IRREGULAR VERBS
Irregular verbs Regular verbs
let, lets, letting, let
Synonyms: allow, permit, enable, authorize, consent to
Antonyms: prevent, prohibit, block, disallow, forbid
The verb "let" is an irregular verb in English, meaning to allow or permit something to happen. Its conjugation is unique and does not follow the regular pattern of adding "-ed" for past forms. In the present simple tense, "let" remains in its base form for all subjects: "I let," "you let," "he/she/it lets," and so on. For example, "She lets her children play outside." In the past simple tense, "let" remains "let." This form is used to talk about actions of allowing or permitting that were completed in the past. For instance, "He let me borrow his bike yesterday." The past participle of "let" is also "let." 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 let their dog roam freely." "Let" is typically used as a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object to complete its meaning: "She let him enter the room." The verb "let" is often used in various expressions and phrases, such as "let go" (to release), "let down" (to disappoint), and "let in" (to allow someone to enter). Understanding the irregular conjugation of "let" is crucial for accurately describing actions of allowing or permitting. Its versatility and frequent use in idiomatic expressions make it an important verb 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.
LET - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
---|---|
★ i | let |
★ you | let |
★ he/she/it | lets |
★ we | let |
★ you | let |
★ they | let |
Examples of the verb 'let' in the Present Simple |
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- I let my dog out every morning. |
- You let your friends borrow your books. |
- He lets his children play outside. | She lets her hair down. |
- We let our guests stay overnight. |
- You (plural) let your employees take breaks. |
- They let their kids watch TV. |
LET - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i am | letting | |
★ you are | letting | |
★ he/she/it is | letting | |
★ we are | letting | |
★ you are | letting | |
★ they are | letting |
Examples of the verb 'let' in the Present Continuous |
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- I am letting my cat in. |
- You are letting your friends know. |
- He is letting his sister use the computer. | She is letting her friend stay over. |
- We are letting our team take a break. |
- You (plural) are letting your children play. |
- They are letting their employees go early. |
LET - PRESENT PERFECT | ||
★ i have | let | |
★ you have | let | |
★ he/she/it has | let | |
★ we have | let | |
★ you have | let | |
★ they have | let |
Examples of the verb 'let' in the Present Perfect |
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- I have let the dog out. |
- You have let your friends down. |
- He has let his temper get the best of him. | She has let her house get messy. |
- We have let our guard down. |
- You (plural) have let the team win. |
- They have let their standards slip. |
LET - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i have been | letting | |
★ you have been | letting | |
★ he/she/it has been | letting | |
★ we have been | letting | |
★ you have been | letting | |
★ they have been | letting |
Examples of the verb 'let' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
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- I have been letting my plants die. |
- You have been letting your grades slip. |
- He has been letting his work pile up. | She has been letting her emotions show. |
- We have been letting our responsibilities slide. |
- You (plural) have been letting your deadlines pass. |
- They have been letting their opportunities go. |
LET - PAST SIMPLE | ||
★ i | let | |
★ you | let | |
★ he/she/it | let | |
★ we | let | |
★ you | let | |
★ they | let |
Examples of the verb 'let' in the Past Simple |
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- I let him borrow my car. |
- You let your children stay up late. |
- He let his friend use his phone. | She let her brother take her bike. |
- We let our guests leave early. |
- You (plural) let your employees work from home. |
- They let their dog run free. |
LET - PAST CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i was | letting | |
★ you were | letting | |
★ he/she/it was | letting | |
★ we were | letting | |
★ you were | letting | |
★ they were | letting |
Examples of the verb 'let' in the Past Continuous |
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- I was letting my friend stay over. |
- You were letting your homework pile up. |
- He was letting his anger show. | She was letting her hair grow long. |
- We were letting our kids play outside. |
- You (plural) were letting your team take a break. |
- They were letting their guard down. |
LET - PAST PERFECT | ||
★ i had | let | |
★ you had | let | |
★ he/she/it had | let | |
★ we had | let | |
★ you had | let | |
★ they had | let |
Examples of the verb 'let' in the Past Perfect |
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- I had let my dog out before dinner. |
- You had let your responsibilities slide. |
- He had let his emotions get the best of him. | She had let her house get cluttered. |
- We had let our standards drop. |
- You (plural) had let the project fail. |
- They had let their chances slip away. |
LET - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i had been | letting | |
★ you had been | letting | |
★ he/she/it had been | letting | |
★ we had been | letting | |
★ you had been | letting | |
★ they had been | letting |
Examples of the verb 'let' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
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- I had been letting my plants wither. |
- You had been letting your grades drop. |
- He had been letting his work go unfinished. | She had been letting her feelings show. |
- We had been letting our guard down. |
- You (plural) had been letting your time go to waste. |
- They had been letting their resources dwindle. |
LET - FUTURE SIMPLE | ||
★ i will | let | |
★ you will | let | |
★ he/she/it will | let | |
★ we will | let | |
★ you will | let | |
★ they will | let |
Examples of the verb 'let' in the Future Simple |
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- I will let you know. |
- You will let your friend borrow your book. |
- He will let his dog out. | She will let her hair down. |
- We will let our kids play outside. |
- You (plural) will let your employees take breaks. |
- They will let their friends stay over. |
LET - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i will be | letting | |
★ you will be | letting | |
★ he/she/it will be | letting | |
★ we will be | letting | |
★ you will be | letting | |
★ they will be | letting |
Examples of the verb 'let' in the Future Continuous |
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- I will be letting my brother use my car. |
- You will be letting your team work on the project. |
- He will be letting his anger out. | She will be letting her guests in. |
- We will be letting our children watch TV. |
- You (plural) will be letting your workers leave early. |
- They will be letting their guard down. |
LET - FUTURE PERFECT | ||
★ i will have | let | |
★ you will have | let | |
★ he/she/it will have | let | |
★ we will have | let | |
★ you will have | let | |
★ they will have | let |
Examples of the verb 'let' in the Future Perfect |
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- I will have let you know by then. |
- You will have let your friends down. |
- He will have let his emotions show. | She will have let her house get messy. |
- We will have let our standards slip. |
- You (plural) will have let the project fail. |
- They will have let their opportunities go. |
LET - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i will have been | letting | |
★ you will have been | letting | |
★ he/she/it will have been | letting | |
★ we will have been | letting | |
★ you will have been | letting | |
★ they will have been | letting |
Examples of the verb 'let' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
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- I will have been letting my responsibilities slide. |
- You will have been letting your grades drop. |
- He will have been letting his work pile up. | She will have been letting her feelings show. |
- We will have been letting our kids play. |
- You (plural) will have been letting your deadlines pass. |
- They will have been letting their resources dwindle. |