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
★ Iput
★ youput
★ he/she/itputs
★ weput
★ you (plural)put
★ theyput
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 amputting
★ you areputting
★ he/she/it isputting
★ we areputting
★ you areputting
★ they areputting
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 haveput
★ you haveput
★ he/she/it hasput
★ we haveput
★ you haveput
★ they haveput
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 beenputting
★ you have beenputting
★ he/she/it has beenputting
★ we have beenputting
★ you have beenputting
★ they have beenputting
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
★ Iput
★ youput
★ he/she/itput
★ weput
★ you (plural)put
★ theyput
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 wasputting
★ you wereputting
★ he/she/it wasputting
★ we wereputting
★ you wereputting
★ they wereputting
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 hadput
★ you hadput
★ he/she/it hadput
★ we hadput
★ you hadput
★ they hadput
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 beenputting
★ you had beenputting
★ he/she/it had beenputting
★ we had beenputting
★ you had beenputting
★ they had beenputting
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 willput
★ you willput
★ he/she/it willput
★ we willput
★ you willput
★ they willput
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 beputting
★ you will beputting
★ he/she/it will beputting
★ we will beputting
★ you will beputting
★ they will beputting
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 haveput
★ you will haveput
★ he/she/it will haveput
★ we will haveput
★ you will haveput
★ they will haveput
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 beenputting
★ you will have beenputting
★ he/she/it will have beenputting
★ we will have beenputting
★ you will have beenputting
★ they will have beenputting
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.

Conjugation of the verb To Put