Base
I take the bus to work.
A daily routine in the present uses take.
Past Tense of Take: Took and Taken
Take is an irregular verb. Use took for a finished action in the past. Use taken after have or has, as in she has taken the bus.
Base
take
Past
took
Past participle
taken
Third person: takes · -ing form: taking
ABC: form patternExamples
Base
Please take a coat with you.
A polite instruction uses the base form.
Past
She took a photo of the cat.
Took is the past form; it needs no helper.
Past
We took a long walk after dinner.
One finished event in the past uses took.
Past participle
I have taken the dog to the vet.
Have plus taken links the past to now.
Past participle
Who has taken my pen?
In a question, taken still follows has.
Usage notes
Many common phrases
English uses take in many fixed phrases: take a bus, take a photo, take a shower, take a break and take a test. Learn them as small groups.
Take or bring?
Take moves something away from the speaker, and bring moves it toward the speaker. Take your bag to school, but bring your book to me.
It takes time
Use it takes to talk about how long something lasts: It takes ten minutes to walk to the park.
Common mistakes
I have took the bus.
I have taken the bus.
After have, use the past participle taken, not took.
She taked a photo.
She took a photo.
Take is irregular, so the past is took, not taked.
He taken my book yesterday.
He took my book yesterday.
Taken needs have or has. For a finished past time, use took.
Practise this verb
0/8
Choose the right form
Choose the form that completes each English sentence.
1.Yesterday I ___ a shower before school.
2.Who has ___ my seat?
3.I ___ the train to work every day.
4.Last summer we ___ a lot of photos.
Write the missing form
Type the correct form of take 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 shower before school.
Answer: took
Yesterday is finished, so use the past form took.
2. Who has ___ my seat?
Answer: taken
After has, use the past participle taken.
3. I ___ the train to work every day.
Answer: take
Every day describes a present routine: I take.
4. Last summer we ___ a lot of photos.
Answer: took
Last summer is finished, so use took.
5. He ___ his sister to school this morning.
Answer: took
This morning is finished, so use took.
6. She has ___ her bag.
Answer: taken
Has plus the participle is has taken.
7. How long does it ___ to get there?
Answer: take
After does, use the base form take.
8. My brother has took my bike.
Answer: My brother has taken my bike.
After has, use taken, not took.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of take?
The past tense of take is took: She took a photo yesterday.
What is the past participle of take?
The past participle is taken. Use it after have or has: I have taken the bus.
Is it has took or has taken?
Say has taken. Took is only the simple past, as in he took the bus.