot, grant; commit, devote, entrust,” from Proto-Germanic geban from PIE root *ghabh- “to give or receive.” It became yiven in Middle English, but changed to guttural “g” by influence of Old Norse gefa “to give,” Old Danish givæ.
Worksheet: give conjugations
For his birthday, she ______ him a thoughtful gift.
I have already ______ you all the information I have on the subject.
The local charity is ______ away free meals to those in need.
Can you please ______ me a hand with these boxes?
He ______ a generous donation to the fundraiser every year.
FAQs
What is the simple past tense of give?
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What form is the word given?
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When do I use gave versus given?
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Why is “have gave” incorrect?
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Sources
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Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of give.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/give. Accessed 8 March, 2023. Definition of give from the Collins English Dictionary
Yash, D. "How to Use Gave or Given (Irregular Verb Forms)." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/gave-or-given/.
