What’s the past tense of “run”?
The verb, run, is defined by the Oxford Learner’s dictionary as, “to move using your legs, going faster than when you walk”. See the following examples of the forms of run in context:
She runs every morning.
They ran to tell you the news.
| Present | Past | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | I run | I ran | I will run |
| Continuous | I am running | I was running | I will be running |
| Perfect | I have ran | I had ran | I will have ran |
| Perfect Continuous | I have been running | I had been running | I will have been running |
‘Run’ as a past participle vs. past tense
Compare these sentences that show seek in the past tense vs. past participle form of a verb:
He ran home from school in tears.
He had run as fast as he could, but still hadn't caught up to his friends.
The past participle form of a verb (e.g., run) use auxiliary verbs, which, in the past perfect aspect, is had. To form perfect or continuous tenses, participles use helping verbs (such as has/have/had).
Remember to always pair participles with an auxiliary! For perfect tenses, use has, had, or have. For continuous, use a form of “to be”.
“Run” / “ran”, used in sentences
| Examples: run / running, used in sentences |
|---|
| Try to run round the block a few times every morning.
She can run really fast. The children spent the morning running around in the park. The boy went running off to get the ball. |
| Examples: ran / run, used in sentences |
|---|
| She ran quickly downstairs.
He ran out of the house. Billy turned the corner and ran headlong into Mrs Bradley. They’ve seen us! Run for your life! We’ve run out of tea. |
Phrases with run/ran
| expression | meaning |
| still waters run deep | a calm or placid demeanour often conceals deep emotions or knowledge. |
| to run a tight ship | to manage something well. |
| to run around like a chicken with its head cut off | describes someone that’s panicking or being erratic. |
| run in the family | often in reference to a personality trait or quirk that’s typical or characteristic within their family. |
| run into a stone wall | reach a plateau or unable to make further progress. |
| run someone ragged | tire someone out all the way to “raggedness”. |
| to run something up | to charge someone, get the bill/receipt. |
Origin of the verb run
From etymology online on run (v.):
Old English, “move swiftly by using the legs, go on legs more rapidly than walking,” also “make haste, hurry; be active, pursue or follow a course,” and, of inanimate things, “to move over a course.”
Worksheet: Ran vs. run
She ______ the entire marathon without stopping for a break.
By the time he finished, he realized he had ______ over ten miles.
This particular bus route ______ every thirty minutes during the day.
The children are ______ around the backyard playing tag.
You should not ______ with scissors.
FAQs
What is the simple past of “run”?
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Is the verb “run” regular?
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What is the past participle of “run”?
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When do I use “ran” vs “run”?
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Does “run” (participle) need helpers?
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Sources
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Definition of run from the Collins English Dictionary. Accessed on January 21, 2023.
Yash, D. "How to Use Ran vs Run (Explained, Examples & Worksheet)." Grammarflex, Sep 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/whats-the-past-tense-of-run/.
