Grind past tense: ground, ground
crush into powder
Grind is an irregular English verb: the past simple of grind is ground and the past participle is ground. Learn the three forms together — grind – ground – ground.
Verb forms
Base form
/ɡraɪnd/
Past Simple
/ɡraʊnd/
Past Participle
/ɡraʊnd/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · grind
We grind fresh coffee beans every morning.
Past Simple · ground
The mill ground wheat into flour for the village.
Past Participle · ground
The spices have been ground into a fine powder.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I grind he / she / it grinds | I ground | I have ground |
| Present Continuous:I am grinding · he / she / it is grinding | ||
Grammar guide
Grind belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (ground). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – ground: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – ground: 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 grind…? I didn’t grind.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about grind
- What is the past simple of grind?
- The past simple of grind is ground.
- What is the past participle of grind?
- The past participle of grind is ground.
- What are the three forms of grind?
- The three forms are grind – ground – ground: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is grind a regular or an irregular verb?
- Grind is irregular: its past simple is ground, not grinded.