What is the past tense of Break? The irregular verb Break: Break - Broke - Broken

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The verb “Break” is commonly used in English and often appears in both everyday conversations and academic contexts. Since it is an irregular verb, the past tense of Break does not follow regular “-ed” patterns. In this guide, we’ll explore its meaning, conjugation in different tenses, and provide helpful exercises and expressions to boost your English skills.

I. What is Break?

Before diving into its past forms, let’s take a quick look at the meaning of “Break”.

Break is pronounced /breɪk/, functions as both a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Part of speech	Meaning	Example
Noun	a pause in work or during an activity or event	We have a 15-minute break after the meeting.
Verb	to (cause something to) separate suddenly or violently into two or more pieces, or to (cause something to) stop working by being damaged	Jack broke the vase.

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

What is the past tense of Break? V0, V2, V3 are abbreviations for the base form, simple past, and past participle. These forms are essential for constructing different tenses, especially perfect and passive structures.

Verb form		Example
V0	Break /breɪk/	I break my mother’s vase.
V2	Broke /broʊk/	I broke my mother’s vase last night.
V3	Broken /ˈbroʊkən/	I have broken my mother’s vase for 3 hours.

Break past tense and past participle are: Break past simple is Broke and past participle of Break is Broken.

III. How to conjugate Break across English tenses

Knowing the past form of Break isn’t enough, you also need to know how to conjugate it in various verb tenses. This section will guide you through how “Break” behaves in all 12 major English tenses, as well as in common passive and conditional structures.

1. In the tenses

Break can be used in all 12 tenses. Below are a few examples to show how its form changes depending on the structure:

12 tenses in English	I	He/She/It	We/You/They
Present simple tense	break	breaks	break
	I often break my glasses. He breaks his phone every few months. They break the rules all the time. I often break my phone. He breaks the rules frequently.
Present progressive tense	am breaking	is breaking	are breaking
	I am breaking my promise right now. He is breaking the silence during the meeting. They are breaking the glass on purpose. I am breaking the vase right now. He is breaking his toy again. They are breaking the contract as we speak.
Present perfect tense	have broken	has broken	have broken
	I have broken my laptop twice. He has broken his leg recently. They have broken the contract already. I have broken the window. He has broken his promise. They have broken the record.
Present perfect progressive tense	have been breaking	has been breaking	have been breaking
	I have been breaking my habit of smoking for a year. He has been breaking the law for too long. They have been breaking the dishes while cleaning. I have been breaking things all morning. He has been breaking the rules for years. They have been breaking down barriers since last year.
Past simple tense	broke	broke	broke
	I broke my phone yesterday. He broke the vase last night. They broke the rules last year. I broke my phone yesterday. He broke the window last night. They broke the vase during the party.
Past progressive tense	was breaking	was breaking	were breaking
	I was breaking the news to her when you called. He was breaking the chair when I walked in. They were breaking into the house when the alarm went off. I was breaking the chair when it collapsed. He was breaking the rules when the teacher saw him. They were breaking the law when the police arrived.
Past perfect tense	had broken	had broken	had broken
	I had broken the lock before they arrived. He had broken the computer before the deadline. They had broken their promise by the time we found out. I had broken the vase before you arrived. He had broken his phone before the trip. They had broken the agreement before negotiations started.
Past perfect progressive tense	had been breaking	had been breaking	had been breaking
	I had been breaking the bad news to everyone all morning. He had been breaking his toys for hours. They had been breaking the windows for several minutes before the police arrived. I had been breaking things all day before I stopped. He had been breaking the rules for months before getting caught. They had been breaking records for years before retiring.
Future simple tense	will break	will break	will break
	I will break my fast tomorrow. He will break the world record. They will break the silence soon. I will break the news to her later. He will break the record tomorrow. They will break the agreement if no one stops them.
Future progressive tense	will be breaking	will be breaking	will be breaking
	I will be breaking the bad news to him later. He will be breaking the speed limit on his way home. They will be breaking the ice at the party tonight. I will be breaking the rules if I continue. He will be breaking the contract by next month. They will be breaking barriers during the event.
Future perfect tense	will have broken	will have broken	will have broken
	I will have broken my promise by next week. He will have broken the agreement by the end of the month. They will have broken the rules by the time we finish. I will have broken the vase by the time you arrive. He will have broken his promise by next week. They will have broken the law before anyone realizes it.
Future perfect progressive tense	will have been breaking	will have been breaking	will have been breaking
	I will have been breaking the habit for three months by December. He will have been breaking the law for years by the time he is caught. They will have been breaking records for two hours by the end of the event. I will have been breaking records for years by then. He will have been breaking the rules for months by the time he is caught. They will have been breaking the agreement for weeks before it is noticed.

2. In special sentence structures

Special Structure	I	He/She/It	We/You/They
Conditional Sentences
Second conditional - Main Clause	would break	would break	would break
Second conditional - Main Clause	I would break the record if I trained harder. She would break her promise if she didn't like the outcome. We would break the news gently if we knew it would upset them. If I had more strength, I would break this lock. If she knew the truth, she would break her silence. If we had enough time, we would break the record.
Third conditional - Main Clause	would have broken	would have broken	would have broken
Third conditional - Main Clause	I would have broken the vase if I had been more careful. She would have broken the record if she had trained consistently. We would have broken the silence sooner if we had known it was bothering you. If I had been there, I would have broken the fight. If she had listened, she would have broken the bad habit sooner. If we had tried harder, we would have broken the record.
Subjunctive
Subjunctive expressing present situation	break	break	break
Subjunctive expressing present situation contrary to fact	broke	broke	broke
Subjunctive expressing past situation contrary to fact	had broken	had broken	had broken
Example	If I break the rules, I will face the consequences. If she were to break the news, it would change everything. If we had broken the news earlier, it might have helped the situation. I suggest that I break the news to her gently. She wishes she broke the silence earlier. We wish we had broken the record last year.

IV. Phrasal verbs with Break in English

Beyond its basic meanings, “Break” is also found in a number of useful phrasal verbs. These combinations of words often carry idiomatic meanings that can’t be guessed from the verb alone. Let’s take a look at some frequently used phrasal verbs with “Break” to help you sound more natural in conversation.

Phrasal Verbs with Break	Meaning	Example
Break down	To stop functioning or to fail to work properly.	My car broke down on the way to work.
Break up	To end a romantic relationship or to separate from someone	They decided to break up after three years of dating.
Break into	To enter a place illegally or without permission, usually by force	The thief broke into the house while the family was on vacation.
Break out	To escape from a place or situation, or to occur suddenly (often used in the context of disease or conflict)	A fire broke out in the kitchen, but it was quickly extinguished.
Break through	To achieve a significant advancement or success, especially in research or in overcoming obstacles	The scientist finally broke through with a new method of treatment.

V. Idioms with Break in English

Break also appears in many popular English idioms. Learning these expressions can greatly enrich your vocabulary and help you communicate more effectively in both formal and informal situations.

Idioms with Break	Meaning	Example
Break the ice	To do or say something to relieve tension or get a conversation going in a social situation	To break the ice, she started with a funny story.
Break the news	To inform someone about important or surprising information	I had to break the news to him that he didn't get the job.
Break a leg	A saying used to wish someone good luck, especially in a performance or presentation context	Before her performance, everyone told her to break a leg.
Break new ground	To discover or do something innovative and creative that hasn't been done before	This new technology breaks new ground in the field of renewable energy.
Break the bank	To spend or cost too much money, leading to financial strain	Buying that new car will break the bank!

VI. Exercises on applying the past tense of Break with answers

Now that you've reviewed the forms and uses of “Break”, it's time to put your knowledge into practice. Complete the following exercises to test your ability to choose the correct verb form, and check your answers to track your progress.

1. Exercise: Conjugate the verb "break" in the following sentences

Last week, Jack (break) _______ his phone while running.
They (break) _______ the record if they train harder.
Right now, I (break) _______ the chocolate bar into small pieces.
Bella (break) _______ three plates so far this morning.
We (break) _______ into the conversation when we heard something interesting.
By next month, they (break) _______ all sales records.
If Jennie had known the consequences, she (not break) _______ the rule.
The kids (break) _______ the vase when they were playing football yesterday.
At this time next week, we (break) _______ the silence to announce the results.
If I had been there, I (break) _______ up the argument.

2. Answers

broke
will break
am breaking
has broken
broke

will have broken
would not have broken
broke
will be breaking
would have broken

By now, you should have a solid grasp of the past tense of Break, including how to use its base, past, and past participle forms correctly. Whether you're preparing for IELTS or simply trying to improve your English fluency, mastering irregular verbs like “Break” is essential.

Keep practicing, and stay tuned with PREP for more helpful grammar guides, exercises, and learning tips designed to support your English journey!

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.