IRREGULAR VERBS
Irregular verbs Regular verbs
leave, leaves, leaving, left
Synonyms: depart, go away, exit, vacate, abandon
Antonyms: stay, remain, arrive, come, enter
The verb "leave" is an irregular verb in English, commonly used to describe the action of going away from a place or situation. Its conjugation deviates from the regular pattern. In the present simple tense, "leave" follows its base form for most subjects: "I leave," "you leave," "he/she/it leaves," and so forth. For example, "She leaves for work at 8 AM." In the past simple tense, "leave" changes to "left." This irregular form is used to talk about actions of departing that were completed in the past. For instance, "He left the party early." The past participle of "leave" is also "left." 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 left the city for a quieter life in the countryside." "Leave" is often used as a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object to complete its meaning: "She left the keys on the table." However, it can also be used intransitively: "He left without saying goodbye." The verb "leave" is also used in various idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs, such as "leave out" (to omit), "leave behind" (to abandon), and "leave off" (to stop doing something). Understanding the irregular conjugation of "leave" is crucial for accurately describing actions related to departure or omission. Its presence in many idiomatic expressions adds to its versatility 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.
LEAVE - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
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★ i | leave |
★ you | leave |
★ he/she/it | leaves |
★ we | leave |
★ you | leave |
★ they | leave |
Examples of the verb 'leave' in the Present Simple |
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- I leave for work at 8 AM. |
- You leave your keys on the table. |
- He leaves the office early. | She leaves her books at home. |
- We leave our shoes at the door. |
- You (plural) leave your bags in the hallway. |
- They leave their bicycles outside. |
LEAVE - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i am | leaving | |
★ you are | leaving | |
★ he/she/it is | leaving | |
★ we are | leaving | |
★ you are | leaving | |
★ they are | leaving |
Examples of the verb 'leave' in the Present Continuous |
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- I am leaving now. |
- You are leaving your job soon. |
- He is leaving the party. | She is leaving the meeting early. |
- We are leaving for vacation tomorrow. |
- You (plural) are leaving the building. |
- They are leaving together. |
LEAVE - PRESENT PERFECT | ||
★ i have | left | |
★ you have | left | |
★ he/she/it has | left | |
★ we have | left | |
★ you have | left | |
★ they have | left |
Examples of the verb 'leave' in the Present Perfect |
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- I have left my book at home. |
- You have left your umbrella. |
- He has left his phone. | She has left her wallet. |
- We have left the room. |
- You (plural) have left your seats. |
- They have left already. |
LEAVE - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i have been | leaving | |
★ you have been | leaving | |
★ he/she/it has been | leaving | |
★ we have been | leaving | |
★ you have been | leaving | |
★ they have been | leaving |
Examples of the verb 'leave' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
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- I have been leaving messages for you. |
- You have been leaving your belongings everywhere. |
- He has been leaving early every day. | She has been leaving hints about her plans. |
- We have been leaving for work together. |
- You (plural) have been leaving your lights on. |
- They have been leaving late. |
LEAVE - PAST SIMPLE | ||
★ i | left | |
★ you | left | |
★ he/she/it | left | |
★ we | left | |
★ you | left | |
★ they | left |
Examples of the verb 'leave' in the Past Simple |
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- I left my keys in the car. |
- You left the party early. |
- He left his coat. | She left her bag. |
- We left the house at dawn. |
- You (plural) left your tickets at home. |
- They left the country last year. |
LEAVE - PAST CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i was | leaving | |
★ you were | leaving | |
★ he/she/it was | leaving | |
★ we were | leaving | |
★ you were | leaving | |
★ they were | leaving |
Examples of the verb 'leave' in the Past Continuous |
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- I was leaving when you called. |
- You were leaving the office. |
- He was leaving the restaurant. | She was leaving the store. |
- We were leaving the meeting. |
- You (plural) were leaving the event. |
- They were leaving the city. |
LEAVE - PAST PERFECT | ||
★ i had | left | |
★ you had | left | |
★ he/she/it had | left | |
★ we had | left | |
★ you had | left | |
★ they had | left |
Examples of the verb 'leave' in the Past Perfect |
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- I had left by the time you arrived. |
- You had left your homework at school. |
- He had left before the storm. | She had left her job. |
- We had left the building. |
- You (plural) had left your documents. |
- They had left for vacation. |
LEAVE - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i had been | leaving | |
★ you had been | leaving | |
★ he/she/it had been | leaving | |
★ we had been | leaving | |
★ you had been | leaving | |
★ they had been | leaving |
Examples of the verb 'leave' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
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- I had been leaving early for weeks. |
- You had been leaving your shoes everywhere. |
- He had been leaving his jacket behind. | She had been leaving hints for months. |
- We had been leaving the office late. |
- You (plural) had been leaving your assignments unfinished. |
- They had been leaving their bikes outside. |
LEAVE - FUTURE SIMPLE | ||
★ i will | leave | |
★ you will | leave | |
★ he/she/it will | leave | |
★ we will | leave | |
★ you will | leave | |
★ they will | leave |
Examples of the verb 'leave' in the Future Simple |
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- I will leave soon. |
- You will leave your car in the garage. |
- He will leave the meeting early. | She will leave her office. |
- We will leave for the trip tomorrow. |
- You (plural) will leave your bags packed. |
- They will leave the building. |
LEAVE - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i will be | leaving | |
★ you will be | leaving | |
★ he/she/it will be | leaving | |
★ we will be | leaving | |
★ you will be | leaving | |
★ they will be | leaving |
Examples of the verb 'leave' in the Future Continuous |
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- I will be leaving at noon. |
- You will be leaving the city next month. |
- He will be leaving the company. | She will be leaving for vacation. |
- We will be leaving shortly. |
- You (plural) will be leaving the party. |
- They will be leaving soon. |
LEAVE - FUTURE PERFECT | ||
★ i will have | left | |
★ you will have | left | |
★ he/she/it will have | left | |
★ we will have | left | |
★ you will have | left | |
★ they will have | left |
Examples of the verb 'leave' in the Future Perfect |
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- I will have left by then. |
- You will have left your job. |
- He will have left the room. | She will have left the house. |
- We will have left the city. |
- You (plural) will have left the conference. |
- They will have left the country. |
LEAVE - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i will have been | leaving | |
★ you will have been | leaving | |
★ he/she/it will have been | leaving | |
★ we will have been | leaving | |
★ you will have been | leaving | |
★ they will have been | leaving |
Examples of the verb 'leave' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
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- I will have been leaving messages for you. |
- You will have been leaving the office early. |
- He will have been leaving clues. | She will have been leaving hints. |
- We will have been leaving work together. |
- You (plural) will have been leaving your keys. |
- They will have been leaving late. |