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Kneel past tense: knelt, knelt

rest on knees

Kneel is an irregular English verb: the past simple of kneel is knelt and the past participle is knelt. Learn the three forms together — kneel – knelt – knelt.

Verb forms

Base form

kneel

/niːl/

Past Simple

knelt

/nelt/

Past Participle

knelt

/nelt/

Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).

Example sentences

Base form · kneel

Gardeners kneel on soft pads to protect their knees.

Past Simple · knelt

He knelt down to look under the car.

Past Participle · knelt

She had knelt by the window to watch the parade.

Key tenses

Present SimplePast SimplePresent Perfect
I kneel
he / she / it kneels
I kneltI have knelt
Present Continuous:I am kneeling  ·  he / she / it is kneeling
Learn when to use these forms:Past Simple lesson →Present Perfect lesson →

Grammar guide

Kneel belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (knelt). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.

  • Past simple – knelt: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
  • Past participle – knelt: 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 kneel…? I didn’t kneel.

Verbs with the same pattern

have — had — hadsay — said — saidget — got — got/gottenmake — made — madethink — thought — thoughtfind — found — found

Questions about kneel

What is the past simple of kneel?
The past simple of kneel is knelt.
What is the past participle of kneel?
The past participle of kneel is knelt.
What are the three forms of kneel?
The three forms are kneel – knelt – knelt: base form, past simple and past participle.
Kneel past tense: knelt, knelt — irregular verb forms