Irregular verb
The verb to fly
fly → flew → flown
B1Meaning: to move through the air; to travel by plane · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 100 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they fly·he/she/it flies - Past Simple:
flew(said /fluː/) - Past participle:
flown(different from the Past Simple) - -ing form:
flying
Conjugation of the verb to fly
Present Simple
| I | fly |
| You | fly |
| He / She / It | flies |
| We | fly |
| You (pl.) | fly |
| They | fly |
Past Simple
| I | flew |
| You | flew |
| He / She / It | flew |
| We | flew |
| You (pl.) | flew |
| They | flew |
All the forms of the verb to fly
Present Simple
Full pagefly / flies
“Birds fly south in winter.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are flying
“I am flying to London right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageflew
“I flew to London last summer.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were flying
“I was flying to London when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has flown
“I have already flown to London.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad flown
“She had already flown to London when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill fly
“I will fly to London tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to fly
“I'm going to fly to London this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould fly
“I would fly to London if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to fly
1. Flying (birds, planes)
- Birds fly in the sky.
- Planes fly very fast.
2. Travelling by plane
Use fly to or fly from + a place.
- I fly to Paris twice a year.
- She flew home for Christmas.
3. Passing quickly (time)
Time flies means time passes very quickly.
- Time flies when you're having fun.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Fly is also an insect
As a noun, a fly is a small insect. The plural is flies. Don't confuse it with the verb fly.
2. Time flies
A fixed expression: time flies means time passes very quickly. The proverb is in the Present Simple, but the past also exists: The holidays flew by.
What's next?
You can conjugate to fly. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of fly?+
The Past Simple of fly is flew. The past participle is flown. Three forms: fly → flew → flown.
Is it flew or flown?+
Flew is the Past Simple: a finished action, often with a time. I flew to Rome yesterday. Flown is the past participle, used after have / has: I have flown three times (I have travelled by plane three times).
How do you talk about travelling by plane?+
Use fly: I flew to Madrid (Past Simple) or I have flown to Madrid twice (Present Perfect, for an experience). You can also say I took a flight to Madrid. Fly is the natural verb for travelling by plane.
What is the plural of fly (the insect)?+
As a noun, a fly is a small insect. The plural is flies. Be careful: it is the same word as the verb, but with a different meaning.
Is it flew or flied?+
Fly is irregular: its Past Simple is flew and its past participle is flown. Never flied (except in baseball, a very rare technical use).
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/fly
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.