What is the past tense for Think? The irregular verb Think: Think - Thought - Thought

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“Think” is one of the most frequently used verbs in English. Despite its simplicity, many learners are unsure about its correct past tense forms due to its irregularity. In this guide, we’ll break down the past tense for Think - the base form, past simple, and past participle, along with its meaning, usage, related phrasal verbs, and idiomatic expressions. Let’s dive in!

I. What is Think?
II. What are the V0, V2, and V3 forms of Think? The past tense of Think in English
III. How to conjugate Think in English grammar
1. 1. In the tenses
2. 2. In special sentence structures
IV. Phrasal verbs with Think in English
V. Idioms with Think in English
VI. Exercise on applying the past tense for Think with answers
1. 1. Exercise: Conjugate the verb Think in parentheses
2. 2. Answer key

I. What is Think?

Think, pronounced /θɪŋk/, generally means to consider, reflect on, or have an opinion about something. It is widely used in both spoken and written English. For example:

I think about you every day.
I'm thinking of going on a trip next month.
Think of a world where everyone is happy.

II. What are the V0, V2, and V3 forms of Think? The past tense of Think in English

What is the past tense for Think? V0, V2, V3 are abbreviations for the base form, simple past, and past participle. Let's explore the V0, V2, and V3 forms of Think in the table below with PREP!

Verb form		Example
V0	Think /θɪŋk/	I don't think my brother will get the job.
V2	Thought /θɑːt/	I thought my brother would get the job.
V3	Thought /θɑːt/	I have already thought that my brother would get the job.

“Think” is an irregular verb, which means its past forms do not follow the usual “-ed” ending pattern. Think past tense and past participle are: past simple of Think is Thought and Think past participle is Thought. Therefore, past perfect Think is Had Thought.

What are the V0, V2, and V3 forms of Think?

III. How to conjugate Think in English grammar

Let’s explore how “Think” is used across the 12 English tenses and in special sentence patterns:

1. In the tenses

12 tenses in English	I	He/She/It	We/You/They
Present simple tense	think	thinks	think
	I think he is right. He thinks they will win the game. They think this restaurant is the best in town.
Present progressive tense	am thinking	is thinking	are thinking
	I am thinking about my plans for the weekend. He is thinking of changing his job. They are thinking about going on vacation next month.
Present perfect tense	have thought	has thought	have thought
	I have thought about it for a long time. He has thought of a great idea for the project. They have thought about the consequences of their actions.
Present perfect progressive tense	have been thinking	has been thinking	have been thinking
	I have been thinking of ways to improve my skills all night. He has been thinking about starting his own business over the past 5 years. They have been thinking of moving to another city all this month.
Past simple tense	thought	thought	thought
	I thought it was going to rain yesterday. He thought she would be at the party. They thought the movie was interesting.
Past progressive tense	was thinking	was thinking	were thinking
	I was thinking about what to say. He was thinking of a solution when I interrupted him. They were thinking about their future plans.
Past perfect tense	had thought	had thought	had thought
	I had thought it over before making my decision. He had thought about the consequences before acting. They had thought the meeting was at 10 AM.
Past perfect progressive tense	had been thinking	had been thinking	had been thinking
	I had been thinking about that problem for days. He had been thinking of a new strategy for weeks. They had been thinking about the project before it was canceled.
Future simple tense	will think	will think	will think
	I will think of a way to help. He will think about the proposal before responding. They will think it over and let us know.
Future progressive tense	will be thinking	will be thinking	will be thinking
	I will be thinking of you while I am away. He will be thinking about his next move in the game. They will be thinking about their vacation plans this week.
Future perfect tense	will have thought	will have thought	will have thought
	I will have thought of a solution by the time we meet. He will have thought about it thoroughly before the meeting. They will have thought of all options by next week.
Future perfect progressive tense	will have been thinking	will have been thinking	will have been thinking
	I will have been thinking about this for a long time by next month. He will have been thinking of a way to improve his performance. They will have been thinking about the project for several months by then.

2. In special sentence structures

Special Structure	I	He/She/It	We/You/They
Conditional Sentences
Second conditional - Main Clause	would think	would think	would think
Second conditional - Main Clause	If I had more time, I would think about starting a new project. If she were here, she would think differently about the situation. If we had the chance, we would think about traveling around the world.
Third conditional - Main Clause	would have thought	would have thought	would have thought
Third conditional - Main Clause	If I had known about the meeting, I would have thought it was important. If she had studied harder, I would have thought she could pass the exam. If we had planned better, we would have thought of a solution sooner.
Subjunctive
Subjunctive expressing present situation	think	think	think
Subjunctive expressing present situation contrary to fact	thought	thought	thought
Subjunctive expressing past situation contrary to fact	Had thought	Had thought	Had thought
Example	I think that learning new languages is important. If he thought about the importance of this exam, he would try harder in his studies. If we had thought of the solution in advance, we would have finished the project on time.

IV. Phrasal verbs with Think in English

“Think” also forms part of many phrasal verbs that carry specific meanings. Some useful examples include:

Phrasal Verbs with Think	Meaning	Example
think something over	to consider and reflect on a decision or idea carefully before making a conclusion	I need to think this over before making a decision.
think up something	to invent or create an idea or plan	Anna managed to think up a brilliant solution to the problem.
think sth of sth/sb	to have an opinion or feeling about something or someone	What do you think of the new manager?
think back	to recall or reflect on an event from the past	When I think back to my childhood, I remember playing outside every day.
think sth out	to think carefully and in detail about a problem or situation to find a solution	I need to think this plan out thoroughly before presenting it.

V. Idioms with Think in English

Idiomatic expressions using “Think” often convey figurative meanings. Here are a few you should know:

Idioms with Think	Meaning	Example
not think much of someone/something	to have a low opinion of someone or something; to not be impressed	I don’t think much of his excuses; they seem unconvincing.
not think straight	to be unable to think clearly and calmly due to being surprised, overwhelmed, or stressed, often accompanied by anxiety	After the argument, I couldn’t think straight and made some poor decisions.
think better of something	to change one's mind or decision after reconsideration	Xavia thought better of going to the party after hearing about the bad weather.
think for yourself	to think independently, without being influenced by others	It’s important to think for yourself and make your own decisions.
think long and hard	to consider something carefully, thoroughly, and thoughtfully	You should think long and hard before accepting that job offer.

VI. Exercise on applying the past tense for Think with answers

Ready to test your understanding about past form of Think? Try the following short exercise:

1. Exercise: Conjugate the verb Think in parentheses

I (think) _________ he is a great leader.
Jack (think) _________ about taking a vacation next month.
They (think) _________ about the project and decided to proceed.
I (think) _________ of ways to improve my skills.
John (think) _________ the meeting was at 3 PM.
They (think) _________ about the problem when I called.
I (think) _________ it over before making a decision.
Richard (think) _________ about that issue for weeks.
I (think) _________ of a solution by tomorrow.
Linda (think) _________ about this for a long time by next week.

2. Answer key

think
is thinking
have thought
have been thinking
thought

were thinking
had thought
had been thinking
will think
will have been thinking

By now, you should have a clear understanding of how to use the past tense for Think in its various forms and contexts. Although it’s a simple word, knowing how to conjugate and apply it correctly can significantly improve your fluency.

For more grammar tips and structured IELTS preparation, be sure to check out PREP’s comprehensive online learning platform, where you can strengthen all four skills—Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking—at your own pace.

Chloe

Product Content Admin

Hi I'm Chloe, and I am currently serving as an Product Content Administrator at Prep Education. With over five years of experience in independent online IELTS study and exam preparation, I am confident in my ability to support learners in achieving their highest possible scores.