The verb to shake · Conjugation
Past Simple of shake
The answer: shook
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to shake is shook.
Example: He shook my hand.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | shook |
| You | shook |
| He / She / It | shook |
| We | shook |
| You (pl.) | shook |
| They | shook |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I have shook ❌
I shook. ✓ I have shaken. ✓ After have or has, always use shaken.
2. Shaked ❌
Shake is irregular. Its Past Simple is shook, never shaked.
3. We shook hand ❌
The expression is always shake hands, with hands in the plural: We shook hands.
Practice quiz
What's next?
Master the Past Simple of shake when you speak, not just on paper
The conjugation is clear in your head. On PLAY, you practise it in a game, with instant feedback, until it comes out on its own.
Practise the Past Simple of shake on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachersYour whole class practises the Past Simple of shake, and you follow each student
The Academy has self-marking activities on this form, with a dashboard for each student: you see at a glance who is falling behind.
Discover the Academy30-day free trial · No bank card needed
English contestThe English contest tests the Past Simple of shake in real sentences
Instead of a single school exercise, your students meet this tense in context, in a contest that really motivates them.
Register my students5,000 students every year · Primary and secondary
Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of shake?+
The Past Simple of shake is shook. The past participle is shaken. Shake → shook → shaken.
What is the difference between shook and shaken?+
Shook is the Past Simple: I shook the bottle. Shaken is the past participle (I have shaken it.) or an adjective (I'm shaken: I am upset after a shock).
Is it shook or shaked?+
Shake is irregular. Its Past Simple is shook, never shaked.
Is it shook hands or shook hand?+
Say shook hands, always plural: We shook hands. You can add with + person: I shook hands with the teacher. It is a fixed expression.
What does she shook her head mean?+
She shook her head means she moved her head from side to side, often to say no. To say yes, you nod.
Related pages: shake 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/shake/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.
Keep learning
More forms of the verb to shake are coming soon.