IRREGULAR VERBS
Irregular verbs Regular verbs
kneel, kneels, kneeling, knelt, kneeled
Synonyms: genuflect, bow, crouch, stoop, bend
Antonyms: stand, rise, straighten, ascend, erect
The verb "kneel" is used to describe the action of resting on one's knees, typically as a sign of respect, supplication, or reverence. It is generally considered a regular verb in English, following a typical pattern for conjugation. However, it's important to note that its past tense and past participle forms can vary regionally. In British English, the past tense is often "knelt," which is considered irregular, while in American English, "kneeled" is more common, which would be considered regular. In the present simple tense, "kneel" follows its base form for most subjects: "I kneel," "you kneel," "he/she/it kneels," and so on. For example, "She kneels in prayer every evening." In the past simple tense, "kneel" changes to "knelt" in British English and "kneeled" in American English. Both forms are commonly used, with "knelt" being more prevalent in British English. For instance, "He knelt before the king" or "He kneeled down to tie his shoelaces." The past participle of "kneel" is "knelt" in both British and American English. When forming perfect tenses, such as present perfect or past perfect, the past participle is combined with auxiliary verbs. An example sentence is "They have knelt in prayer for hours." Understanding the regular conjugation of "kneel" is important for accurately describing actions related to resting on one's knees. The verb "kneel" is used in various contexts, including religious ceremonies, personal reflection, and formal occasions, highlighting its significance in human expression and communication.
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.
KNEEL - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
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★ i | kneel |
★ you | kneel |
★ he/she/it | kneels |
★ we | kneel |
★ you | kneel |
★ they | kneel |
Examples of the verb 'kneel' in the Present Simple |
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- I kneel in prayer. |
- You kneel before the altar. |
- He kneels during the anthem. | She kneels to propose. |
- We kneel on the mat. |
- You (plural) kneel during the ceremony. |
- They kneel in protest. |
KNEEL - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i am | kneeling | |
★ you are | kneeling | |
★ he/she/it is | kneeling | |
★ we are | kneeling | |
★ you are | kneeling | |
★ they are | kneeling |
Examples of the verb 'kneel' in the Present Continuous |
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- I am kneeling to reach the lower shelf. |
- You are kneeling to tie your shoe. |
- He is kneeling in the garden. | She is kneeling to examine the flower. |
- We are kneeling in the chapel. |
- You (plural) are kneeling to plant the seeds. |
- They are kneeling in solidarity. |
KNEEL - PRESENT PERFECT | ||
★ i have | knelt | |
★ you have | knelt | |
★ he/she/it has | knelt | |
★ we have | knelt | |
★ you have | knelt | |
★ they have | knelt |
Examples of the verb 'kneel' in the Present Perfect |
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- I have knelt in reverence. |
- You have knelt on the hard ground. |
- He has knelt in front of his audience. | She has knelt to propose. |
- We have knelt in submission. |
- You (plural) have knelt in awe. |
- They have knelt in supplication. |
KNEEL - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i have been | kneeling | |
★ you have been | kneeling | |
★ he/she/it has been | kneeling | |
★ we have been | kneeling | |
★ you have been | kneeling | |
★ they have been | kneeling |
Examples of the verb 'kneel' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
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- I have been kneeling for a while. |
- You have been kneeling for too long. |
- He has been kneeling in prayer. | She has been kneeling to comfort the child. |
- We have been kneeling in meditation. |
- You (plural) have been kneeling in protest. |
- They have been kneeling in solidarity. |
KNEEL - PAST SIMPLE | ||
★ i | knelt | |
★ you | knelt | |
★ he/she/it | knelt | |
★ we | knelt | |
★ you | knelt | |
★ they | knelt |
Examples of the verb 'kneel' in the Past Simple |
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- I knelt before the king. |
- You knelt in the church. |
- He knelt on the hard floor. | She knelt beside the bed. |
- We knelt in the sand. |
- You (plural) knelt during the ceremony. |
- They knelt in front of the monument. |
KNEEL - PAST CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i was | kneeling | |
★ you were | kneeling | |
★ he/she/it was | kneeling | |
★ we were | kneeling | |
★ you were | kneeling | |
★ they were | kneeling |
Examples of the verb 'kneel' in the Past Continuous |
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- I was kneeling in the garden when it started raining. |
- You were kneeling to pick up the fallen book. |
- He was kneeling to examine the tracks. | She was kneeling in prayer. |
- We were kneeling on the hard floor. |
- You (plural) were kneeling in protest. |
- They were kneeling in solidarity. |
KNEEL - PAST PERFECT | ||
★ i had | knelt | |
★ you had | knelt | |
★ he/she/it had | knelt | |
★ we had | knelt | |
★ you had | knelt | |
★ they had | knelt |
Examples of the verb 'kneel' in the Past Perfect |
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- I had knelt in prayer before the news arrived. |
- You had knelt on the soft cushion. |
- He had knelt before the battle. | She had knelt to propose. |
- We had knelt in respect. |
- You (plural) had knelt in awe. |
- They had knelt in supplication. |
KNEEL - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i had been | kneeling | |
★ you had been | kneeling | |
★ he/she/it had been | kneeling | |
★ we had been | kneeling | |
★ you had been | kneeling | |
★ they had been | kneeling |
Examples of the verb 'kneel' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
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- I had been kneeling for hours. |
- You had been kneeling on the hard ground. |
- He had been kneeling in the garden. | She had been kneeling to examine the flower. |
- We had been kneeling in the chapel. |
- You (plural) had been kneeling to plant the seeds. |
- They had been kneeling in solidarity. |
KNEEL - FUTURE SIMPLE | ||
★ i will | kneel | |
★ you will | kneel | |
★ he/she/it will | kneel | |
★ we will | kneel | |
★ you will | kneel | |
★ they will | kneel |
Examples of the verb 'kneel' in the Future Simple |
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- I will kneel before the king. |
- You will kneel in prayer. |
- He will kneel to propose. | She will kneel in the garden. |
- We will kneel on the soft carpet. |
- You (plural) will kneel in respect. |
- They will kneel in protest. |
KNEEL - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i will be | kneeling | |
★ you will be | kneeling | |
★ he/she/it will be | kneeling | |
★ we will be | kneeling | |
★ you will be | kneeling | |
★ they will be | kneeling |
Examples of the verb 'kneel' in the Future Continuous |
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- I will be kneeling at the ceremony. |
- You will be kneeling in the field. |
- He will be kneeling in prayer. | She will be kneeling to examine the flower. |
- We will be kneeling in the chapel. |
- You (plural) will be kneeling in solidarity. |
- They will be kneeling in protest. |
KNEEL - FUTURE PERFECT | ||
★ i will have | knelt | |
★ you will have | knelt | |
★ he/she/it will have | knelt | |
★ we will have | knelt | |
★ you will have | knelt | |
★ they will have | knelt |
Examples of the verb 'kneel' in the Future Perfect |
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- I will have knelt before the ceremony starts. |
- You will have knelt in prayer. |
- He will have knelt to propose. | She will have knelt in the garden. |
- We will have knelt in respect. |
- You (plural) will have knelt in awe. |
- They will have knelt in supplication. |
KNEEL - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i will have been | kneeling | |
★ you will have been | kneeling | |
★ he/she/it will have been | kneeling | |
★ we will have been | kneeling | |
★ you will have been | kneeling | |
★ they will have been | kneeling |
Examples of the verb 'kneel' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
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- I will have been kneeling for hours by then. |
- You will have been kneeling on the hard ground. |
- He will have been kneeling in the garden. | She will have been kneeling to examine the flower. |
- We will have been kneeling in the chapel. |
- You (plural) will have been kneeling to plant the seeds. |
- They will have been kneeling in solidarity. |