Past Tense of Ride | Definition, Use & Example Sentences
Because “ride” is an irregular verb, its past simple form differs from its past participle form.
- Rode is the past simple form. It’s used to talk about an action or event that occurred in the past.
- Ridden is the past participle form. It’s used to form perfect tenses and the passive voice.
| Examples: Rode in a sentence | Examples: Ridden in a sentence |
|---|---|
| Jan and Tom rode the roller coaster twice. | We have ridden the bus every day this week. |
| Amelia rode her bike to work. | The horse had never been ridden before. |
How to use rode
The past simple form “rode” is used to describe a past action or event.
The thief stole a car and rode off.
I rode to work with my co-workers yesterday.
How to use ridden
Ridden is the past participle form of “ride.” It’s used to form perfect tenses (i.e., to show an action that was completed before another action) and to form the passive voice (i.e., to form sentences in which the subject is acted upon rather than performing the action).
I have never ridden in a hot air balloon before.
The bike was damaged because it had been ridden while the tires were flat.
Worksheet: Rode or ridden
You can test your understanding of the difference between “rode” and “ridden” with the worksheet below. Fill in either “rode” or “ridden” in each sentence.
- Donna has never _______ a motorcycle.
- Iain _______ a camel when he was on holiday.
- The bike has not been _______ in years because the chain is damaged.
- Donna has never ridden a motorcycle.
- “Ridden” is the past participle form of “ride.” It’s used to form perfect tenses.
- Iain rode a camel when he was on holiday.
- The past simple form “rode” is used to describe a past action or event.
- The bike has not been ridden in years because the chain is damaged.
- “Ridden” is also used to form the passive voice (i.e., to form sentences in which the subject is acted upon rather than performing the action).
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If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.
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Definitions
US vs. UK spellings
Frequently asked questions
- What is the past participle of “ride”?
-
The past participle form of “ride” is ridden. It’s used to form perfect tenses (e.g., “I have ridden on an elephant before”) and to form the passive voice (e.g., “The bike hasn’t been ridden in a long time”).
It’s wrong to use the past simple form “rode” instead in these contexts. For example, “The bike hasn’t been rode” is incorrect.
- What is the past simple form of “ride”?
-
The past simple form of “ride” is rode. It’s used to describe a past action or event (e.g., “We rode our bikes”).
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Ryan, E. (2023, September 25). Past Tense of Ride | Definition, Use & Example Sentences. Scribbr. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/verbs/past-tense-ride/
