Irregular verb
The verb to sit
sit → sat → sat
A2Meaning: to be on a chair or seat; to move down onto a seat · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they sit·he/she/it sits - Past Simple:
sat - Past participle:
sat(the same as the Past Simple) - -ing form:
sitting(double t)
Conjugation of the verb to sit
Present Simple
| I | sit |
| You | sit |
| He / She / It | sits |
| We | sit |
| You (pl.) | sit |
| They | sit |
Past Simple
| I | sat |
| You | sat |
| He / She / It | sat |
| We | sat |
| You (pl.) | sat |
| They | sat |
All the forms of the verb to sit
Present Simple
Full pagesit / sits
“I sit at the front of the class.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are sitting
“I am sitting at the front of the class right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagesat
“I sat next to my friend.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were sitting
“I was sitting at the front of the class when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has sat
“I have already sat at the front of the class.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad sat
“She had already sat at the front of the class when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill sit
“I will sit at the front of the class tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to sit
“I'm going to sit at the front of the class this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould sit
“I would sit at the front of the class if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to sit
1. Being in a chair, sitting down
- I sit at the front.
- She sat by the window.
2. Sit down / sit up
Sit down means to move into a chair. Sit up straight means to keep your back straight.
- Sit down, please.
- Sit up straight.
A common mistake
1. Please seat down ❌
Sit is the verb: Sit down, please. Seat is a noun (a chair, a place) or a verb meaning to give someone a place to sit. Take a seat means sit down.
Going further
Conjugating to sit 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 sit. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of sit?+
The Past Simple of sit is sat, the same for every person. The past participle is also sat. Sit → sat → sat.
What is the difference between sit and sit down?+
Sit can mean to be in a chair (a state) or to move into a chair, depending on the context. Sit down is the action of moving into a chair: Sit down, please.
What is the difference between sit and seat?+
Sit is a verb: Sit down. Seat is usually a noun: a chair, or a place to sit. Take a seat means sit down. One is a verb, the other a noun.
Why does sitting have two t's?+
Sit is a short verb that ends with one vowel + one consonant, and the vowel is short and stressed. So you double the consonant before -ing: sit → sitting. It is the same for run → running and begin → beginning.
Is it sat or sited?+
Sit is irregular: its Past Simple is sat, never sited. Sited is a real word, but it comes from the verb site (to build something in a particular place).
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/sit
© 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.