The verb to give · Conjugation
Past Simple of give
The answer: gave
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to give is gave.
Example: She gave me a book for my birthday.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | gave |
| You | gave |
| He / She / It | gave |
| We | gave |
| You (pl.) | gave |
| They | gave |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Gived ❌
Give is an irregular verb. Its Past Simple is gave, never gived. Irregular verbs do not take -ed: learn their past forms by heart.
2. I have gave ❌
Gave = Past Simple (used alone). Given = past participle (after have, has or had). So say I have given, never I have gave. Compare: I gave her a book yesterday (Past Simple) and I have given her three books (Present Perfect).
3. Giveing ❌
The -ing form drops the final e: give → giving, never giveing.
Practice quiz
Going further
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of give?+
The Past Simple of give is gave, the same for every person. The past participle is given. Give → gave → given.
What is the difference between gave and given?+
Gave is the Past Simple, used alone: I gave her a book. Given is the past participle, used after have / has in the Present Perfect: I have given her a book.
Is it he gave me a book or he gave a book to me?+
Both are correct. You can say He gave me a book (give + person + thing). You can also say He gave a book to me (give + thing + to + person). The first one is more common.
Is it didn't give or didn't gave?+
Say didn't give: He didn't give me anything. After didn't, the verb goes back to its base form (give, not gave). The past is already in did.
Where does the person go in a sentence with give?+
There are two correct patterns. Give + indirect object (the person) + direct object (the thing): I gave my friend a present. Or give + direct object + to + indirect object: I gave a present to my friend.
Related pages: give Past Simple
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 6 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 6 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/give/past-simple
© 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.
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More forms of the verb to give are coming soon.