Do past tense: did, done
perform an action
Do is an irregular English verb: the past simple of do is did and the past participle is done. Learn the three forms together — do – did – done.
Verb forms
Base form
/duː/
Past Simple
/dɪd/
Past Participle
/dʌn/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · do
I always do my homework before dinner.
Past Simple · did
He did everything he could to help us.
Past Participle · done
Have you done the dishes yet?
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I do he / she / it does | I did | I have done |
| Present Continuous:I am doing · he / she / it is doing | ||
Common collocations
do your best
to try as hard as you can
do the dishes
to wash the plates and cutlery
do homework
to complete school assignments
Grammar guide
Do belongs to the ABC group: all three forms are different (do – did – done), so each form has to be learnt separately.
- Past simple – did: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – done: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
- Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you do…? I didn’t do.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about do
- What is the past simple of do?
- The past simple of do is did.
- What is the past participle of do?
- The past participle of do is done.
- What are the three forms of do?
- The three forms are do – did – done: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is do a regular or an irregular verb?
- Do is irregular: its past simple is did, not doed.