Irregular verb
The verb to run
run → ran → run
A2Meaning: to move quickly on your feet; to manage a business · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they run·he/she/it runs - Past Simple:
ran - Past participle:
run(the same as the base form!) - -ing form:
running(double n)
Conjugation of the verb to run
Present Simple
| I | run |
| You | run |
| He / She / It | runs |
| We | run |
| You (pl.) | run |
| They | run |
Past Simple
| I | ran |
| You | ran |
| He / She / It | ran |
| We | ran |
| You (pl.) | ran |
| They | ran |
All the forms of the verb to run
Present Simple
Full pagerun / runs
“I run every morning.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are running
“I am running in the park right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageran
“I ran a marathon last year.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were running
“I was running in the park when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has run
“I have already run in the park.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad run
“She had already run in the park when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill run
“I will run in the park tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to run
“I'm going to run in the park this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould run
“I would run in the park if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to run
1. Moving fast on your feet
- I run every morning.
- He ran to the bus stop.
2. Managing a business
- She runs a small business.
3. Phrasal verbs
Run away means to escape, to leave fast. Run out of something means to have no more of it. Run into someone means to meet them by chance.
- run away
- run out (of)
- run into
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I have ran ❌
Run → ran → run. Like come, the past participle is the same as the base form. Say I have run a marathon, never I have ran a marathon.
2. Runing ❌
Spelling rule: a short verb with a short, stressed vowel doubles its final consonant before -ing: run → running, never runing.
Going further
Conjugating to run 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 run. Now say it out loud.
This page explained everything. On PLAY, you practise this verb out loud in 3 minutes, until it comes naturally.
Practise to run on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersReady-made activities to practise to run in class
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Related pages: run
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of run?+
The Past Simple of run is ran. The past participle is run: the same as the base form! Run → ran → run.
Is it have ran or have run?+
Say have run. The past participle of run is run, the same as the base form, like come → came → come. I have ran is a very common mistake: I have run is correct.
What does run out of mean?+
Run out of means to have no more of something, because you used it all. We ran out of milk means there was no more milk. We ran out of time means there was no more time.
What does run a business mean?+
Run a business means to manage it, to be the person in charge. So run does not only mean to move fast on your feet. She runs a restaurant.
Why does running have a double n?+
Run is a short verb that ends in one consonant after one short, stressed vowel. So you double the consonant before -ing: run → running. It is the same with sit → sitting and begin → beginning.
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/run
© 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.