IRREGULAR VERBS
Irregular verbs Regular verbs
lean, leans, leaning, leaned, leant
Synonyms: incline, tilt, slant, bend, angle
Antonyms: straighten, upright, stand, level, flatten
The verb "lean" is a versatile verb in English, commonly used to describe the action of inclining or resting against something. It is generally considered a regular verb in English, following the typical pattern for regular verb conjugation. However, it can also have irregular forms, particularly in British English. In the present simple tense, "lean" follows its base form for most subjects: "I lean," "you lean," "he/she/it leans," and so on. For example, "He leans against the wall when he's tired." In the past simple tense, "lean" can change to either "leaned" (regular) or "leant" (irregular, more common in British English). This form is used to describe the action of inclining or resting against something in the past. For instance, "She leaned/leant out of the window to get a better view." The past participle of "lean" can also be "leaned" or "leant." When forming perfect tenses, such as the present perfect or past perfect, the past participle is combined with auxiliary verbs. An example sentence is "They have leaned/leant on each other for support during tough times." "Lean" can be used both transitively and intransitively. As a transitive verb, it means to incline or cause to rest against something: "He leaned the ladder against the wall." As an intransitive verb, it means to incline or rest: "She leans to the left when she walks." The verb "lean" is also used in various idiomatic expressions, such as "lean on" (to rely on someone for support), "lean into" (to embrace or accept something fully), and "lean towards" (to have a tendency or preference for something). Understanding the conjugation and usage of "lean" is important for accurately describing actions related to inclining, resting, or relying on something or someone. Its versatility in both regular and irregular forms adds to its richness in the English language.
Irregular verbs in English are special verbs that don't follow standard rules for changing forms. You need to memorize their specific forms instead of following regular patterns.
Regular verbs are verbs that follow a consistent pattern when forming their past tense and past participle by adding "-ed" to the base form.
LEAN - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
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★ i | lean |
★ you | lean |
★ he/she/it | leans |
★ we | lean |
★ you | lean |
★ they | lean |
Examples of the verb 'lean' in the Present Simple |
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- I lean on my friends for support. |
- You lean against the wall to rest. |
- He leans forward to hear better. | She leans on her desk while working. |
- We lean towards the new proposal. |
- You (plural) lean on each other for help. |
- They lean back in their chairs. |
LEAN - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i am | leaning | |
★ you are | leaning | |
★ he/she/it is | leaning | |
★ we are | leaning | |
★ you are | leaning | |
★ they are | leaning |
Examples of the verb 'lean' in the Present Continuous |
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- I am leaning on my family during tough times. |
- You are leaning against the door. |
- He is leaning over the table. | She is leaning on her car. |
- We are leaning towards accepting the offer. |
- You (plural) are leaning on your teammates. |
- They are leaning back and relaxing. |
LEAN - PRESENT PERFECT | ||
★ i have | leaned/leant | |
★ you have | leaned/leant | |
★ he/she/it has | leaned/leant | |
★ we have | leaned/leant | |
★ you have | leaned/leant | |
★ they have | leaned/leant |
Examples of the verb 'lean' in the Present Perfect |
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- I have leaned/leant on you before. |
- You have leaned/leant against this wall many times. |
- He has leaned/leant forward to speak. | She has leaned/leant on that table. |
- We have leaned/leant towards different ideas. |
- You (plural) have leaned/leant on each other often. |
- They have leaned/leant back too far. |
LEAN - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i have been | leaning | |
★ you have been | leaning | |
★ he/she/it has been | leaning | |
★ we have been | leaning | |
★ you have been | leaning | |
★ they have been | leaning |
Examples of the verb 'lean' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
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- I have been leaning on my friends for a while. |
- You have been leaning against the door since morning. |
- He has been leaning forward all day. | She has been leaning on her desk for hours. |
- We have been leaning towards a decision. |
- You (plural) have been leaning on each other through this project. |
- They have been leaning back and forth. |
LEAN - PAST SIMPLE | ||
★ i | leaned/leant | |
★ you | leaned/leant | |
★ he/she/it | leaned/leant | |
★ we | leaned/leant | |
★ you | leaned/leant | |
★ they | leaned/leant |
Examples of the verb 'lean' in the Past Simple |
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- I leaned/leant on my parents during my studies. |
- You leaned/leant against the tree. |
- He leaned/leant over to pick it up. | She leaned/leant on the counter. |
- We leaned/leant towards the new plan. |
- You (plural) leaned/leant on your friends. |
- They leaned/leant back in surprise. |
LEAN - PAST CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i was | leaning | |
★ you were | leaning | |
★ he/she/it was | leaning | |
★ we were | leaning | |
★ you were | leaning | |
★ they were | leaning |
Examples of the verb 'lean' in the Past Continuous |
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- I was leaning on my friend when I felt weak. |
- You were leaning against the wall when I saw you. |
- He was leaning over the edge. | She was leaning on her car when it started raining. |
- We were leaning towards a compromise. |
- You (plural) were leaning on each other during the hike. |
- They were leaning back during the movie. |
LEAN - PAST PERFECT | ||
★ i had | leaned/leant | |
★ you had | leaned/leant | |
★ he/she/it had | leaned/leant | |
★ we had | leaned/leant | |
★ you had | leaned/leant | |
★ they had | leaned/leant |
Examples of the verb 'lean' in the Past Perfect |
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- I had leaned/leant on you before I became independent. |
- You had leaned/leant against this tree many times before. |
- He had leaned/leant over the table. | She had leaned/leant on that counter before. |
- We had leaned/leant towards different approaches. |
- You (plural) had leaned/leant on each other before the team expanded. |
- They had leaned/leant back too often before they realized. |
LEAN - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i had been | leaning | |
★ you had been | leaning | |
★ he/she/it had been | leaning | |
★ we had been | leaning | |
★ you had been | leaning | |
★ they had been | leaning |
Examples of the verb 'lean' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
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- I had been leaning on my friends for support. |
- You had been leaning against the wall for hours. |
- He had been leaning forward to get a better view. | She had been leaning on her desk while reading. |
- We had been leaning towards an agreement. |
- You (plural) had been leaning on each other throughout the project. |
- They had been leaning back for most of the meeting. |
LEAN - FUTURE SIMPLE | ||
★ i will | lean | |
★ you will | lean | |
★ he/she/it will | lean | |
★ we will | lean | |
★ you will | lean | |
★ they will | lean |
Examples of the verb 'lean' in the Future Simple |
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- I will lean on my family for advice. |
- You will lean against the door when you're tired. |
- He will lean forward to see better. | She will lean on her chair. |
- We will lean towards a decision soon. |
- You (plural) will lean on each other for support. |
- They will lean back and enjoy the view. |
LEAN - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i will be | leaning | |
★ you will be | leaning | |
★ he/she/it will be | leaning | |
★ we will be | leaning | |
★ you will be | leaning | |
★ they will be | leaning |
Examples of the verb 'lean' in the Future Continuous |
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- I will be leaning on my friends during the event. |
- You will be leaning against the wall by then. |
- He will be leaning over the documents. | She will be leaning on her car during the wait. |
- We will be leaning towards finalizing the deal. |
- You (plural) will be leaning on each other during the project. |
- They will be leaning back in their seats. |
LEAN - FUTURE PERFECT | ||
★ i will have | leaned/leant | |
★ you will have | leaned/leant | |
★ he/she/it will have | leaned/leant | |
★ we will have | leaned/leant | |
★ you will have | leaned/leant | |
★ they will have | leaned/leant |
Examples of the verb 'lean' in the Future Perfect |
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- I will have leaned/leant on my family by the end of the year. |
- You will have leaned/leant against this wall many times by then. |
- He will have leaned/leant over to talk. | She will have leaned/leant on her desk by the time you arrive. |
- We will have leaned/leant towards the new strategy. |
- You (plural) will have leaned/leant on each other through the tough times. |
- They will have leaned/leant back too often. |
LEAN - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i will have been | leaning | |
★ you will have been | leaning | |
★ he/she/it will have been | leaning | |
★ we will have been | leaning | |
★ you will have been | leaning | |
★ they will have been | leaning |
Examples of the verb 'lean' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
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- I will have been leaning on my friends for months by then. |
- You will have been leaning against the door for a while. |
- He will have been leaning forward for most of the conversation. | She will have been leaning on her chair for hours. |
- We will have been leaning towards a decision for weeks. |
- You (plural) will have been leaning on each other throughout the challenge. |
- They will have been leaning back and relaxing for most of the evening. |