Example Sentences With the Verb "Give"

This page provides example sentences of the irregular verb "give" in all tenses. Give the quiz a try to test your understanding. Each tense includes a positive and negative sentence, as well as a question.

Notes on tense usage:

• Use the present simple to speak about routines and habits.
• Use continuous forms to speak about what is happening at a specific moment in the past or future, as well as the present moment in time.
• Use perfect tenses to express what has been given up to a specific point in time.
• Use perfect continuous tenses to express how long something has been happening up to a point of time in the past, present, or future. 

Base Form "Give" 

Use the base form "give" in simple forms such as present simple.

Past Simple "Gave"

The past simple form "gave" for positive sentences with the past simple. 

Past Participle "Given"

Use the past participle "given" for perfect tenses.

Present Participle "Giving"

Use the present participle for all continuous tenses. 

Present Simple

Peter gives a lot to charity.
Do they give anyone a chance?
She doesn't give us much time for lunch

Present Continuous

Mary is giving Tom a second chance this week.
Are they giving the suggestion any thought?
I'm not giving you a second chance this time.

Present Perfect

I've given them more than $1,000!
Has she given Google a try?
We haven't given up on the project yet.

Present Perfect Continuous

Mario has been giving Jack a workout this morning.
How long have you been giving that new treatment a try?
She hasn't been giving him the time of day for the past few weeks.

Past Simple

Andy gave his daughter a bicycle for her birthday last week.
Did they give the homeless people any food?
She didn't give him any reason to think that.

Past Continuous

She was giving her daughter a lesson when they were interrupted.
Were they giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation when you arrived?
They weren't giving it any consideration at that time.

Past Perfect

They had given the gift when I got to the party.
Had they given you any notice before they fired you?
She hadn't given the suggestion any thought when he demanded her answer.

Past Perfect Continuous

She had been giving lessons all morning before I arrived.
How long had they been giving it attention?
They hadn't been giving us any helpful information when he volunteered the answer.

Future (will)

Terry will give him a ring.
When will he give us a call?
They won't give in to his demands.

Future (going to)

She is going to give her son a present later today.
When are you going to give me a surprise birthday party?
I'm not going to give up my position at the bank.

Future Continuous

This time tomorrow he will be giving a lecture.
Will they be giving awards at the ceremony?
She won't be giving us any more help in the future.

Future Perfect

She will have given notice by six o'clock.
Will you have given them a cold by the end of class?
She won't have given that any thought by the end of the day.

Quiz: Conjugate with Give

Use the verb "to give" to conjugate the following sentences. Quiz answers are below. In some cases, more than one answer may be correct.

1. I _____ money to people I meet on the street because I don't know about their situation.
2. Alice _____ the gift before I got to the party.
3. Tom _____ Mary a second chance right now.
4. People ________ many donations to charity every day.
5. She _____ her daughter a lesson when they were interrupted.
6. She _____ the boss the report by six o'clock this evening. 
7. How long _____ you ______ a lesson when he finally entered the room?
8. The children _____ us a lot of joy every day. 
9. Jennifer _____ him a number of opportunities to explain himself, but he can't. 
10. Peter _____ a lot to charity last year.
11. I _____ them a chance because they weren't qualified for the position.
12. My doctor _____ me a thorough check-up, and he hasn't found anything.
13. Andy _____ his daughter a bicycle for her birthday last week.
14. The teacher _____ a lesson to the class when it was interrupted.
15. _____ you _____ him a second chance next week?

Quiz Answers

1. don't give 
2. had given
3. is giving
4. give
5. was giving 
6. will have given
7. had you been giving
8. give
9. has given
10. gave
11. didn't give
12. has given / gave
13. gave
14. was giving
15. will you give / are you going to give