How to Use Gave or Given (Irregular Verb Forms)

What's the past tense of "give"?

The simple past tense of give is gave, and the past participle is given. Use gave for simple past and given with auxiliary verbs like "have" or "had".

Definition of give

The Oxford English Dictionary defines give as "to freely transfer the possession of something to someone; to hand over; to provide or supply." It's one of the most versatile verbs in English, used in various contexts from physical transfer to abstract concepts.

The past tense of give is gave.

The past participle of give is given.

Verb forms of 'give'

Simple Cont. Perfect Perfect Cont.

Present

I/you/they give • He/she/it gives

Past

I/you/they gave • He/she/it gave

Future

I/you/they will give • He/she/it will give

Present

I am/you are giving • He/she/it is giving

Past

I was/you were giving • He/she/it was giving

Future

I/you will be giving • He/she/it will be giving

Present

I/you have given • He/she/it has given

Past

I/you had given • He/she/it had given

Future

I/you will have given • He/she/it will have given

Present

I have been giving • He/she/it has been giving

Past

I had been giving • He/she/it had been giving

Future

I will have been giving • He/she/it will have been giving

Is "give" a regular or irregular verb?

The verb give is irregular. Its past tense is gave, and its present or past perfect).

When to use gave vs. given

I gave her a birthday present yesterday.

She has given me great advice over the years.

The verb give uses different forms for simple past tense and present or past perfect), it requires an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so gave can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb.

Similar irregular verbs

give

Past: gave

Past part: given

Sentence examples: give, gave, given

Give (present tense)

• I give my dog treats every day.

• She gives excellent presentations.

• They are giving a party this weekend.

Gave (past simple)

• I gave her a birthday present yesterday.

• He gave his speech with confidence.

• They gave us directions to the hotel.

Given (present or past perfect)

• She has given me great advice over the years.

• They had given up hope before the rescue.

• The teacher has given us extra time to complete the assignment.

Synonyms & nearby words

Synonyms for give

offer provide present hand donate grant bestow deliver supply contribute

Nearby phrases

give up give in give away give back give out give off give over

Common phrases with "give"

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.

FAQs

What's the past tense of give?

The simple past tense of "give" is "gave." For example, "Yesterday, I gave her a gift." The past participle is "given," used with auxiliary verbs like "have" or "had."

When do I use "gave" vs "given"?

Use "gave" for the simple past tense (e.g., "I gave him the book"). Use "given" as the present or past perfect).

Can "given" be used alone?

No, "given" is a past participle and cannot stand alone as the main verb in a sentence. It requires an auxiliary verb like "have," "has," or "had" to function correctly.

What are some common phrases with "give"?

Common phrases include "give up" (quit), "give in" (surrender), "give away" (donate), "give back" (return), and "give out" (distribute or stop working).

Is "give" a transitive or intransitive verb?

"Give" is primarily a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object. For example, "I gave her a book" (book is the direct object). It can also take an indirect object (her).

Sources

Simpson, J. A., and E. S. C. Weiner. "Give, v." Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Date of access 14 Oct. 2025.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. "Give." Merriam-Webster.com. Date of access 14 Oct. 2025.
Cambridge Dictionary. "Give." Cambridge Dictionary. Cambridge University Press. Date of access 14 Oct. 2025.
Huddleston, Rodney, and Geoffrey K. Pullum. "The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language." Cambridge University Press, 2002.