Irregular verb
The verb to hold
hold → held → held
A2Meaning: to have something in your hands; to organise an event · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they hold·he/she/it holds - Past Simple:
held - Past participle:
held(the same as the Past Simple) - -ing form:
holding
Conjugation of the verb to hold
Present Simple
| I | hold |
| You | hold |
| He / She / It | holds |
| We | hold |
| You (pl.) | hold |
| They | hold |
Past Simple
| I | held |
| You | held |
| He / She / It | held |
| We | held |
| You (pl.) | held |
| They | held |
All the forms of the verb to hold
Present Simple
Full pagehold / holds
“She holds the baby gently.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are holding
“I am holding the ladder right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageheld
“He held the door open.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were holding
“I was holding the ladder when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has held
“I have already held the ladder.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad held
“She had already held the ladder when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill hold
“I will hold the ladder tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to hold
“I'm going to hold the ladder this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould hold
“I would hold the ladder if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to hold
1. Holding something in your hands
- Hold my hand.
- She held the baby.
2. Organising an event
To hold an event means to organise it. In the passive, be held means to take place.
- They held a party.
- The election will be held in May.
3. Phrasal verbs
Hold on means to wait, or to hold tightly. Hold back means to stop yourself from doing something. Hold up means to support something, or to make someone late.
- hold on
- hold back
- hold up
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Hold or keep?
Hold = to have something in your hands, for a short time: Hold my bag, please. Keep = to have something for a long time: You can keep it. To ask for something for a long time, say Can I keep it?, not Can I hold it?
2. Hold on on the phone
On the phone, Hold on! means “wait a moment, don't end the call”. It is very common: Hold on, I'll get my mum.
Going further
Conjugating to hold is a key skill in the English contest
Every year, the Big Challenge tests the key English verbs. Register your students so they can check their level in a real contest.
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Practise on PLAYYou can conjugate to hold. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of hold?+
The Past Simple of hold is held, the same for every person. The past participle is also held. Hold → held → held.
What does hold on mean?+
Hold on has two meanings. (1) To wait a moment: Hold on, please! (on the phone). (2) To hold something tightly so you don't fall: Hold on tight! The situation tells you which one.
What is the difference between hold and keep?+
Hold = to have something in your hands or arms, now: Can you hold my glass for a minute? Keep = to have something and not give it back, for a long time: You can keep the book.
What does hold a party mean?+
Hold a party means to organise a party. You can also hold a meeting, a concert or an event: They are holding a concert next week.
Is it held or holded?+
Say held. Hold is an irregular verb: hold → held → held. Holded is a common mistake.
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/hold
© 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.