Irregular verbs Regular verbs
tear, tears, tearing, torn, tore
Synonyms: rip, rend, split, shred, sever
Antonyms: mend, repair, sew, join, unite
The Verb Tear – Definition, Usage, and Clarification
The verb tear is a common irregular verb meaning to rip or pull something apart or into pieces with force. It should not be confused with the noun 'tear' (a drop of liquid from the eye), which is pronounced differently.
VERB FORMS
■ Base Form: tear (pronounced /tɛər/)
■ Past Simple: tore
■ Past Participle: torn
■ Present Participle/Gerund: tearing
USAGE AND CONTEXT
'Tear' is used for the physical act of ripping and for fast, uncontrolled movement.
1. Ripping Material
This is its primary, literal meaning.
■ Action: 'He tore the page out of his notebook.'
■ Damage: 'Be careful not to tear your dress on that nail.'
2. Moving Very Quickly (Figurative)
This is an informal use to describe rapid, often reckless, motion.
■ Speed: 'She came tearing around the corner and almost ran into me.'
ℹ IMPORTANT: PRONUNCIATION AND IDIOMS
■ Pronunciation:
■ Verb 'to tear' rhymes with 'air' and 'care.' (/tɛər/)
■ Noun 'a tear' (from crying) rhymes with 'ear' and 'here.' (/tɪər/)
■ Adjective 'Torn': The past participle 'torn' is often used as an adjective.
■ Example: 'He was wearing a torn shirt.'
■ Figurative: 'I'm torn between two choices; I don't know what to do.'
■ Phrasal Verbs:
■ Tear down: To demolish a building or structure.
■ Tear up: To rip into many small pieces. ('She tore up the letter in anger.')
| TEAR - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | tear |
| ★ you | tear |
| ★ he/she/it | tears |
| ★ we | tear |
| ★ you (plural) | tear |
| ★ they | tear |
| Examples of the verb 'tear' in the Present Simple |
|---|
| - I tear the paper into small pieces. |
| - You tear the lettuce for the salad. |
| - He tears a page out of his notebook. | The fabric tears easily. |
| - We tear the bread instead of slicing it. |
| - You (plural) tear the tickets at the entrance. |
| - They tear down the old building to make way for a new one. |
| TEAR - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I am | tearing |
| ★ you are | tearing |
| ★ he/she/it is | tearing |
| ★ we are | tearing |
| ★ you are | tearing |
| ★ they are | tearing |
| Examples of the verb 'tear' in the Present Continuous |
|---|
| - I am tearing an article out of the newspaper. |
| - You are tearing the wrapping paper off the gift. |
| - He is tearing up as he watches the sad movie. | The decision is tearing the family apart. |
| - We are tearing down the old shed. |
| - You (plural) are tearing the coupons out of the magazine. |
| - They are tearing up the old carpet. |
| TEAR - PRESENT PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have | torn |
| ★ you have | torn |
| ★ he/she/it has | torn |
| ★ we have | torn |
| ★ you have | torn |
| ★ they have | torn |
| Examples of the verb 'tear' in the Present Perfect |
|---|
| - I have torn my favorite shirt on a nail. |
| - You have torn the contract into pieces. |
| - He has torn a muscle in his leg. | She has been torn between two choices. |
| - We have torn down the wall between the two rooms. |
| - You (plural) have torn the wrapping paper. |
| - They have torn up the old agreement. |
| TEAR - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have been | tearing |
| ★ you have been | tearing |
| ★ he/she/it has been | tearing |
| ★ we have been | tearing |
| ★ you have been | tearing |
| ★ they have been | tearing |
| Examples of the verb 'tear' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I have been tearing pages out of this book to make a collage. |
| - You have been tearing this family apart with your lies. |
| - He has been tearing up the dance floor all night. | The wind has been tearing at the roof. |
| - We have been tearing down the old structure all week. |
| - You (plural) have been tearing up the floorboards. |
| - They have been tearing through their work. |
| TEAR - PAST SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | tore |
| ★ you | tore |
| ★ he/she/it | tore |
| ★ we | tore |
| ★ you (plural) | tore |
| ★ they | tore |
| Examples of the verb 'tear' in the Past Simple |
|---|
| - I tore the letter in half after I read it. |
| - You tore the photo out of the album. |
| - He tore his jeans when he fell off his bike. | A sob tore from her throat. |
| - We tore down the old fence. |
| - You (plural) tore the tickets in two. |
| - They tore the old building down. |
| TEAR - PAST CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I was | tearing |
| ★ you were | tearing |
| ★ he/she/it was | tearing |
| ★ we were | tearing |
| ★ you were | tearing |
| ★ they were | tearing |
| Examples of the verb 'tear' in the Past Continuous |
|---|
| - I was tearing the paper when I got a paper cut. |
| - You were tearing up when you said goodbye. |
| - He was tearing down the posters from the wall. | The storm was tearing the shingles off the roof. |
| - We were tearing the bread to share it. |
| - You (plural) were tearing the old wallpaper off the walls. |
| - They were tearing through the boxes looking for the file. |
| TEAR - PAST PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had | torn |
| ★ you had | torn |
| ★ he/she/it had | torn |
| ★ we had | torn |
| ★ you had | torn |
| ★ they had | torn |
| Examples of the verb 'tear' in the Past Perfect |
|---|
| - I had torn the page out before I realized I needed it. |
| - You had torn the contract, so it was no longer valid. |
| - He had torn his ligament, so he couldn't play in the final. | The argument had torn their friendship apart. |
| - We had torn down the old house. |
| - You (plural) had torn the letter. |
| - They had torn up the old plans. |
| TEAR - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had been | tearing |
| ★ you had been | tearing |
| ★ he/she/it had been | tearing |
| ★ we had been | tearing |
| ★ you had been | tearing |
| ★ they had been | tearing |
| Examples of the verb 'tear' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I had been tearing out weeds from the garden all morning. |
| - You had been tearing the family apart for years. |
| - He had been tearing up the court all season. | The conflict had been tearing the country apart. |
| - We had been tearing down the wall. |
| - You (plural) had been tearing the pages out. |
| - They had been tearing through the supplies. |
| TEAR - FUTURE SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will | tear |
| ★ you will | tear |
| ★ he/she/it will | tear |
| ★ we will | tear |
| ★ you will | tear |
| ★ they will | tear |
| Examples of the verb 'tear' in the Future Simple |
|---|
| - I will tear this page out for you. |
| - You will tear your dress if you're not careful. |
| - He will tear down that old shed next weekend. | This issue will tear the community apart. |
| - We will tear up the old contract and write a new one. |
| - You (plural) will tear the wrapping paper to open the gifts. |
| - They will tear down the wall for the renovation. |
| TEAR - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will be | tearing |
| ★ you will be | tearing |
| ★ he/she/it will be | tearing |
| ★ we will be | tearing |
| ★ you will be | tearing |
| ★ they will be | tearing |
| Examples of the verb 'tear' in the Future Continuous |
|---|
| - I will be tearing the old wallpaper off all day tomorrow. |
| - You will be tearing up the dance floor at the party. |
| - He will be tearing down the engine to repair it. | The debate will be tearing the political party apart. |
| - We will be tearing out the old kitchen. |
| - You (plural) will be tearing through your work. |
| - They will be tearing up the old pavement. |
| TEAR - FUTURE PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have | torn |
| ★ you will have | torn |
| ★ he/she/it will have | torn |
| ★ we will have | torn |
| ★ you will have | torn |
| ★ they will have | torn |
| Examples of the verb 'tear' in the Future Perfect |
|---|
| - I will have torn all the old posters down by the end of the day. |
| - You will have torn the package open. |
| - He will have torn his ACL. | The conflict will have torn the country apart. |
| - We will have torn down the old building. |
| - You (plural) will have torn up the contract. |
| - They will have torn the wall down. |
| TEAR - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have been | tearing |
| ★ you will have been | tearing |
| ★ he/she/it will have been | tearing |
| ★ we will have been | tearing |
| ★ you will have been | tearing |
| ★ they will have been | tearing |
| Examples of the verb 'tear' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - By tomorrow, we will have been tearing this house apart for a week. |
| - You will have been tearing up the court. |
| - The argument will have been tearing them apart for a long time. | The storm will have been tearing at the coast. |
| - We will have been tearing down the structure. |
| - You (plural) will have been tearing out the pages. |
| - They will have been tearing through the books. |