turn
turns
turning
turned
Turn means to move around an axis, or to change direction or state. Regular verb: turn-turned-turned.
Meanings
- To rotate or revolve
- To change direction
- To become or cause to become
Common Collocations
turn around
turn down
turn out
turn over
turn the tables
Tip for Learners
Turn has many phrasal verbs: turn down (reject/lower), turn out (result/attend), turn up (arrive/increase).
Present Simple
| I | turn |
| you | turn |
| he/she/it | turns |
| we | turn |
| they | turn |
Examples - Present Simple
- I turn left at the traffic lights every day.
- You turn the page too quickly.
- She turns red when she's embarrassed.
- We turn off the lights before leaving.
- They turn the music down at night.
Present Continuous
| I | am turning |
| you | are turning |
| he/she/it | is turning |
| we | are turning |
| they | are turning |
Examples - Present Continuous
- I am turning thirty next month.
- You are turning into a great musician.
- He is turning the car around.
- We are turning this old barn into a house.
- They are turning the situation around.
Present Perfect
| I | have turned |
| you | have turned |
| he/she/it | has turned |
| we | have turned |
| they | have turned |
Examples - Present Perfect
- I have turned down several job offers.
- You have turned the company around.
- She has turned professional at last.
- We have turned a corner in our relationship.
- They have turned their backs on us.
Present Perfect Continuous
| I | have been turning |
| you | have been turning |
| he/she/it | has been turning |
| we | have been turning |
| they | have been turning |
Examples - Present Perfect Continuous
- I have been turning this problem over in my mind.
- You have been turning heads with your new look.
- He has been turning up late every day.
- We have been turning away customers due to demand.
- They have been turning a profit for three years.
Past Simple
| I | turned |
| you | turned |
| he/she/it | turned |
| we | turned |
| they | turned |
Examples - Past Simple
- I turned around and saw her standing there.
- You turned pale when you heard the news.
- He turned the key and opened the door.
- We turned left instead of right.
- They turned the offer down flat.
Past Continuous
| I | was turning |
| you | were turning |
| he/she/it | was turning |
| we | were turning |
| they | were turning |
Examples - Past Continuous
- I was turning the corner when I saw the accident.
- You were turning the pages nervously.
- She was turning twenty when she got married.
- We were turning things around before the pandemic.
- They were turning the factory into apartments.
Past Perfect
| I | had turned |
| you | had turned |
| he/she/it | had turned |
| we | had turned |
| they | had turned |
Examples - Past Perfect
- I had turned off my phone before the meeting.
- You had turned down the invitation already.
- He had turned his life around before we met.
- We had turned the house upside down looking for the keys.
- They had turned against their former allies.
Past Perfect Continuous
| I | had been turning |
| you | had been turning |
| he/she/it | had been turning |
| we | had been turning |
| they | had been turning |
Examples - Past Perfect Continuous
- I had been turning the idea over for weeks.
- You had been turning a blind eye to the problem.
- She had been turning up uninvited for months.
- We had been turning away business before expansion.
- They had been turning profits before the recession.
Future Simple
| I | will turn |
| you | will turn |
| he/she/it | will turn |
| we | will turn |
| they | will turn |
Examples - Future Simple
- I will turn forty next year.
- You will turn heads in that dress.
- She will turn this situation to her advantage.
- We will turn the page on this chapter.
- They will turn the lights off at midnight.
Future Continuous
| I | will be turning |
| you | will be turning |
| he/she/it | will be turning |
| we | will be turning |
| they | will be turning |
Examples - Future Continuous
- I will be turning left at the next junction.
- You will be turning thirty before you know it.
- He will be turning up soon.
- We will be turning the clocks back this weekend.
- They will be turning the old church into a restaurant.
Future Perfect
| I | will have turned |
| you | will have turned |
| he/she/it | will have turned |
| we | will have turned |
| they | will have turned |
Examples - Future Perfect
- I will have turned fifty by then.
- You will have turned professional by next season.
- She will have turned the business around by December.
- We will have turned the corner by spring.
- They will have turned the project over to the new team.
Future Perfect Continuous
| I | will have been turning |
| you | will have been turning |
| he/she/it | will have been turning |
| we | will have been turning |
| they | will have been turning |
Examples - Future Perfect Continuous
- I will have been turning up early for a whole year.
- You will have been turning a profit for five years.
- He will have been turning this wheel for hours.
- We will have been turning away customers for too long.
- They will have been turning heads for decades.