Take, Took, Taken: Verbs With -en Participles
Quick Answer
This is the largest irregular family. The vowel changes for the past, and the third form ends in -en: I take → I took → I have taken. Once you spot the -en, you know it needs have.
See the Pattern First
Three different words for one verb. The third always ends in -en.
- I take the bus. I took it today. I have taken it all week.
- She writes well. She wrote to me. She has written twice.
- They choose carefully. They chose red. They have chosen already.
- The sun rises. It rose at six. It has risen.
Three forms means you must not mix them up. “I have took” is wrong because took is the past, not the participle. The -en form belongs to have.
The Full List — 15 Verbs
This is the group worth real practice. Cover the third column and test yourself.
| Verb | Past | With have/has/had |
|---|---|---|
| choose | chose | chosen |
| drive | drove | driven |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| rise | rose | risen |
| take | took | taken |
| tear | tore | torn |
| wake | woke | woken |
| write | wrote | written |
| break | broke | broken |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
These come up often, so they have their own full lesson with more practice: the past tense of break and the past tense of eat and forget, forgot, forgotten.
The Rule That Stops Every Mistake
Ask one question before choosing: is there a form of “have” in this sentence? Have, has, had — any of them.
If yes, use the -en form: “I have taken”, “she has written”, “they had chosen”. If no, use the past form: “I took”, “she wrote”, “they chose”. That single question prevents almost every error in this family.
No have → took. With have → taken.
Two That Do Not End in -en
Two members hide inside this family with a different ending:
- tear → tore → torn (not “toren”)
- wear → wore → worn (not “woren”)
They still follow the have-rule perfectly — only the spelling of the ending differs.
Mistakes Learners Make (You Are Not Alone)
Every one of these is the same error: past form where the participle belongs.
- ✗ I have took the bus → ✓ I have taken the bus
- ✗ she has wrote a letter → ✓ she has written a letter
- ✗ the glass has broke → ✓ the glass has broken
These are so common that you will hear native speakers say them. In writing and in exams, the -en form after “have” is what is expected.
Your Turn — Quick Quiz
Five questions. Take your time — the table above is still there if you need it.
1. 1. I have ____ that film three times.
2. 2. She ____ the letter last night.
3. 3. The window has been ____.
4. 4. Which sentence is CORRECT?
5. 5. He ____ his shirt on the fence.
Keep Going
That is the largest verb family in English, handled with one question.
Some verbs go somewhere stranger. Teach becomes taught. Catch becomes caught. Bring becomes brought. Where does that heavy “-ought” sound come from?
Next lesson: Taught, caught, brought: the -ought family
Sources
I’m Khamis Maiouf. English is not my first language – I learned it as an adult in the UK, passed Functional Skills Level 2 in English, qualified in Hairdressing at Level 3, and I’m now studying Business at university. For over five years I’ve taught ESOL classes in my community and tutored students through GCSE English. I write every lesson on this site myself, for the learner I used to be.
