Irregular verbs in English, the past tense of Catch: Catch - Caught - Caught

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The verb Catch is a commonly used irregular verb in English. However, its base form, simple past, and past participle forms are not identical. In this article, we will examine how to properly use and conjugate the past tense of Catch in different tenses, and dive into useful phrasal verbs and idioms associated with it.

I. What is Catch?

Before we focus on the past tense of Catch, let's take a moment to understand its meaning and usage in English.

Catch is transcribed as /kætʃ/, functions as a verb with several meanings, including:

Meaning	Example
To capture or seize something suddenly or unexpectedly.	Jack tried to catch the ball, but it slipped through his hands.
To apprehend or stop someone, especially a criminal	The police caught the thief after a long chase.
To reach the same standard or level as someone or something after falling behind	I need to catch the 5 o’clock train.
To become infected with an illness	He caught a cold from his coworker.
To see or hear something at the right moment.	Did you catch the news last night?
To attract attention or interest	That advertisement really caught my eye.

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

What is the past tense of Catch? V0, V2, and V3 are abbreviations for Base form, Simple past, and Past participle of Catch. Let’s take a closer look at the V0, V2, and V3 forms of Catch in the table below!

Verb form		Example
V0	Catch /kætʃ/	The policeman catches the theft.
V2	Caught /kɑːt/	The policeman caught the theft yesterday.
V3	Caught /kɑːt/	The policeman has caught the theft for 5 hours.

Catch past tense and past participle are: Catch past simple is Caught and past participle of Catch is Caught.

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

III. How to conjugate the verb Catch

Now that you know the past tense and past participle forms of “Catch” are both Caught, it’s time to explore how this irregular verb is conjugated in different English verb tenses and sentence patterns. Mastering these forms will help you use the verb accurately in both spoken and written communication.

Let’s break down how “Catch” changes depending on the tense and structure:

1. In the tenses

We will review how "Catch" is conjugated in each of the 12 tenses, ensuring that you are comfortable using it in a variety of contexts.

12 tenses in English	I	He/She/It	We/You/They
Present simple tense	catch	catches	catch
	I catch the bus every morning. He catches the ball easily. They catch fish every weekend.
Present progressive tense	am catching	is catching	are catching
	I am catching up on my reading right now. He is catching the train at the moment. They are catching fireflies in the garden.
Present perfect tense	have caught	has caught	have caught
	I have caught a cold this week. He has caught several fish today. They have caught up with their work.
Present perfect progressive tense	have been catching	has been catching	have been catching
	I have been catching up with friends all day. He has been catching the same train for years. They have been catching butterflies since morning.
Past simple tense	caught	caught	caught
	I caught the ball during the game. He caught a glimpse of her before she left. They caught the thief last night.
Past progressive tense	was catching	was catching	were catching
	I was catching the last bus when it started to rain. He was catching fish when I arrived. They were catching up on their homework all night.
Past perfect tense	had caught	had caught	had caught
	I was catching the last bus when it started to rain. He was catching fish when I arrived. They were catching up on their homework all night.
Past perfect progressive tense	had been catching	had been catching	had been catching
	I had been catching up on my studies for weeks. He had been catching the same train for years before it was canceled. They had been catching fireflies for hours before it got dark.
Future simple tense	will catch	will catch	will catch
	I will catch the next bus. He will catch the football during the game. They will catch a train to the city tomorrow.
Future progressive tense	will be catching	will be catching	will be catching
	I will be catching up with my friends this weekend. He will be catching the bus at 8 AM. They will be catching fish in the lake tomorrow.
Future perfect tense	will have caught	will have caught	will have caught
	I will have caught the train by then. He will have caught five fish by noon. They will have caught up with their work by the end of the day.
Future perfect progressive tense	will have been catching	will have been catching	will have been catching
	I will have been catching up with my reading for a month by next week. He will have been catching fish for two hours by the time we arrive. They will have been catching butterflies for a while before it starts to rain.

2. In special sentence structures

It is also important to understand how "Catch" is used in certain sentence structures, such as the passive voice or with modal verbs. These variations will help you use "Catch" more fluently.

Special Structure	I	He/She/It	We/You/They
Conditional Sentences
Second conditional - Main Clause	would catch	would catch	would catch
Second conditional - Main Clause	I would catch the bus if I left earlier. She would catch the ball if she practiced more. We would catch the fish if we had the right bait.
Third conditional - Main Clause	would have caught	would have caught	would have caught
Third conditional - Main Clause	I would have caught the train if I had woken up on time. She would have caught the error if she had reviewed her work. We would have caught the show if we had arrived earlier.
Subjunctive
Subjunctive expressing present situation	catch	catch	catch
Subjunctive expressing present situation contrary to fact	caught	caught	caught
Subjunctive expressing past situation contrary to fact	had caught	had caught	had caught
Example	If I catch the flu, I will stay home. If she caught the late flight, she would miss the meeting. If we had caught the news earlier, we could have prepared better.

IV. Phrasal verbs with Catch in English

In addition to understanding the past tense of Catch, let’s take a look at some common phrasal verbs involving this verb. These expressions are frequently used in everyday English and can greatly expand your vocabulary.

Phrasal Verbs with Catch	Meaning	Example
Catch up	To meet someone to discuss recent events or to update each other on news and information.	John wanted to catch up with his old friends over coffee.
Catch on	To understand something, especially a concept, idea, or trend. Example: It took a while, but he finally caught on to the joke	Sarah finally caught on to the joke after a few minutes.
Catch out	To discover or expose someone when they are doing something wrong or dishonest.	The teacher caught Tom out when he was cheating on the test.
Catch up with	To come close to someone or something, especially in a race or competitive situation.	Emily ran fast to catch up with her friends at the park.

V. Idioms with Catch in English

Alongside its primary uses, "Catch" is also found in several idiomatic expressions. These idioms often have meanings that differ from the literal definition of the word. Let’s explore some of the most common idioms involving "Catch".

Idioms with Catch	Meaning	Example
Catch someone's eye	To attract someone's attention.	The colorful painting in the gallery caught Maria's eye.
Catch a break	To have good luck or a favorable opportunity after a period of difficulty.	After months of job hunting, John finally caught a break with a great offer.
Catch someone off guard	To surprise someone or to catch them unprepared.	The sudden announcement caught Sarah off guard during the meeting.
Catch the drift	To understand the meaning or main message of something.	After listening to the conversation, Emily finally caught the drift of the discussion.
Catch some Z's	To get some sleep or to rest.	After a long day, Mark needed to catch some Z's before his next meeting.

VI. Exercise on applying the past tense of Catch with answers

To consolidate your understanding of the past form of Catch, try completing the exercise below. This will help reinforce your knowledge and ensure that you can correctly apply the verb in context.

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

Yesterday, I ___ (catch) a cold.
Right now, Bella ___ (catch) the ball during practice.
John usually ___ (catch) the bus at 8 AM.
They ___ (catch) the train last week.
By next year, we ___ (catch) up with the competition.
If it rains tomorrow, I ___ (catch) a taxi instead of walking.
I ___ (catch) the flu last winter.
Anna ___ (catch) the kids before they ran away.
We ___ (catch) a great movie last night.
Linda has ___ (catch) several fish this summer.

2. Answer key

caught
is catching
catches
caught
will have caught

will catch
caught
caught
caught
caught

By reading this article, you should now have a clear understanding of the past tense of Catch, its usage in different tenses, and its common idioms and phrasal verbs. Stay tuned with PREP to continue enhancing your English language skills!

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.