swim
Base form
swim
/swɪm/
Past simple
swam
/swæm/
Past participle
swum
/swʌm/
MeaningA1
to move through water using your arms and legs
sink or swim
In use
- Question · Form 1Can you swim the length of the pool underwater?
- Imperative · Form 1Swim towards the shore if you get tired!
- Past simple · Form 2Yesterday Aisha swam fifty lengths before breakfast.
- Past simple · Form 2Last summer we swam in the sea every morning.
- Present perfect · Form 3Have you ever swum in a lake?
- Past perfect · Form 3By noon the boys had swum across the river and back.
Watch out
Swam is the past, swum comes after have: I have swam → I have swum. Swimmed and swimed are wrong.
Same pattern
A — B — CAll three forms differ
Irregular VerbsLearn all three forms for good
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