The verb to help · Conjugation
Past Simple of help
The answer: helped
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to help is helped.
Example: She helped me yesterday.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | helped |
| You | helped |
| He / She / It | helped |
| We | helped |
| You (pl.) | helped |
| They | helped |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Help me for my homework ❌
With a task, use help with: She helped me with my homework. Not for, and not to.
2. Helpfull ❌
Helpful has only one l at the end: a helpful person, a helpful tool. It is a positive adjective: useful, or happy to help.
Practice quiz
Going further
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of help?+
The Past Simple of help is helped. It is a regular verb, so you just add -ed.
Is it help with or help for?+
Use help with + a noun (a task): Can you help me with my maths homework? The preposition is with.
Is it help to do or help do?+
Both are correct: Help me to clean my room or Help me clean my room (with no to). American English prefers the form without to.
What does helpful mean?+
Helpful is an adjective. It means useful, or happy to help: a helpful person is someone who likes to help others.
Is I can't help it an idiom?+
Yes. I can't help it means I can't stop myself. Sorry, I can't help laughing!
Related pages: help Past Simple
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
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/help/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 help are coming soon.