Past Tense of
detain
detained
Regular Standard -ed
📄 Regular form · Standard -ed

Base Form Detain

6Letters
2Syllables
3Vowels
3Consonants
DStarts
NEnds

Past Tense Detained

8Letters
3Syllables
4Vowels
4Consonants
DStarts
DEnds

How to Form the Past Tense of "detain"

This verb follows the standard English past tense rule: simply add -ed to the base form.

Grammar Tips

  • Add -ed to form the past tense. Most common rule.

Common Mistakes

  • Do not forget the -ed: "Yesterday I detain" should be "detained."
Frequently Asked Questions

Is detain regular or irregular?

Detain is regular. It follows the Standard -ed rule.

How do you use detained in a sentence?

Use past time markers: "Yesterday, she detained to the store."

Does detained change in negative sentences?

No. Use "did not detain" (not "did not detained").

About the past tense of detain

The verb detain follows the standard English past tense conjugation rule. When forming the past tense, detain becomes detained. This follows the Standard -ed pattern, which is one of the most common conjugation rules in English.

Understanding why detain becomes detained helps with spelling and pronunciation. This verb follows the standard English past tense rule: simply add -ed to the base form.

When using detained in writing, remember that it functions as a past tense verb and typically appears with time markers like yesterday, last week, or ago. For example: "Yesterday, she detained to the store." The past tense form does not change based on the subject — I detained, you detained, he/she detained, we detained, they detained.