Read past tense: read, read
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Read is an irregular English verb: the past simple of read is read and the past participle is read. Learn the three forms together — read – read – read.
Verb forms
Base form
/riːd/
Past Simple
/red/
Past Participle
/red/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · read
I read at least one book every month.
Past Simple · read
She read the entire novel in one weekend.
Past Participle · read
This article has been read by millions of people.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I read he / she / it reads | I read | I have read |
| Present Continuous:I am reading · he / she / it is reading | ||
Common collocations
read aloud
to say written words out loud
read between the lines
to find a hidden meaning
Grammar guide
Read belongs to the AAA group: all three forms are the same (read – read – read). As the verb never changes, the context shows the tense — an auxiliary such as have or had, or a time expression such as yesterday.
- Past simple – read: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – read: 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 read…? I didn’t read.
Verbs with the same pattern
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about read
- What is the past simple of read?
- The past simple of read is read.
- What is the past participle of read?
- The past participle of read is read.
- What are the three forms of read?
- The three forms are read – read – read: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is read a regular or an irregular verb?
- Read is irregular: its past simple is read, not readed.