Set or setted? What’s the past tense of set?
First, let’s clarify which form of the word set is under discussion. The word set can be both a verb and a noun. As a noun, set is a countable noun that refers to “A set of things is a number of things that belong together or that are thought of as a group.” An example of set in this context is “I need a spare set of clothes”, or, “do you have a spare set of pyjamas I could borrow?’ In this context, set does not use a tense since it is a noun.
The chef set the hot pan on the counter.
The company has set a new sales target.
My brother setted his phone on the charger.
They had setted up the decorations before guests arrived.
Forms of the verb set
A separate use of the word set is as a verb. Here set is understood as, “to put (something or someone) in a particular place: to set a vase on a table; to place in a particular position or posture: He set the baby on his feet”. (as defined by dictionary.com).
| present | past | future | |
| simple | I set | I set | I will set |
| continuous | I am setting | I was setting | I will be setting |
| perfect | I have set | I had set | I will have set |
| perfect continuous | I have been setting | I had been setting | I will have been setting |
| Verb Form | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Set (present tense) | We set a date for the wedding! |
| Set (past tense) | She set a new world record for the high jump. |
| Set (past participle) | The table had been set for 6 guests. |
| Setting (present participle) | We are setting up the room for the party. |
| Sets (third-person singular) | She sets the table with extreme fastidiousness. |
Irregular verbs (no-change verbs)
| base verb | past tense | past participle |
| cut | cut | cut |
| burst | burst | burst |
| bet | bet | bet |
| shut | shut | shut |
| hit | hit | hit |
| set | set | set |
| spread | spread | spread |
Simple past vs. participle of “set”
Compare these sentences:
| 1. It took us half an hour to set up the tent. (simple past) |
| 2. Someone had set this table without the proper utensils. (past perfect tense) |
Since set is an irregular verb with one past verb form; this makes it trickier than other verbs in identifying its past participle vs. past tense forms. The way to discern whether it’s the past participle or the simple past is to check for any auxiliary or helper verbs; which, in the second sentence, there’s the auxiliary had. This pairing of the auxiliary had with the past participle forms the past perfect tense in English. This is how we tell the difference between the simple past verb conjugation and the past participle verb form.
Generally speaking, we would use the past perfect tense when we want to add emphasis to the correct order in which events from the place took place. To write in the present perfect tense, we would pair have or has with the past participle form, i.e., set.
Think of “set” like “cut” or “put”; the past tense form is the same: set.
Set in the past and present tense (in sentences)
| Verb conjugation | Examples |
|---|---|
| set (present) |
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Have you set the alarm clock? He set the record into the record player. |
| set (past) |
We finally set a date for the wedding!
Samuel set his drink down on the counter. The table had been set for 6 guests. |
| Word | Similar words |
|---|---|
| set | position, locate, situate, plant, posture, choose, establish, determine, appoint, designate, arrange, assign |
Origin of the verb set
From etymology online on set (v.):
Middle English setten, from Old English settan (transitive) “cause to sit; make or cause to rest as on a seat; cause to be put, placed, or seated;” also “put in a definite place,” also “arrange, fix adjust; fix or appoint (a time) for some affair or transaction,” and “cause (thoughts, affections) to dwell on.” This is from Proto-Germanic *(bi)satejanan “to cause to sit, set”
Worksheet
Yesterday, I ______ the table for dinner.
She has already ______ her alarm for 6:00 a.m.
The sun ______ at 8:30 p.m. last night.
By the time we arrived, the stage had already been ______ for the concert.
I will ______ a reminder to call you tomorrow.
FAQs
What is the past tense of set?
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Is “setted” the correct past tense?
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What is the past participle of set?
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How do I know if ‘set’ is past or participle?
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Is set a regular or irregular verb?
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Sources
Yash, D. "How to Use Set or Setted? (Irregular Verbs)." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/set-or-setted/.
