The Comprehensive Guide to the Verb “Hold” in English Tenses

The verb “hold” is a versatile and commonly used word in the English language, with a wide range of applications and conjugations across various tenses. Understanding the proper usage of “hold” in different tenses is crucial for effective communication and writing. This comprehensive guide will delve into the intricate details of the verb “hold” in each tense, providing a thorough understanding for English language learners and enthusiasts.

Present Tense

In the present tense, the verb “hold” is conjugated as follows:

Singular:
– I hold
– You hold
– He/She/It holds

Plural:
– We hold
– You hold
– They hold

Examples:
– “I hold the door open for you.”
– “She holds the key to the front door.”
– “They hold the meeting every Monday.”

Present Progressive Tense

The present progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing action in the present. The conjugation of “hold” in this tense is as follows:

Singular:
– I am holding
– You are holding
– He/She/It is holding

Plural:
– We are holding
– You are holding
– They are holding

Examples:
– “I am holding the door for you.”
– “She is holding the baby in her arms.”
– “They are holding a protest in the town square.”

Past Tense

In the past tense, the verb “hold” is conjugated as:

Singular:
– I held
– You held
– He/She/It held

Plural:
– We held
– You held
– They held

Examples:
– “I held the door open for you yesterday.”
– “She held the baby in her arms all night.”
– “They held a meeting last week to discuss the project.”

Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense is used to describe an action that has been completed in the past but is still relevant in the present. The conjugation of “hold” in this tense is as follows:

Singular:
– I have held
– You have held
– He/She/It has held

Plural:
– We have held
– You have held
– They have held

Examples:
– “I have held this job for five years.”
– “She has held the record for the fastest time in the race.”
– “They have held the annual charity event for the past decade.”

Present Perfect Progressive Tense

The present perfect progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing action that began in the past and is still continuing in the present. The conjugation of “hold” in this tense is as follows:

Singular:
– I have been holding
– You have been holding
– He/She/It has been holding

Plural:
– We have been holding
– You have been holding
– They have been holding

Examples:
– “I have been holding the door open for the past 10 minutes.”
– “She has been holding the baby for the entire afternoon.”
– “They have been holding the meeting for the past two hours.”

Past Progressive Tense

The past progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing action in the past. The conjugation of “hold” in this tense is as follows:

Singular:
– I was holding
– You were holding
– He/She/It was holding

Plural:
– We were holding
– You were holding
– They were holding

Examples:
– “I was holding the door open when you arrived.”
– “She was holding the baby when the phone rang.”
– “They were holding the meeting when the power went out.”

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. The conjugation of “hold” in this tense is as follows:

Singular:
– I had held
– You had held
– He/She/It had held

Plural:
– We had held
– You had held
– They had held

Examples:
– “I had held the door open for you before you arrived.”
– “She had held the baby for hours before the babysitter came.”
– “They had held the meeting before the new project was announced.”

Past Perfect Progressive Tense

The past perfect progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing action that was in progress before another past action. The conjugation of “hold” in this tense is as follows:

Singular:
– I had been holding
– You had been holding
– He/She/It had been holding

Plural:
– We had been holding
– You had been holding
– They had been holding

Examples:
– “I had been holding the door open for 10 minutes before you arrived.”
– “She had been holding the baby for hours before the babysitter came.”
– “They had been holding the meeting for an hour before the power went out.”

Future Tense

In the future tense, the verb “hold” is conjugated as:

Singular:
– I will hold
– You will hold
– He/She/It will hold

Plural:
– We will hold
– You will hold
– They will hold

Examples:
– “I will hold the door open for you.”
– “She will hold the baby while I get the diaper bag.”
– “They will hold the meeting next week to discuss the project.”

Future Progressive Tense

The future progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing action in the future. The conjugation of “hold” in this tense is as follows:

Singular:
– I will be holding
– You will be holding
– He/She/It will be holding

Plural:
– We will be holding
– You will be holding
– They will be holding

Examples:
– “I will be holding the door open for you when you arrive.”
– “She will be holding the baby while I’m at work.”
– “They will be holding the meeting all day tomorrow.”

Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will be completed before another future action. The conjugation of “hold” in this tense is as follows:

Singular:
– I will have held
– You will have held
– He/She/It will have held

Plural:
– We will have held
– You will have held
– They will have held

Examples:
– “I will have held the door open for you by the time you arrive.”
– “She will have held the baby for hours before the babysitter comes.”
– “They will have held the meeting before the new project is announced.”

Future Perfect Progressive Tense

The future perfect progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing action that will be in progress before another future action. The conjugation of “hold” in this tense is as follows:

Singular:
– I will have been holding
– You will have been holding
– He/She/It will have been holding

Plural:
– We will have been holding
– You will have been holding
– They will have been holding

Examples:
– “I will have been holding the door open for 10 minutes by the time you arrive.”
– “She will have been holding the baby for hours before the babysitter comes.”
– “They will have been holding the meeting for an hour before the new project is announced.”

Theoretical Explanation

The verb “hold” is an irregular verb in the English language, meaning its conjugation does not follow a regular pattern. The present tense third-person singular form is “holds,” the past tense is “held,” and the past participle is also “held.” The present participle is “holding.” Understanding these forms is crucial for constructing grammatically correct sentences in different tenses.

Reference:

1. https://www.writingenglish.com/cverbs/hold.htm
2. https://simple.wiktionary.org/wiki/held
3. https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-past-tense-of/hold.html