Base
I see my friends every weekend.
A regular habit in the present uses see.
Past Tense of See: Saw and Seen
See is an irregular verb. Use saw for something you noticed at a finished time in the past. Use seen after have or has, as in I have seen it.
Base
see
Past
saw
Past participle
seen
Third person: sees · -ing form: seeing
ABC: form patternExamples
Base
Can you see the bird in that tree?
After can, the verb stays in its base form.
Past
We saw a good film last night.
Last night is finished, so use saw.
Past
She saw her teacher at the shop.
Saw is one finished event; it needs no helper.
Past participle
I have seen this film before.
Have plus seen talks about an experience in your life.
Past participle
Have you seen my keys?
In a question, seen still comes after have.
Usage notes
See, look and watch
See is what your eyes notice, often without trying. Look at means you point your eyes on purpose, and watch is for things that move, such as a film or a match.
Other meanings
I see can mean I understand. See you later is a friendly way to say goodbye, and see a doctor means visit one.
Common mistakes
I seen him yesterday.
I saw him yesterday.
Seen needs have or has. For a finished past time, use saw.
She has saw the film.
She has seen the film.
After has, use the past participle seen, not saw.
We seed a rainbow.
We saw a rainbow.
See is irregular, so the past is saw. There is no regular -ed form.
Practise this verb
0/8
Choose the right form
Choose the form that completes each English sentence.
1.Yesterday I ___ a big dog in the park.
2.Have you ___ my brother today?
3.I ___ my grandmother every Sunday.
4.We have never ___ snow.
Write the missing form
Type the correct form of see 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 I ___ a big dog in the park.
Answer: saw
Yesterday is finished, so use the past form saw.
2. Have you ___ my brother today?
Answer: seen
Have takes the past participle seen.
3. I ___ my grandmother every Sunday.
Answer: see
Every Sunday is a present habit: I see.
4. We have never ___ snow.
Answer: seen
Have never plus the participle seen.
5. She ___ her friend at the bus stop this morning.
Answer: saw
This morning is finished, so use saw.
6. They have ___ that film three times.
Answer: seen
Have plus the participle is have seen.
7. I can ___ the sea from my window.
Answer: see
After can, use the base form see.
8. We seen a rainbow yesterday.
Answer: We saw a rainbow yesterday.
With yesterday and no have, use saw.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of see?
The past tense of see is saw: I saw a bird this morning.
What is the past participle of see?
The past participle is seen. Use it after have or has: I have seen that film.
Is it I seen or I saw?
Say I saw. Use seen only after have or has, as in I have seen it.