Base
I spend an hour on homework every day.
Every day marks a present routine.
Past Tense of Spend: Spent and Spent
Spend is an irregular verb. The past tense and the past participle are the same form: spent. Do not say spended.
Base
spend
Past
spent
Past participle
spent
Third person: spends · -ing form: spending
ABB: form patternExamples
Base
We spend our summer vacation at the beach.
Spend works with time, such as a vacation.
Past
She spent ten dollars on lunch.
Spent is the past form; it does not need have.
Past
They spent the weekend with their grandparents.
The weekend is finished, so use spent.
Past participle
I have spent all my money.
After have, the participle is spent.
Past participle
He has spent two hours at the library today.
The participle has the same form as the past.
Usage notes
Spend time, spend money
Spend works with time and with money: spend an hour, spend ten dollars. Use on for the thing you pay for: She spent ten dollars on a book. Use -ing for an activity: I spend time reading.
Vacation or holiday
American English says summer vacation. British English says summer holiday: We spent our holiday at the beach. Spent is the same in both.
Common mistakes
I spended ten dollars.
I spent ten dollars.
Spend is irregular. Its past form is spent, not spended.
She has spend all day here.
She has spent all day here.
After has, use the past participle spent.
I spent two hours to read.
I spent two hours reading.
After spend plus a time, use the -ing form, not to plus the base form.
Practise this verb
0/8
Choose the right form
Choose the form that completes each English sentence.
1.She ___ ten dollars on a book yesterday.
2.We have ___ all our money.
3.I usually ___ Sundays with my family.
4.I spent two hours ___ my room.
Write the missing form
Type the correct form of spend 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. She ___ ten dollars on a book yesterday.
Answer: spent
Yesterday is a finished past time, so use spent.
2. We have ___ all our money.
Answer: spent
Have takes the past participle spent.
3. I usually ___ Sundays with my family.
Answer: spend
Usually marks a present habit: I spend.
4. I spent two hours ___ my room.
Answer: cleaning
After spend plus a time, use the -ing form.
5. He ___ a lot of money last week.
Answer: spent
Last week is finished, so the past is spent.
6. They have ___ the whole day at the beach.
Answer: spent
Have plus the participle is have spent.
7. She is ___ too much time on her phone.
Answer: spending
Is needs the -ing form: spending.
8. We spended the weekend at home.
Answer: We spent the weekend at home.
The past of spend is spent, not spended.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of spend?
The past tense of spend is spent: She spent ten dollars on lunch.
Is spended a word?
No. Spend is irregular. The past tense and the past participle are both spent.
Do you spend time on or in something?
Use spend time on a thing and spend time doing an activity: I spend an hour on homework, and I spend time reading.