Shut past tense: shut, shut
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Shut is an irregular English verb: the past simple of shut is shut and the past participle is shut. Learn the three forms together — shut – shut – shut.
Verb forms
Base form
/ʃʌt/
Past Simple
/ʃʌt/
Past Participle
/ʃʌt/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · shut
Please shut the gate behind you.
Past Simple · shut
She shut the laptop and went for a walk.
Past Participle · shut
The factory has been shut for repairs.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I shut he / she / it shuts | I shut | I have shut |
| Present Continuous:I am shutting · he / she / it is shutting | ||
Grammar guide
Shut belongs to the AAA group: all three forms are the same (shut – shut – shut). 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 – shut: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – shut: 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 shut…? I didn’t shut.
Verbs with the same pattern
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about shut
- What is the past simple of shut?
- The past simple of shut is shut.
- What is the past participle of shut?
- The past participle of shut is shut.
- What are the three forms of shut?
- The three forms are shut – shut – shut: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is shut a regular or an irregular verb?
- Shut is irregular: its past simple is shut, not shutted.