How to Use Teach Past Tense (Irregular Verbs, Explained)

What's the past tense of "teach"?

The simple past tense of teach is taught, and the past participle is also taught. Use taught for both simple past and past participle forms.

Definition of teach

The Oxford English Dictionary defines teach as "to give somebody lessons or instructions so that they know how to do something." It's used in education contexts, from formal classroom instruction to informal mentoring and skill-sharing.

The past tense of teach is taught.

The past participle of teach is taught.

Verb forms of 'teach'

Simple Cont. Perfect Perfect Cont.

Present

I/you/they teach • He/she/it teaches

Past

I/you/they taught • He/she/it taught

Future

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

Present

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

Past

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

Future

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

Present

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

Past

I/you had taught • He/she/it had taught

Future

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

Present

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

Past

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

Future

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

Is "teach" a regular or irregular verb?

The verb teach is irregular. Its past tense and past participle forms are both taught, not "teached." This is a pattern shared with other English verbs that change their vowel sound and spelling in the past tense, such as "catch/caught" and "buy/bought."

When to use "taught"

He taught for several years before becoming a writer.

I have taught many students over the years.

The verb teach uses the same form, taught, for both 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 taught can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb.

Similar irregular verbs

teach

Past: taught

Past part: taught

Sentence examples: teach, taught

Teach (present tense)

• We'll teach you to do it the right way.

• He was determined to teach himself.

• The local guides are going to teach us how to use the blowpipe.

Taught (past simple)

• All I know is what mom and dad taught me.

• He taught for several years before becoming a writer.

• She taught English at the community college.

Taught (present or past perfect)

• She's been taught to avoid strangers.

• Anatomy was taught here in the 14th century.

• I have taught many students over the years.

Synonyms & nearby words

Synonyms for teach

instruct educate train tutor coach guide

Nearby phrases

teach a lesson teach school teach someone the ropes teach by example

Idioms with "teach"

to teach an old dog new tricks

It's hard getting someone settled in their ways to change their habits or behaviours.

failure teaches success

Experience is the greatest and hardest teacher.

to teach one the tricks of the trade

To introduce someone to the inner-workings of an industry.

to teach a man to fish

If you teach someone to do something, they'll be able to do it on their own.

those who can, do; those who can't, teach

An insulting idiom meaning that those who are unable do, and those who are unable to do, teach.

don't try to teach Grandma how to suck eggs!

Don't assume that because someone is old, they do not know or understand how things are.

Origin of the verb/word, teach

Old English tæcan, “to show, point out, declare, demonstrate,” also “to give instruction, train, assign, direct; warn; persuade,” from Proto-Germanic *taikijan “to show” (source also of Old High German zihan).

FAQs

What is the past tense of "teach"?

The past tense and present or past perfect).

Is "teached" a correct past tense word?

No, "teached" is incorrect and is not a word in English. The correct past tense form is "taught".

Why is "teach" an irregular verb?

"Teach" is irregular because its past tense form "taught" doesn't follow the standard pattern of adding "-ed" like regular verbs (e.g., "walk" becomes "walked").

What other verbs are like teach/taught?

Other irregular verbs with similar patterns include: catch/caught, buy/bought, bring/brought, think/thought, and seek/sought.

How is "taught" used in a sentence?

"Taught" is used for both simple past tense ("He taught for several years") and present or past perfect).

Sources

"Teach." Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teach. Accessed 15 Jan. 2023.
Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of teach." Online Etymology Dictionary, Accessed 16 January, 2023.
"Teach." TheFreeDictionary.com. 2023. Farlex, Inc. 16 Jan. 2023