Swim is one of English’s many irregular verbs, which means it does not take the traditional endings of ed to change tenses. This can cause confusion for writers and those learning the language. For instance, what is the past tense of swim?
Here are how regular and irregular verbs can differ.
Regular verb:
- Present: I accept.
- Past: I accepted.
Irregular verb:
- Present: I am.
- Past: I was.
Swim Definition:
To swim: to move through or on top of water by moving the limbs, fins, or tail or by undulating the body.
Example Sentences:
- Have you ever swum in the ocean?
- Do you want to go swimming today?
- The Bethesda native graduated from Stone Ridge in the spring, but deferred her enrollment at Stanford, where she is committed to swim, until after Rio. –The Washington Post
Nominal Forms:
- Infinitive: to swim.
- Past Participle: swum.
- Gerund: swimming.
Simple Tenses:
To swim is inflected as Swim>Swam>Swum.
- I swim. (Swim Present Tense)
- I swam. (Swim Past Tense)
- I have swum (Swim Present Perfect)
- I will swim. (Swim Future Tense)
Primary Six Tenses (Indicative)
1. Simple Present:
Singular:
1st: I swim
2nd: you swim
3rd: he swims
Plural:
1st: we swim
2nd: you swim
3rd: they swim
2. Simple Past:
Singular:
1st: I swam
2nd: you swam
3rd: he swam
Plural:
1st: we swam
2nd: you swam
3rd: they swam
3. Simple Future:
Singular:
1st: I will swim
2nd: you will swim
3rd: he will swim
Plural:
1st: we will swim
2nd: you will swim
3rd: they will swim
4. Present Perfect:
Singular:
1st: I have swum
2nd: you have swum
3rd: he has swum
Plural:
1st: we have swum
2nd: you have swum
3rd: they have swum
5. Past Perfect:
Singular:
1st: I had swum
2nd: you had swum
3rd: he had swum
Plural:
1st: we had swum
2nd: you had swum
3rd: they had swum
6. Future Perfect:
Singular:
1st: I will have swum
2nd: you will have swum
3rd: he will have swum
Plural:
1st: we will have swum
2nd: you will have swum
3rd: they will have swum
Subjunctive Mood:
Present Tense:
Singular:
1st: I swim
2nd: you swim
3rd: he swim
Plural:
1st: we swim
2nd: you swim
3rd: they swim
Present Perfect Tense:
Singular:
1st: I have swum
2nd: you have swum
3rd: he have swum
Plural:
1st: we have swum
2nd: you have swum
3rd: they have swum
Present Imperfect:
Singular:
1st: I swam
2nd: you swam
3rd: he swam
Plural:
1st: we swam
2nd: you swam
3rd: they swam
Past Perfect Tense:
Singular:
1st: I had swum
2nd: you had swum
3rd: he had swum
Plural:
1st: we had swum
2nd: you had swum
3rd: they had swum
Conditional Mood
Present:
Singular:
1st: I would swim
2nd: you would swim
3rd: he would swim
Plural:
1st: we would swim
2nd: you would swim
3rd: they would swim
Perfect:
Singular:
1st: I would have swum
2nd: you would have swum
3rd: he would have swum
Plural:
1st: we would have swum
2nd: you would have swum
3rd: they would have swum
Imperative Mood
2nd: you swim
1st: we – Let´s swim
Progressive (Continuous) Forms
Indicative:
Present Progressive:
Singular:
1st: I am swimming
2nd: you are swimming
3rd: he is swimming
Plural:
1st: we are swimming
2nd: you are swimming
3rd: they are swimming
Past Progressive:
Singular:
1st: I was swimming
2nd: you were swimming
3rd: he was swimming
Plural:
1st: we were swimming
2nd: you were swimming
3rd: they were swimming
Future Progressive:
Singular:
1st: I will be swimming
2nd: you will be swimming
3rd: he will be swimming
Plural:
1st: we will be swimming
2nd: you will be swimming
3rd: they will be swimming
Present Perfect Progressive:
Singular:
1st: I have been swimming
2nd: you have been swimming
3rd: he has been swimming
Plural:
1st: we have been swimming
2nd: you have been swimming
3rd: they have been swimming
Past Perfect Progressive:
Singular:
1st: I had been swimming
2nd: you had been swimming
3rd: he had been swimming
Plural:
1st: we had been swimming
2nd: you had been swimming
3rd: they had been swimming
Future Perfect Progressive:
Singular:
1st: I will have been swimming
2nd: you will have been swimming
3rd: he will have been swimming
Plural:
1st: we will have been swimming
2nd: you will have been swimming
3rd: they will have been swimming
Progressive Conditional:
Present Progressive Conditional:
Singular:
1st: I would be swimming
2nd: you would be swimming
3rd: he would be swimming
Plural:
1st: we would be swimming
2nd: you would be swimming
3rd: they would be swimming
Perfect Progressive Conditional:
Singular:
1st: I would have been swimming
2nd: you would have been swimming
3rd: he would have been swimming
Plural:
1st: we would have been swimming
2nd: you would have been swimming
3rd: they would have been swimming
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