The verb come means to move toward or reach a particular place. It is an irregular verb with the past tense came and the past participle come.
Conjugation
Here is the full conjugation of come in the active voice:
| Pronoun | Base Form | Past Simple | Past Participle | Present Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | come | came | come | coming | I come home every day. |
| You | come | came | come | coming | You came late yesterday. |
| He/She/It | comes | came | come | coming | She has come to the party. |
| We | come | came | come | coming | We are coming now. |
| They | come | came | come | coming | They come from Canada. |
Usage of 'come'
Base Form: come
- Used for present tense (except third person singular), infinitives, and imperatives.
- Example: *Please come here.
Past Tense: came
- Used for simple past actions.
- Example: *He came to the meeting yesterday.
Past Participle: come
- Used with have/has/had for perfect tenses.
- Example: *They have come already.
Special Patterns
Perfect Tenses with 'come'
| Tense | Example |
|---|---|
| Present Perfect | I have come early. |
| Past Perfect | She had come before us. |
| Future Perfect | They will have come by noon. |
'Come' + Prepositions
- come in, come out, come up, come back, come down
- Example: *She came back late.
Passive Voice
- Usually come is in the active voice, but you can say: The guests have come. (Active voice with perfect aspect)
- Passive meaning is expressed differently, e.g., *They were brought in.
Common Mistakes
Using 'camed' Instead of 'came'
- Incorrect: *He camed late.
- Correct: *He came late.
Using 'come' in Simple Past
- Incorrect: *I come home yesterday.
- Correct: *I came home yesterday.
Using 'came' in Perfect Tenses
- Incorrect: *She has came already.
- Correct: *She has come already.
Summary
- Base form: come
- Past tense: came
- Past participle: come
- Use came for simple past.
- Use come with have/has/had in perfect tenses.
- Learn common phrasal verbs: come in, come out, come back, etc.
- Avoid adding -ed to form past tense.
With practice, you'll be able to use come, came, come correctly in your English speaking and writing.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
