What’s the past tense of “write”?
To write in proper English, one must be familiar with the language’s verb conjugations, both regular and irregular.
| tense | examples: forms of “write”, in sentences |
| simple present tense | I write in my journal every evening. |
| simple past | Shakespeare wrote many famous plays. |
| present perfect | The author has written several books. |
The verb and action of writing (present participle), describes “making letters or numbers on a surface, especially using a pen or a pencil”, as stated by the online Oxford Learner’s Dictionary. Its verb forms are the following:
- To write is in the simple present tense.
- Wrote is the simple past,
- Has/had/have written is the past participle form.
Other verbs with two past conjugations
| Base verb | Past tense | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| do/does or does | did | done |
| write | wrote | written |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| ride | rode | ridden |
When to use “wrote” vs. “written”
She wrote him several poems.
He had written the role specifically for Rita Hayworth.
The participle form of a verb, (which is a form of a verb, not a proper tense) and shown in the second sentence, uses the auxiliary verb, had. This indicates that the participle form of the verb is in use, and not the simple past. The simple past doesn’t use a helper verb since the simple past is a whole tense and verb, and so wrote can standalone in sentences, whereas participles do not.
Write, wrote, written, used in sentences
| Verb: write | Example sentences |
|---|---|
| Write |
Which opera did Verdi first write? Write your name at the top of the paper. I write for a living. |
| Wrote or written |
The children wrote a story on their favourite animals. She has written extensively on the subject. Her novels were written under the pseudonym Currer Bell. |
Synonyms of write
- scrawl
- address
- compose
- draft
- record
- document
Idioms and phrases with write
- Nothing to write home about (for something to be unremarkable or not noteworthy so as to have nothing to say about it)
- To write one’s own ticket
- Written on water (opposite of written on stone; as in, impermanent or ephemeral.)
- To write a bum check (as in fake or bad check/cheque)
The history of write
Old English writan “to score, outline, draw the figure of,” later “to set down in writing” from Proto-Germanic *writan “tear, scratch” .
Practice: write, wrote, or written
She ______ a heartfelt letter to her grandmother.
He had already ______ three pages before his computer crashed.
My favorite author ______ novels that are full of suspense.
I am ______ an essay for my history class.
Please ______ your name clearly at the top of the form.
FAQs
What is the simple past tense of write?
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What verb form is written?
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When is the verb ‘wrote’ used?
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When is ‘written’ used?
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Do wrote and written use helper verbs?
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Yash, D. "Irregular Verb Conjugations, How to Use Wrote or Written?." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/wrote-or-written/.
