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Sweep past tense: swept, swept
clean with broom
Sweep is an irregular English verb: the past simple of sweep is swept and the past participle is swept. Learn the three forms together — sweep – swept – swept.
Verb forms
Base form
sweep
/swiːp/
Past Simple
swept
/swept/
Past Participle
swept
/swept/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · sweep
I sweep the kitchen floor every evening.
Past Simple · swept
She swept the leaves off the porch.
Past Participle · swept
The chimney has not been swept for years.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I sweep he / she / it sweeps | I swept | I have swept |
| Present Continuous:I am sweeping · he / she / it is sweeping | ||
Grammar guide
Sweep belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (swept). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – swept: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – swept: 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 sweep…? I didn’t sweep.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about sweep
- What is the past simple of sweep?
- The past simple of sweep is swept.
- What is the past participle of sweep?
- The past participle of sweep is swept.
- What are the three forms of sweep?
- The three forms are sweep – swept – swept: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is sweep a regular or an irregular verb?
- Sweep is irregular: its past simple is swept, not sweeped.