Master English Tenses Fast: Give, Gave, Given Explained
Quick Answer
The three forms are give (present), gave (past), and given (with have/has/had).
Now: I give her a present.
Yesterday: I gave her a present.
With have: I have given her a present.
Give, Gave, Given — See the Pattern
Read these sentences. Can you see the pattern?
- I give my friend a call every weekend. (now — it happens every time)
- She gave me her phone number yesterday. (past — it is finished)
- They have given us so much help this year. (with have — it connects the past to now)
- He had given his answer before the teacher asked again. (with had — one past event before another)
Did you notice? Give is for now. Gave is for the past. Given always comes after have, has, or had.
| Form | When to use it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| give / gives | Now or every day | She gives me advice. |
| gave | The past (finished) | She gave me advice yesterday. |
| given | With have / has / had | She has given me advice many times. |
When to Use Gave and When to Use Given
This is the part most learners find confusing. Here is the simple rule:
Use gave when you talk about something that happened in the past — and there is no helping word before it:
- I gave him a book last week.
- She gave a great speech at the party.
Use given when you see have, has, or had before it:
- I have given him the keys.
- She has given her answer.
- They had given everything they could.
Easy way to remember: Look for have, has, or had. If one of those words is there, use given. If not, use gave.
The Rule in One Line: Gave stands alone. Given needs have, has, or had.
Real-Life Examples With Give, Gave, and Given
Here are sentences you might hear or say in everyday life:
- Can you give me a hand with this box? (= Can you help me?)
- The teacher gave us too much homework last night. (= We got a lot of homework)
- I gave up trying to fix the computer. (= I stopped trying)
- She has given me the wrong directions twice now. (= It happened more than once, up to now)
- They have given away all the free tickets. (= The tickets are all gone now)
You are doing great. Now let us look at the mistakes many learners make.
Three Mistakes to Avoid With Give
Even advanced learners mix up gave and given sometimes — so if you get confused, you are not alone. The trick is knowing when you need a helping word and when you do not.
✗ I have gave him the keys.
✓ I have given him the keys.
✗ She given a speech at the event.
✓ She gave a speech at the event.
✗ I give her a gift yesterday.
✓ I gave her a gift yesterday.
How to remember: Say the sentence out loud. If you hear have, has, or had, the next word should be given. If there is no helping word, use gave.
Other verbs that work the same way: take (took / taken), break (broke / broken), speak (spoke / spoken). They all use the -en form with have.
Test Yourself: Give, Gave, or Given?
Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.
1. I _______ my sister a present last week.
2. She has _______ me good advice many times.
3. We _______ our homework to the teacher every Friday.
4. He had _______ all his money to charity before he moved.
5. They _______ a great performance at the show last night.
Keep Going — You Are Building Something
You just learned give, gave, and given. That is one more irregular verb you will never get wrong again.
But here is something interesting. The opposite of give is take. And take changes in a way you might not expect. Do you say “I have took” or “I have taken“? What about “I have tooken“? (One of those is a very common mistake.)
Next lesson: Take, Took, or Taken — What’s the Correct Past Tense of Take?
Source
Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of give.” Online Etymology Dictionary.
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.
