The verb to turn · Conjugation
Past Simple of turn
The answer: turned
A2
A finished action at a definite time in the past.
Quick answer
The Past Simple of the verb to turn is turned.
Example: I turned 30 yesterday.
Full conjugation in the Past Simple
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| I | turned |
| You | turned |
| He / She / It | turned |
| We | turned |
| You (pl.) | turned |
| They | turned |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Turn the light, please ❌
To make a light work, say turn on the light. To make it stop, say turn off the light. Without on or off, turn means to move something round.
2. They turned down it ❌
Turn down has two meanings: to make the sound quieter, or to refuse an offer. With a pronoun like it, the pronoun goes in the middle: They turned it down, never turned down it.
Practice quiz
Going further
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of turn?+
Turn is regular: its Past Simple is turned, the same for every person. She turned the page.
How do you use turn with an age?+
Turn + a number means you reach a new age on your birthday: My brother turned 15 yesterday. I just turned 12!
What is the difference between turn on and turn off?+
Turn on makes a light or a machine start: I turned on the computer. Turn off makes it stop: She turned off the lights before bed.
What is the difference between turn up and turn down?+
Turn up makes the sound louder: He turned up the radio. Turn down makes it quieter: Please turn down the music. Turn down can also mean to refuse an offer: They turned down our invitation.
What does a turn mean as a noun?+
In a game, a turn is your moment to play: It's your turn. On a road, it is a change of direction: Take a left turn after the bridge.
Related pages: turn 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/turn/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.
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More forms of the verb to turn are coming soon.