Forget, Forgot, Forgotten Explained: Simple Examples for Learners

Forget, Forgot, Forgotten — See the Pattern

Read these sentences. Look at how the verb changes:

• I forget names all the time. (now — it happens often)
• She forgot her phone at home yesterday. (past — it is finished)
• We have forgotten the meeting time. (past with “have”)

Did you see the pattern? There are three forms:

When to Use Forgot and When to Use Forgotten

This is the part that confuses many learners. Here is the simple rule:

Use “forgot” when you talk about the past — something that is finished:

• I forgot to call my mum yesterday.
• He forgot his wallet at the shop.

Use “forgotten” when there is a helping word before it — have, has, or had:

• I have forgotten my password again.
• She has forgotten where she put her bag.
• They had forgotten about the party until I reminded them.

Easy way to remember: If you see have, has, or had before it, use forgotten. If not, use forgot.

How to Use Forget, Forgot, and Forgotten in Everyday English

Here are examples you might use every day:

• I forgot to buy milk on the way home. (past — it is finished)
• She forgot her friend’s birthday last week. (past — it is finished)
• He has forgotten the answer to the question. (with “has” — use forgotten)
• We have forgotten how to play that game. (with “have” — use forgotten)
• I always forget where I park my car. (now — it happens often)

You are doing great. Now let’s look at the mistakes many learners make.

Three Mistakes to Avoid With Forget

These are the most common mistakes with “forget.” Even advanced learners mix up “forgot” and “forgotten” sometimes — so if you get confused, you are not alone.

How to remember: Think of get, got, gotten. It follows the same pattern: forget, forgot, forgotten. The ending changes to -ot in the past and -otten with have/has/had.

Other verbs like this: get → got → gotten.

Test Yourself: Forget, Forgot, or Forgotten?

Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.

Practice: Forget, Forgot or Forgotten — Exercises

Ready for extra practice? Complete each sentence with forget, forgot or forgotten. Write your answers down, then check them below.

1. Please don’t ___ your keys again.
2. Yesterday I ___ my homework at home.
3. She has ___ his name already.
4. I never ___ a friendly face.
5. We ___ to lock the door last night.
6. Have you ___ our meeting this afternoon?
7. Don’t ___ to call your mum tonight.
8. By the time we arrived, he had ___ the tickets.

Want more practice with irregular past tenses? Try bend or bent, cut or cutted and the past tense of break.

Keep Going — You Are Building Something

You just learned forget, forgot, forgotten. That is one more irregular verb you will never get wrong again.

But did you know that break follows a similar pattern? Break, broke, broken — three different forms. Many learners use “broke” when they should use broken. Do you know when to use each one?

Next lesson: Broke or Broken — Which One is Correct?

Source

forget (v.) — Online Etymology Dictionary

Khamis Maiouf

My name is Khamis Maiouf. I am the creator of the English Teacher Site, dedicated to providing valuable resources and insights for students around the world. With a passion for education and a commitment to helping students enhance their skills, I aim to make English teaching more effective and enjoyable for both educators and students.