Which is correct “sweeped” or “swept”?
It’s sing, sang, sung, and ring, rang, rung; so shouldn’t it also be sweep, swap, swept? Not so fast, says the rules of English verb conjugations, no two verbs are created equal.
The verb and common household chore, to sweep, that is, “clean (an area) by brushing away dirt or litter”, has one past verb form, which is swept.
Sweeped, though logical to assume would be the past tense of sweep, is regarded as a misspelling and nonstandard way to denote the past tense of sweep. In other words, we recommend sticking with swept as both the past tense and past participle form of the verb, sweep.
Forms of sweep
| Present | Past | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | I sweep | I swept | I will sweep |
| Continuous | I am sweeping | I was sweeping | I will be sweeping |
| Perfect | I have swept | I had swept | I will have swept |
| Perfect Continuous | I have been sweeping | I had been sweeping | I will have been sweeping |
The past participle form of sweep, which is the same as its past tense form, i.e., both are swept, is distinct from its use of auxiliaries (had). This creates a more complex tense known as the past perfect tense, which clarifies the order in which past actions transpired.
Sentence examples with “sweep” (present tense)
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The janitor sweeps the hallways to maintain a tidy environment. |
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I usually sweep the patio after gardening to clear away any dirt. |
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The wind outside sweeps through the trees, creating a soothing rustling sound. |
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He sweeps the kitchen counter with a cloth to wipe off crumbs and spills. |
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She sweeps the brush over the canvas, creating bold strokes of color. |
Sentence examples with “swept” (past tense)
| Examples |
|---|
| Yesterday, she swept the entire house before the guests arrived.
The cleaning crew swept the conference room after the meeting ended. He carefully swept the broken glass into a dustpan after the vase shattered. The storm had swept through the town, leaving a trail of destruction. After the party, they swept the leftover confetti and balloons from the floor. |
Learn the irregular verb conjugations of common verbs like “sweep” by memorizing them with example sentences. Create flashcards with the present, past, and past participle forms.
Sentence examples with “swept” (past participle)
| Examples |
|---|
| The storm had swept away everything in its path, leaving a trail of destruction.
We had swept the floors for many hours, making them spotless. The feeling of nostalgia swept over her as she revisited her childhood home. The fire had swept through the forest, leaving charred trees in its wake. His remarkable speech had swept the audience off their feet, earning him a standing ovation. |
Snyonyms and phrases
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| synonyms | brush, clean, wipe, mop, scrub, scour, scrape |
| phrases | to sweep something under the rug/aside (to ignore a problem), to be swept off your feet (to be immediately attracted), a new broom sweeps clean (usually in a work setting, meaning new people bring new perspectives) |
Origin of the verb sweep
From etymology online on sweep (v.):
Early 14c., “make clean by sweeping with a broom;” mid-14c., “perform the act of sweeping,” of uncertain origin, perhaps from a past tense form of Middle English swope “sweep,” from Old English swapan “to sweep” (transitive & intransitive)
Worksheet: ‘sweep’ conjugations
She ______ the entire house before the guests arrived.
The new trend is ______ the nation, gaining popularity everywhere.
The janitor ______ the hallways every evening to keep them tidy.
The powerful storm had ______ away everything in its path.
Before you mop, please ______ the kitchen floor.
FAQs
Is sweeped the correct past tense form?
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What is the past tense of sweep?
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Why is sweeped considered a misspelling?
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How do you use “swept” as past participle?
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Are there other past tense forms for sweep?
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Yash, D. “Sweeped or Swept? What’s the Past Tense of Sweep?.” Grammarflex, Jun 21, 2025, http://www.grammarflex.com/sweeped-or-swept/.
Yash, D. "How to Use Sweeped or Swept (Irregular Verb Forms)." Grammarflex, Aug 30, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/sweeped-or-swept/.
