Base
Please hold my coffee for a minute.
Hold means to have something in your hands or arms.
Past Tense of Hold: Held
Hold is an irregular verb. Its past form and past participle are the same word: held. Say I held the bag and I have held the bag.
Base
hold
Past
held
Past participle
held
Third person: holds · -ing form: holding
ABB: form patternExamples
Base
We hold hands when we cross the street.
Hold hands means to join hands with someone.
Past
She held my hand in the street.
Held is the past form; it does not need have.
Past
He held the bag while I found my keys.
The action is finished, so use held.
Past participle
I have never held a baby.
After have, the participle is also held.
Past participle
They have held the class in this room all year.
Hold a class or a meeting means to organize it.
Usage notes
Hold on
Hold on means wait a moment: Hold on, I'm coming. It also means keep a firm grip: Hold on to my arm. Hold hands means to have your hands joined.
Held, not holded
Hold is an ABB verb: the past form and the past participle are both held. The o of hold becomes e: hold, held, held. Never add -ed.
Common mistakes
He holded my bag.
He held my bag.
Hold is irregular; its past form is held, never holded.
She has hold the baby all morning.
She has held the baby all morning.
After has, use the past participle held, not the base form hold.
Practise this verb
0/8
Choose the right form
Choose the form that completes each English sentence.
1.Yesterday my mother ___ my hand at the station.
2.I have ___ this ticket for a week.
3.Please ___ the door for me.
4.They ___ a party for her last Friday.
Write the missing form
Type the correct form of hold in each sentence.
Correct the mistake
Rewrite the English sentence with the correct verb form.
8.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
Answer key
1. Yesterday my mother ___ my hand at the station.
Answer: held
Yesterday is a finished past time, so use held.
2. I have ___ this ticket for a week.
Answer: held
Have takes the past participle held.
3. Please ___ the door for me.
Answer: hold
After please, use the base form hold.
4. They ___ a party for her last Friday.
Answer: held
Last Friday is finished, so use the past simple held.
5. We have ___ these books for hours.
Answer: held
Have plus the past participle is have held.
6. Yesterday she ___ the baby very carefully.
Answer: held
Yesterday is finished, so use the past simple held.
7. I always ___ my little brother's hand in the street.
Answer: hold
Always shows a present habit, and I takes the base form hold.
8. He holded the door for me.
Answer: He held the door for me.
The past of hold is held, not holded.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of hold?
The past tense of hold is held: She held my hand.
What does hold on mean?
Hold on means wait a moment, as in Hold on, please. It can also mean keep a firm grip on something.
Is holded correct?
No. Hold is irregular. Use held for both the past and the past participle.