Irregular verb
The verb to sell
sell → sold → sold
A2Meaning: to give something for money · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they sell·he/she/it sells - Past Simple:
sold - Past participle:
sold(the same as the Past Simple) - -ing form:
selling
Conjugation of the verb to sell
Present Simple
| I | sell |
| You | sell |
| He / She / It | sells |
| We | sell |
| You (pl.) | sell |
| They | sell |
Past Simple
| I | sold |
| You | sold |
| He / She / It | sold |
| We | sold |
| You (pl.) | sold |
| They | sold |
All the forms of the verb to sell
Present Simple
Full pagesell / sells
“They sell flowers.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are selling
“I am selling flowers right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagesold
“I sold my old car.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were selling
“I was selling flowers when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has sold
“I have already sold flowers.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad sold
“She had already sold flowers when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill sell
“I will sell flowers tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to sell
“I'm going to sell flowers this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould sell
“I would sell flowers if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to sell
1. Selling something
- They sell flowers.
- I sold my old phone.
2. Selling well
Sell well means that many people buy it. Here sell has no object.
- This book sells well.
3. Sold out
Sold out means there is nothing left: no more tickets or products.
- The concert is sold out.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I sold a new bike at the shop ❌
Sell and buy are opposites. Sell = you give the thing and get money. Buy = you give money and get the thing. So at the shop, I bought a new bike, and the shop sold it to me.
2. A best cellar ❌
Sell + -er = seller, a person or thing that sells. A bestseller is a book or product that sells very well. Don't confuse it with cellar (a room under a house): the two words sound the same, /ˈselə/.
Going further
Conjugating to sell 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 sell. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of sell?+
The Past Simple of sell is sold. It is the same for every person. The past participle is also sold. Sell → sold → sold, like tell → told.
What is the difference between sell and buy?+
They are opposites. Sell means to give something and get money for it. Buy means to give money and get something. He sold his car to her. She bought his car.
What does sold out mean?+
Sold out means there are no more tickets or products to buy. The concert is sold out. The tickets are sold out. It is a very common fixed expression.
What is a bestseller?+
A bestseller (or best-seller) is a book or a product that sells very well. The book is a bestseller. The word comes from best + seller (a person or thing that sells, from the verb sell).
Is it selled or sold?+
Say sold. Sell is an irregular verb, like tell → told. Its Past Simple is sold, never selled.
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/sell
© 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.