Base
Shops sell bread and milk.
A general fact with shops (they) uses sell.
Past Tense of Sell: Sold
Sell is an irregular verb. The past simple and the past participle are the same form: sold. Use sold for a finished action, and after have or has.
Base
sell
Past
sold
Past participle
sold
Third person: sells · -ing form: selling
ABB: form patternExamples
Base
I sell old books at a market.
A habit in the present uses sell.
Past
He sold his car in May.
May is a finished time, so use sold.
Past
They sold their old house yesterday.
Sold is the past simple; it does not need have.
Past participle
We have sold our old sofa.
Have sold connects the past with now.
Past participle
She has sold all her old books.
Has sold connects the past with now.
Usage notes
Sell and buy
Sell and buy are opposites. The seller gives something and gets money. The buyer gets something and gives money. Ana sold her bike to Tom. Tom bought Ana's bike.
Sold out
Sold out means there are no more left. The tickets are sold out. We sold out of bread by noon. The form sold also works as an adjective after be.
Common mistakes
She selled her phone.
She sold her phone.
Sell is irregular. The past is sold, not selled.
I have sell my bike.
I have sold my bike.
After have, use the past participle sold, not the base form.
I sold a new jacket and paid fifty dollars.
I bought a new jacket and paid fifty dollars.
Sell means give something for money. To get something for money, use buy.
Practise this verb
0/8
Choose the right form
Choose the form that completes each English sentence.
1.My friend ___ his house last month.
2.They have ___ all the apples.
3.That market ___ old clothes every weekend.
4.I ___ my old phone, and Mia bought it.
Write the missing form
Type the correct form of sell 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. My friend ___ his house last month.
Answer: sold
Last month is finished, so use sold.
2. They have ___ all the apples.
Answer: sold
Have takes the past participle sold.
3. That market ___ old clothes every weekend.
Answer: sells
Every weekend is a present habit, and that market (it) uses sells.
4. I ___ my old phone, and Mia bought it.
Answer: sold
The speaker gave the phone and got money, so use sold.
5. We have ___ our car.
Answer: sold
Have plus the past participle is have sold.
6. Yesterday, the shop ___ all its bread.
Answer: sold
Yesterday takes the past simple sold.
7. My uncle ___ vegetables at the market every Saturday.
Answer: sells
A present job with my uncle (he) needs sells.
8. They selled the old table.
Answer: They sold the old table.
The past of sell is sold, not selled.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of sell?
The past tense of sell is sold: He sold his bike last week.
What is the past participle of sell?
The past participle is also sold: He has sold his bike.
Is selled correct?
No. Sell is irregular, so selled is not a word. Use sold for the past and the past participle.