Spread past tense: spread, spread
extend over an area
Spread is an irregular English verb: the past simple of spread is spread and the past participle is spread. Learn the three forms together — spread – spread – spread.
Verb forms
Base form
/spred/
Past Simple
/spred/
Past Participle
/spred/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · spread
Birds spread seeds across the forest.
Past Simple · spread
The news spread quickly through the village.
Past Participle · spread
The disease has spread to neighbouring countries.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I spread he / she / it spreads | I spread | I have spread |
| Present Continuous:I am spreading · he / she / it is spreading | ||
Grammar guide
Spread belongs to the AAA group: all three forms are the same (spread – spread – spread). 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 – spread: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – spread: 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 spread…? I didn’t spread.
Verbs with the same pattern
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about spread
- What is the past simple of spread?
- The past simple of spread is spread.
- What is the past participle of spread?
- The past participle of spread is spread.
- What are the three forms of spread?
- The three forms are spread – spread – spread: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is spread a regular or an irregular verb?
- Spread is irregular: its past simple is spread, not spreaded.