Which is Correct: Forget, Forgot, Forgotten – Understanding Verb Tenses

• “Forgot” is the simple past tense, used for actions completed in the past.
• “Forgotten” is the past participle, often utilized in perfect tense constructions.
• Understanding context is crucial in choosing the correct form of “forget”.

The simple past tense of “forget” is “forgot,” employed when referring to an action that occurred at a specific time in the past. On the other hand, “forgotten” is the past participle form of the verb, which is often used in perfect tense constructions to indicate an action that was completed before another occurred. The choice between these forms relies heavily on the context of the sentence and the aspect of time one intends to express.

Unraveling the Past Tense of “Forget”

When discussing the verb “forget,” it is crucial to understand its correct past forms. The verb has various forms for past usage: “forgot” and “forgotten.”

“Forgot” is the simple past tense form:

• Usage: It describes an action that was completed in the past.
• Example: She forgot her wallet at home.

On the other hand, “forgotten” is the past participle form, which pairs with helping verbs to create perfect tenses:

• Usage: It’s used with “have,” “has,” or “had” to form perfect tenses.
• Example: He had forgotten the meeting until he received a reminder.

Past Tense Forms of “Forget”:

Tense	Form	Example Sentence
Simple Past	forgot	Yesterday, I forgot to call my friend.
Past Perfect	forgotten	By the time I arrived, I had forgotten my ID.

Usage Guidelines:

• Simple Past (forgot):

  • Action completed at a definitive time in the past
  • No auxiliary verb needed

• Perfect Tenses (forgotten):

  • A past action with present relevance
  • Requires an auxiliary verb (have/has/had)

Deciding: Forget, Forgot, or Forgotten – Which is Correct?

Forget is the base form or the present tense of the verb:

• I always forget people’s names.

The word “forgot” is the simple past tense of “forget”:

• They forgot to lock the door last night.

Contrarily, “forgotten” is the past participle that is often used with “have” or “has”:

• She has forgotten her friend’s phone number.

Below are two tables that summarize the uses and forms of the verb “forget”:

Simple Past Tense Usage:

Subject	Verb (Past)
I	forgot
You	forgot
He/She	forgot
We	forgot
They	forgot

Past Participle Usage with “Have”:

Subject	Auxiliary Verb	Past Participle
I	have	forgotten
You	have	forgotten
He/She	has	forgotten
We	have	forgotten
They	have	forgotten

Exploring Different Verb Forms of “Forget”

Base Form: Forget

• Usage: It refers to the action of not being able to recall information or to omit something by mistake in the present or future.
  • Example: “They often forget to check their email.”

Past Simple: Forgot

• Usage: This form describes an action that was completed at a specific time in the past.
  • Example: “She forgot the password yesterday.”

Past Participle: Forgotten

• Usage: This form is used with auxiliary verbs for perfect tenses or as an adjective.
  • Example (Present Perfect): “They have forgotten the lyrics.”
  • Example (As Adjective): “The forgotten realm remains undiscovered.”

Verb Form	Example Sentence
Forget	I always forget to bring my shopping list.
Forgot	They forgot to close the door last night.
Forgotten	The melody had been completely forgotten.

• Examples of “forget” in different tenses:

  • Present Continuous: “He is forgetting something important.”
  • Past Continuous: “They were forgetting their lines during rehearsal.”

• Present Participle: Forgetting

  • Used for continuous tenses.
  • Example (Present Continuous): “She is forgetting her keys again.”

Differentiating Between “Forgot” and “Forgotten”

“Forgot” is the simple past tense of “to forget” and is used to describe an action that occurred and was completed in the past. For example:

• She forgot her wallet at home yesterday.
• They forgot the answer during the test.

“Forgotten” is the past participle form of the verb and is used in perfect tenses or as an adjective. For example:

• The keys have been forgotten on the table.
• It is a forgotten legend from times past.

To visualize the usage, consider the following tables:

Table 1: “Forgot” in sentences

Subject	Verb	Action
I	forgot	to lock the door.
He	forgot	her name.
We	forgot	where we parked.

Table 2: “Forgotten” in sentences

Subject	Auxiliary Verb	Verb	Action
The book	has been	forgotten	on the bus.
Their story	is	forgotten	by most.
I	had	forgotten	to send the invitation.

• Use forgot for simple past tense.
• Use forgotten as the past participle in perfect tense constructions.
• Forgotten can also be an adjective describing something overlooked.

Examples of “Forget” in the Present Tense

Here are some examples illustrating the verb “forget” in the present tense:

• Simple Present Tense:

  • He often forgets his keys.
  • She forgets to call her mother every Saturday.

• Present Progressive Tense:

  • They are forgetting the words to the song.
  • She is forgetting where she put her glasses.

Present Simple Usage:

Subject	Positive Sentence	Negative Sentence
I	I forget names easily.	I don’t forget facts.
You	You forget your password often.	You don’t forget appointments.
He/She/It	He forgets the time.	She doesn’t forget the codes.
We/They	We forget to check the mail.	They don’t forget their duties.

Present Progressive Usage:

Subject	Positive Sentence	Negative Sentence
I	I am forgetting to take my vitamins.	I am not forgetting your advice.
You	You are forgetting the main point.	You are not forgetting the steps.
He/She/It	He is forgetting the lyrics as he sings.	It is not forgetting the default settings.
We/They	We are forgetting why we came here.	They are not forgetting their responsibilities.

Examples of “Forgot” in the Past Tense

• He forgot to lock the door before leaving.

Common usage of “forgot” is observed when speaking about everyday tasks or responsibilities that were not completed.

Situation	Example
Appointments	She forgot her doctor’s appointment last Monday.
Common tasks	They forgot to turn off the lights yesterday.

In narratives or storytelling, “forgot” helps to describe characters’ actions or lapses in memory.

• Despite the urgency, the messenger forgot the crucial message.

To highlight the past simple tense, consider these points:

• “Forgot” indicates a completed action in the past, not extending to the present.
• It’s used without a helper verb like “have” or “had.”
• Frequency of forgetfulness or habitual actions in the past also uses “forgot”:
  • As a child, he forgot his keys often.
• They forgot the way home after the detour.
• I forgot my password and couldn’t log in.
• You forgot to say goodbye before you left.

Examples of “Forgotten” as a Participle (in Sentences)

In Present Perfect Tense

• She has forgotten her keys.
• They have forgotten the password to their account.

In Past Perfect Tense

• He had forgotten the document at home.
• They had forgotten the meeting was today.

Present Perfect	Use in Sentence
has forgotten	She has forgotten to sign the form.
have forgotten	They have forgotten their anniversary.

Past Perfect	Use in Sentence
had forgotten	He had forgotten about the appointment.
had forgotten	By the time she arrived, she had forgotten why she went there.

• The issue has been forgotten by the community.
• His contributions to the project had been forgotten over time.

Similar Words to “Forget”

Synonyms for Involuntary Forgetfulness:
The following words express different degrees of accidentally failing to remember something:

Word	Usage
Miss	Often implies a slight degree of forgetfulness.
Overlook	Sometimes used when an important detail is unintentionally ignored.
Disregard	Can suggest a negligent act of overlooking something.
Neglect	Implies failure to give proper attention to something.

Synonyms for Intentional Disregard:
These terms often refer to the act of intentionally choosing to ignore or not acknowledge something:

• Ignore: To intentionally pay no attention to.
• Unlearn: To discard the memory of something, often a habit or a learned fact.
• Omit: To leave out or exclude, either deliberately or by oversight.
• Bypass: To avoid something by going around it.

Differences in Usage
Depending on the context, these words carry different implications. “Miss” and “overlook” suggest inadvertence, whereas “ignore” conveys a more deliberate action. To “unlearn” is to make an effort to erase the memory of something from one’s knowledge or habits. When we “omit” something, it can either be a conscious decision or an accidental mistake. “Bypass” indicates an active decision to avoid.

Tracing the Origin of “Forget”

Old English Roots:
forgietan – This is the closest ancestor in Old English, meaning to forget, and was constructed from “for-“, a prefix implying a sense of loss, and “gietan,” meaning to grasp or get.

Proto-Germanic Influence:
vergētaną – The likely source in Proto-Germanic, directly influencing the Old English form. The prefix “ver-” suggested a sense of passing away or mistaken actions.

---

Ancient Linguistic Relations:

Language	Term	Meaning
Gothic	fra-itan	to forget
Old Saxon	forgitan	to forget
Old High German	firgezzan	to forget

Evolution of Use:

• In Middle English, the form “forgeten” was commonplace, gradually transitioning to “forget” in Modern English.
• The complexity of the word’s sense arose in historical languages, branching out from the notion of something moving forward or away from one’s thoughts.

Sources

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of forget.” Online Etymology Dictionary,