Irregular verb
The verb to spend
spend → spent → spent
A2Meaning: to use money to buy things; to use time · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they spend·he/she/it spends - Past Simple:
spent - Past participle:
spent(the same as the Past Simple) - -ing form:
spending
Conjugation of the verb to spend
Present Simple
| I | spend |
| You | spend |
| He / She / It | spends |
| We | spend |
| You (pl.) | spend |
| They | spend |
Past Simple
| I | spent |
| You | spent |
| He / She / It | spent |
| We | spent |
| You (pl.) | spent |
| They | spent |
All the forms of the verb to spend
Present Simple
Full pagespend / spends
“I spend too much money on books.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are spending
“I am spending money on books right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagespent
“I spent £50 yesterday.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were spending
“I was spending money on books when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has spent
“I have already spent money on books.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad spent
“She had already spent money on books when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill spend
“I will spend money on books tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to spend
“I'm going to spend money on books this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould spend
“I would spend money on books if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to spend
1. Spending money
Spend money on something.
- I spent £50 on shoes.
- How much did you spend?
2. Spending time
Spend time + with someone / doing something.
- I spent the weekend with my family.
- She spends hours reading.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I passed the day at the beach ❌
For time, English uses spend: I spent the day at the beach. Pass is not the usual verb here. You spend an hour, a day, a holiday or time with someone.
2. Spend for ❌
When you spend money, the preposition is on: I spent money on a gift.
Going further
Conjugating to spend 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 spend. Now say it out loud.
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For teachersReady-made activities to practise to spend in class
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of spend?+
The Past Simple of spend is spent, the same for every person. The past participle is spent too. Spend → spent → spent.
Is it spend time or pass time?+
Say spend time with someone: I spent the weekend with my friends. Use spend, not pass, for time with people or in a place.
Is it spend on, spend for or spend to?+
Spend + money + on + something: I spent £20 on a book. Never spend for or spend to. The preposition is on.
What is the difference between spend and pay?+
Spend is about the total amount of money that goes out of your pocket. Pay is about giving money to someone, or for one thing. I spent £50 (in total). I paid £50 for this. I paid the cashier.
Is it spent or spended?+
Always spent. Spend is irregular, like send → sent and lend → lent: the d becomes t. Never spended.
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/spend
© 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.