Irregular verbs Regular verbs
put, puts, putting
Synonyms: place, set, position, lay, deposit
Antonyms: remove, take, withdraw, displace, transfer
The Verb Put – Definition, Usage, and Clarification
The verb put is a very common irregular verb with a core meaning of moving something to a particular place or position. It is extremely versatile and is a core component of many phrasal verbs.
VERB FORMS
■ Base Form: put
■ Past Simple: put
■ Past Participle: put
■ Present Participle/Gerund: putting
USAGE AND CONTEXT
'Put' is one of the most frequently used verbs in English, appearing in countless situations.
1. Placing or Moving
This is its most literal meaning.
■ Location: 'Put the book on the table.'
■ Position: 'She put her arm around his shoulder.'
2. Expressing or Stating
This refers to conveying something in words.
■ 'To put it simply, we don't have enough money.'
■ 'She put her concerns in an email to the manager.'
3. Causing a State or Condition
This usage describes causing someone or something to be in a certain state.
■ 'Put him at ease.'
■ 'Put the plan into action.'
ℹ IMPORTANT: PHRASAL VERBS
The true power of 'put' comes from its use in phrasal verbs, which have meanings very different from the verb alone. Here are a few examples:
■ Put off: To postpone. ('Don't put off your homework.')
■ Put up with: To tolerate. ('I can't put up with that noise anymore.')
■ Put out: To extinguish (a fire). ('He put out the campfire before leaving.')
■ Put down: To insult or to place something down. ('He always puts down her ideas.')
■ Put on: To wear clothing or to stage a performance. ('Put on your coat.')
| PUT - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | put |
| ★ you | put |
| ★ he/she/it | puts |
| ★ we | put |
| ★ you (plural) | put |
| ★ they | put |
| Examples of the verb 'put' in the Present Simple |
|---|
| - I put the keys on the kitchen counter. |
| - You always put others before yourself. |
| - He puts a lot of effort into his work. | She puts sugar in her tea. |
| - We put our trust in you. |
| - You (plural) put your names on the list. |
| - They put their children to bed at 8 PM. |
| PUT - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I am | putting |
| ★ you are | putting |
| ★ he/she/it is | putting |
| ★ we are | putting |
| ★ you are | putting |
| ★ they are | putting |
| Examples of the verb 'put' in the Present Continuous |
|---|
| - I am putting my clothes away. |
| - You are putting me in a difficult position. |
| - He is putting up a new shelf. | She is putting on her makeup. |
| - We are putting together a new team. |
| - You (plural) are putting the finishing touches on the project. |
| - They are putting the chairs out for the event. |
| PUT - PRESENT PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have | put |
| ★ you have | put |
| ★ he/she/it has | put |
| ★ we have | put |
| ★ you have | put |
| ★ they have | put |
| Examples of the verb 'put' in the Present Perfect |
|---|
| - I have put the dishes in the dishwasher. |
| - You have put a lot of time into this. |
| - He has put the book back on the shelf. | She has put her signature on the contract. |
| - We have put our differences aside. |
| - You (plural) have put your shoes by the door. |
| - They have put up the decorations for the party. |
| PUT - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have been | putting |
| ★ you have been | putting |
| ★ he/she/it has been | putting |
| ★ we have been | putting |
| ★ you have been | putting |
| ★ they have been | putting |
| Examples of the verb 'put' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I have been putting up with this noise all morning. |
| - You have been putting off your homework. |
| - He has been putting aside money for a new car. | She has been putting together a portfolio of her work. |
| - We have been putting up posters around town. |
| - You (plural) have been putting a lot of pressure on the team. |
| - They have been putting things in storage. |
| PUT - PAST SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | put |
| ★ you | put |
| ★ he/she/it | put |
| ★ we | put |
| ★ you (plural) | put |
| ★ they | put |
| Examples of the verb 'put' in the Past Simple |
|---|
| - I put the letter in the mailbox yesterday. |
| - You put your foot in your mouth with that comment. |
| - He put the car in the garage. | She put her coat on and left. |
| - We put the plan into action last week. |
| - You (plural) put the books back in the library. |
| - They put their house on the market. |
| PUT - PAST CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I was | putting |
| ★ you were | putting |
| ★ he/she/it was | putting |
| ★ we were | putting |
| ★ you were | putting |
| ★ they were | putting |
| Examples of the verb 'put' in the Past Continuous |
|---|
| - I was putting the groceries away when you called. |
| - You were putting everyone at ease with your jokes. |
| - He was putting up a fence in the garden. | She was putting her daughter to bed. |
| - We were putting out the fire when the fire brigade arrived. |
| - You (plural) were putting the final pieces of the puzzle together. |
| - They were putting the equipment into boxes. |
| PUT - PAST PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had | put |
| ★ you had | put |
| ★ he/she/it had | put |
| ★ we had | put |
| ★ you had | put |
| ★ they had | put |
| Examples of the verb 'put' in the Past Perfect |
|---|
| - I had put the children to bed before the guests arrived. |
| - You had put the keys in a safe place. |
| - He had put a lot of thought into the gift. | She had put the flowers in a vase. |
| - We had put the new policy in place. |
| - You (plural) had put the documents in the folder. |
| - They had put the dog outside. |
| PUT - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had been | putting |
| ★ you had been | putting |
| ★ he/she/it had been | putting |
| ★ we had been | putting |
| ★ you had been | putting |
| ★ they had been | putting |
| Examples of the verb 'put' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I had been putting off the decision for weeks. |
| - You had been putting up with his behavior for too long. |
| - He had been putting money aside for years before he could afford the house. | She had been putting together the presentation. |
| - We had been putting out flyers. |
| - You (plural) had been putting in long hours at the office. |
| - They had been putting the plan together for months. |
| PUT - FUTURE SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will | put |
| ★ you will | put |
| ★ he/she/it will | put |
| ★ we will | put |
| ★ you will | put |
| ★ they will | put |
| Examples of the verb 'put' in the Future Simple |
|---|
| - I will put the cat outside if it misbehaves. |
| - You will put the book back when you are finished. |
| - He will put his name forward for the position. | She will put the kettle on for tea. |
| - We will put your suggestion to a vote. |
| - You (plural) will put your tools away after work. |
| - They will put the new rules into effect tomorrow. |
| PUT - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will be | putting |
| ★ you will be | putting |
| ★ he/she/it will be | putting |
| ★ we will be | putting |
| ★ you will be | putting |
| ★ they will be | putting |
| Examples of the verb 'put' in the Future Continuous |
|---|
| - I will be putting the final touches on the report tomorrow morning. |
| - You will be putting yourself at risk. |
| - He will be putting up the Christmas lights next weekend. | She will be putting her plan into motion. |
| - We will be putting together a new proposal. |
| - You (plural) will be putting the garden furniture out. |
| - They will be putting on a great show. |
| PUT - FUTURE PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have | put |
| ★ you will have | put |
| ★ he/she/it will have | put |
| ★ we will have | put |
| ★ you will have | put |
| ★ they will have | put |
| Examples of the verb 'put' in the Future Perfect |
|---|
| - I will have put all the tools back in the shed by tonight. |
| - You will have put the children to sleep by 9 PM. |
| - He will have put enough money aside for retirement by age 60. | She will have put the meal in the oven. |
| - We will have put the new system online by Monday. |
| - You (plural) will have put the decorations up. |
| - They will have put the fire out by the time we get there. |
| PUT - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have been | putting |
| ★ you will have been | putting |
| ★ he/she/it will have been | putting |
| ★ we will have been | putting |
| ★ you will have been | putting |
| ★ they will have been | putting |
| Examples of the verb 'put' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - By the end of the day, I will have been putting up wallpaper for six hours. |
| - You will have been putting off this task for a month. |
| - By the time he buys it, he will have been putting money aside for years. | She will have been putting the puzzle together. |
| - We will have been putting up with the construction noise for a year. |
| - You (plural) will have been putting in overtime for weeks. |
| - They will have been putting on this festival for twenty years. |