Make past tense: made, made
create, produce
Make is an irregular English verb: the past simple of make is made and the past participle is made. Learn the three forms together — make – made – made.
Verb forms
Base form
/meɪk/
Past Simple
/meɪd/
Past Participle
/meɪd/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · make
My grandmother makes amazing apple pie.
Past Simple · made
They made a serious mistake in the report.
Past Participle · made
This film was made in just three weeks.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I make he / she / it makes | I made | I have made |
| Present Continuous:I am making · he / she / it is making | ||
Common collocations
make a decision
to decide something
make sense
to be logical or understandable
make a mistake
to do something incorrectly
Grammar guide
Make belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (made). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – made: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – made: 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 make…? I didn’t make.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about make
- What is the past simple of make?
- The past simple of make is made.
- What is the past participle of make?
- The past participle of make is made.
- What are the three forms of make?
- The three forms are make – made – made: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is make a regular or an irregular verb?
- Make is irregular: its past simple is made, not maked.