The past tense of teach is taught, a key verb form for describing actions that happened in the past.
If you’re a student, language learner, writer, or grammar enthusiast, mastering taught is essential for clear communication.
This article breaks down the past tense of teach, including its definition, structure, conjugation, and real-life examples.
We’ll also cover common mistakes, synonyms, and practice tips to help you use taught confidently.
With a beginner-friendly tone and skimmable sections, you’ll find everything you need to understand this irregular verb and apply it correctly in your writing or speech.
Let’s dive into the world of taught and explore how this verb tense can enhance your English skills!
What Is the Past Tense of Teach?
It’s used to express that someone imparted knowledge or skills at a specific time. For example, “She taught math last year.” Understanding taught helps you narrate past educational experiences clearly.
How to Recognize the Past Tense of Teach?
To recognize taught, look for:
- No auxiliary verbs for simple past (unlike perfect tenses).
- The irregular form taught instead of “teached” (a common error).
Structure of Sentence in Past Tense of Teach
The past tense of teach follows a simple structure:
- Example: “I taught English last summer.”
Formation of Sentences in Past Tense of Teach
For example:
- Present: I teach math.
- Past: I taught math.
Verbs
The verb teach is irregular, so its past form taught doesn’t follow the “-ed” rule. It’s used in simple past to describe completed actions.
Helping Verbs
In the simple past tense of teach, no helping verbs are required. However, in perfect tenses (e.g., past perfect), had is used: “She had taught before retiring.”
Explanation of Some Verbs with Reference to Taught
Like teach, other irregular verbs change their base form in the past tense. Examples include:
- Buy → Bought: Similar to teach → taught, it follows a vowel shift.
- Bring → Brought: Shares the “-ought” ending.
- These verbs are often confused due to their similar patterns.
Table of Some Regular or Irregular Verbs in Past Tense
| Base Verb | Past Tense | Regular/Irregular |
| Teach | Taught | Irregular |
| Buy | Bought | Irregular |
| Bring | Brought | Irregular |
| Walk | Walked | Regular |
| Talk | Talked | Regular |
Simple Sentence Examples
- I taught English to beginners last year.
- She taught her brother how to cook.
- We taught the class about verbs.
- He taught me to ride a bike.
- They taught history at the museum.
- You taught us a new song.
- It taught me patience.
- The coach taught the team new strategies.
- My parents taught me manners.
- She taught online courses in 2024.
Negative Sentence Examples
- I didn’t teach math yesterday.
- She didn’t teach the advanced class.
- We didn’t teach anything new.
- He didn’t teach us last week.
- They didn’t teach at the conference.
- You didn’t teach me that rule.
- It didn’t teach me anything useful.
- The tutor didn’t teach today.
- My friend didn’t teach her kids.
- He didn’t teach during the summer.
Interrogative Sentence Examples
- Did I teach you yesterday?
- Did she teach the lesson well?
- Did we teach the right topic?
- Did he teach at the school?
- Did they teach the new course?
- Did you teach them anything?
- Did it teach you a lesson?
- Did the coach teach new skills?
- Did my parents teach you?
- Did she teach online?
Negative and Interrogative Sentence Examples
- Didn’t I teach you last week?
- Didn’t she teach the class properly?
- Didn’t we teach the basics?
- Didn’t he teach at the workshop?
- Didn’t they teach anything useful?
- Didn’t you teach the students?
- Didn’t it teach you patience?
- Didn’t the tutor teach today?
- Didn’t my friend teach her kids?
- Didn’t she teach online courses?
How to Conjugate Past Tense of Teach
To conjugate taught:
- Use taught for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).
- No change for singular or plural subjects.
- Add “didn’t” for negatives: “I didn’t teach.”
- Use “did” for questions: “Did you teach?”
- No auxiliary for simple past.
- Consistent form: taught never changes.
- Combine with time markers for clarity.
- Avoid “teached” (incorrect).
- Use in active voice: “She taught math.”
- Practice with varied subjects.
Conjugation Table for Taught
| Subject | Simple Past | Negative | Interrogative |
| I | Taught | Didn’t teach | Did I teach? |
| You | Taught | Didn’t teach | Did you teach? |
| He/She/It | Taught | Didn’t teach | Did he/she/it teach? |
| We | Taught | Didn’t teach | Did we teach? |
| They | Taught | Didn’t teach | Did they teach? |
Spelling Changes or Irregularities
The verb teach is irregular, so:
- It changes from teach to taught.
- No “-ed” ending is used.
- Common error: “Teached” is incorrect.
- The past participle is also taught (e.g., “I have taught”).
Sentence Examples with Different Subjects
- I taught my sister to read.
- You taught the team new skills.
- He taught science last semester.
- She taught piano to kids.
- It taught me resilience.
- We taught a workshop in 2024.
- They taught coding online.
- The professor taught us grammar.
- My friend taught me French.
- The coach taught strategies.
Common Mistakes with Past Tense of Teach
- Using “teached” instead of taught.
- Forgetting “did” in questions.
- Omitting “didn’t” in negatives.
- Confusing taught with thought.
- Mixing past and present tenses.
- Incorrect subject-verb agreement.
- Overusing auxiliary verbs.
- Misplacing time markers.
- Confusing with similar verbs like learn.
- Not practicing varied sentence types.
How to Avoid Common Mistakes
- Always use taught, not “teached.”
- Use “did” for questions: “Did you teach?”
- Add “didn’t” for negatives: “I didn’t teach.”
- Double-check taught vs. thought.
- Keep tense consistent in sentences.
- Practice subject-verb agreement.
- Avoid unnecessary auxiliaries in simple past.
- Place time markers correctly.
- Differentiate teach from learn.
- Write varied sentences to master usage.
Related Verbs and Synonyms for Taught
Synonyms for teach include educate, instruct, train, and mentor. Related verbs:
- Learn: Often confused, as it’s the opposite (e.g., “I taught; she learned.”)
- Educate: Broader, formal teaching.
- Instruct: Specific, directive teaching.
Sentence Comparisons:
- Taught: She taught math to kids.
- Educated: She educated kids in math.
- Instructed: She instructed the class on math.
Tips to Practice Using Past Tense of Teach
- Write 5 sentences using taught daily.
- Read books and spot taught in context.
- Practice with a language partner.
- Use grammar apps to check sentences.
- Create flashcards for irregular verbs.
- Try journaling about past teaching moments.
- Watch English videos and note taught.
- Take online quizzes on irregular verbs.
- Teach someone and describe it using taught.
- Review mistakes and correct them.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the past tense of teach?
It’s taught, an irregular verb form. - Is “teached” correct?
No, “teached” is incorrect; use taught. - How do I form negative sentences?
Use “didn’t teach”: “I didn’t teach.” - What’s the past participle of teach?
It’s also taught (e.g., “I have taught”). - Can taught be used for all subjects?
Yes, taught is consistent for all subjects. - How is taught different from thought?
Taught is from teach; thought is from think. - Are there spelling changes?
No, just teach to taught. - How do I ask questions with taught?
Use “Did + subject + teach?” - What’s a synonym for teach?
Educate, instruct, or train. - How can I practice taught?
Write sentences, take quizzes, or read examples.
Exercises
- Write 3 sentences using taught.
- Convert: “I teach math” to past tense.
- Make a negative sentence with taught.
- Form a question with taught.
- Correct: “She teached me yesterday.”
- List 2 synonyms for teach.
- Write a sentence with taught and “yesterday.”
- Identify taught in a paragraph.
- Create a dialogue using taught.
- Combine taught with another irregular verb.
Quizzes
- What is the past tense of teach?
a) Teached b) Taught c) Teaching
Answer: b) Taught - Is this correct: “I didn’t teach yesterday”?
a) Yes b) No
Answer: a) Yes - What’s wrong: “She teached math”?
a) Spelling b) Tense c) Subject
Answer: a) Spelling - Which is a synonym for teach?
a) Learn b) Instruct c) Think
Answer: b) Instruct - Form a question: “You taught her.”
a) Did you teach her? b) You taught her?
Answer: a) Did you teach her? - What’s the negative of “He taught”?
a) He didn’t teach b) He not taught
Answer: a) He didn’t teach - Is taught regular or irregular?
a) Regular b) Irregular
Answer: b) Irregular - Correct: “Did she taught?”
a) Did she teach? b) She taught?
Answer: a) Did she teach? - What’s the past participle of teach?
a) Teaching b) Taught
Answer: b) Taught - Which uses taught correctly?
a) I taught yesterday b) I teached yesterday
Answer: a) I taught yesterday
True or False
- Taught is the past tense of teach.
True - “Teached” is correct in formal writing.
False - Taught changes based on the subject.
False - “Did you teach?” is a correct question.
True - Taught is used in present tense.
False - Instruct is a synonym for teach.
True - “I didn’t taught” is correct.
False - Taught is an irregular verb form.
True - Time markers like “yesterday” help identify taught.
True - Taught is used in future tense.
False
Conclusion
Mastering the past tense of teach, taught, is a valuable skill for clear communication.
This article covered its definition, structure, conjugation, and common mistakes, with plenty of verb tense examples to guide you.
Whether you’re a student, writer, or language learner, using taught correctly can elevate your English.
Practice with our exercises, quizzes, and tips to build confidence.
Try writing sentences with taught in your daily journal or use a grammar checker to refine your skills.
Keep exploring irregular verbs and share your progress with others! For more grammar tips, check out our other articles or test your knowledge with online tools. Happy learning!
