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Sell past tense: sold, sold
exchange for money
Sell is an irregular English verb: the past simple of sell is sold and the past participle is sold. Learn the three forms together — sell – sold – sold.
Verb forms
Base form
sell
/sel/
Past Simple
sold
/səʊld/
Past Participle
sold
/səʊld/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · sell
They sell fresh fruit at the market every Saturday.
Past Simple · sold
He sold his old car to a neighbour.
Past Participle · sold
All the concert tickets have been sold.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I sell he / she / it sells | I sold | I have sold |
| Present Continuous:I am selling · he / she / it is selling | ||
Grammar guide
Sell belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (sold). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – sold: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – sold: 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 sell…? I didn’t sell.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about sell
- What is the past simple of sell?
- The past simple of sell is sold.
- What is the past participle of sell?
- The past participle of sell is sold.
- What are the three forms of sell?
- The three forms are sell – sold – sold: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is sell a regular or an irregular verb?
- Sell is irregular: its past simple is sold, not selled.