Grammar A1–B1 5 min read Updated 10 June 2026

The past tense of run is ran (simple past). The past participle is run — the same as the base form. She ran fast. / She has run every day this week.

All Forms of the Verb Run

Run is an irregular verb. It does not follow the standard -ed pattern used by regular verbs. Instead, it uses a vowel change for the past simple, and its past participle is identical to the base form.

Form Example Notes
Base form — run I run every morning. Also used as present tense (I/you/we/they run)
Third-person singular — runs She runs five kilometres a day. He / she / it + runs
Present participle — running They are running late. Used in continuous tenses
Simple past — ran He ran a personal best yesterday. No auxiliary verb needed
Past participle — run She has run this route dozens of times. Always used with have / has / had

Simple Past vs Past Participle

The most important distinction to learn is when to use ran and when to use run.

When to use ran (simple past)

Use ran on its own — without any auxiliary verb — to describe a completed action in the past.

  • She ran to catch the bus.
  • We ran out of milk this morning.
  • The children ran into the garden.
  • He ran the department for six years.

When to use run (past participle)

Use run after have, has, or had to form perfect tenses, and after was/were in passive constructions.

  • I have run three marathons in my life. (present perfect)
  • She had run ten kilometres before breakfast. (past perfect)
  • The event was run by a local charity. (passive)
  • The company has been run by the same family since 1980. (passive perfect)

The Vowel Pattern: Run — Ran — Run

Run belongs to a small but important group of English irregular verbs that shift their vowel sound across the three principal parts. This group follows an i → a → u (or u → a → u) pattern:

Base formSimple pastPast participle
runranrun
comecamecome
becomebecamebecome

Notice that in all three verbs, the past participle is identical to the base form. This pattern makes them easy to group together and learn as a set.

Common Errors to Avoid

Error 1 — Using “runned”

✗ She runned all the way home.
✓ She ran all the way home.

This is the most frequent mistake. Learners who know the regular -ed pattern try to apply it to run. However, run is irregular — there is no form “runned” in standard British or American English.

Error 2 — Using “has ran”

✗ She has ran a marathon before.
✓ She has run a marathon before.

After have, has, or had, English always requires the past participle. The past participle of run is run, not ran. Saying “has ran” mixes the simple past form into a perfect tense slot — a very common error even among advanced learners.

Error 3 — Confusing with the base form in questions

✗ Did she ran in the race?
✓ Did she run in the race?

After the auxiliary did, English uses the base form, not the past simple. Because did already carries the past tense meaning, the main verb reverts to its base form: run.

Correct and Incorrect Examples at a Glance

Correct ✓ Incorrect ✗ Reason
She ran to the shop. She runned to the shop. No “-ed” form exists
He has run a marathon. He has ran a marathon. Past participle after has = run
Did you run yesterday? Did you ran yesterday? Base form after did
They had run out of time. They had ran out of time. Past participle after had = run
The event was run by volunteers. The event was ran by volunteers. Passive uses past participle = run
I am running late. I am ran late. Continuous tense uses present participle = running
Memory Tip

Think of the vowels in order: u → a → u. The word “run” starts with u, the past simple “ran” has a, and the past participle “run” returns to u. Say it aloud three times: run – ran – run. The same rhythm works for come – came – come and become – became – become.

Run in Everyday and Academic English

Run is one of the most versatile verbs in English, appearing in dozens of phrasal verbs and fixed expressions. Here are common uses across different contexts, all with correct tense forms:

Phrasal verbs with ran / run

  • We ran out of petrol on the motorway. (exhaust a supply)
  • I ran into my old teacher in town. (met unexpectedly)
  • She ran over the key points at the end. (reviewed quickly)
  • The costs have run up to £5,000. (accumulated)
  • He has run up against the same problem before. (encountered difficulty)

Formal and academic uses

  • The programme has been run successfully for three years.
  • Researchers ran a series of controlled trials.
  • The study was run across twelve schools.

Related Topics

Understanding irregular verbs is closely linked to knowing when to use the simple past versus the present perfect. If you are unsure when to choose “She ran” versus “She has run”, explore these pages:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the past tense of run?
The simple past tense of run is ran: “She ran five kilometres yesterday.” There is no “-ed” form — “runned” is not a word in standard English. Run is an irregular verb whose vowel changes from u (run) to a (ran) in the past simple.
What is the past participle of run?
The past participle of run is run — identical to the base form. It is used after have, has, or had: “I have run this route many times.” “She had run before sunrise.” It also appears in passive constructions: “The marathon was run in under two hours.”
Is “runned” a word?
No. “Runned” is not a word in standard British or American English. Run is an irregular verb and does not take the regular “-ed” ending. The past simple is ran (“she ran home”) and the past participle is run (“she has run home”). If you see “runned”, it is an error.
Is it “has ran” or “has run”?
The correct form is has run. After have, has, or had, English grammar requires the past participle, which is run (not ran). “She has run a marathon” is correct; “she has ran a marathon” is incorrect. This is one of the most common errors with this verb, even among advanced learners.
What is the difference between ran and run?
Ran is the simple past tense used without an auxiliary verb: “He ran to the station.” Run is both the base form (infinitive / present) and the past participle. As a past participle, run follows have/has/had: “He has run to the station every day this week.” The key rule: ran never follows have/has/had; run always does.
What verb group does run belong to?
Run belongs to the strong vowel-shift group of irregular English verbs. The base vowel changes in the simple past (run → ran), then returns to the original sound in the past participle (run). Other verbs sharing this pattern include come/came/come and become/became/become. These are sometimes called “u-a-u” or “i-a-i” verbs.
How do you use ran correctly in a sentence?
Use ran as the main verb without any auxiliary to describe a single completed action in the past: “She ran a personal best at Saturday’s race.” “They ran out of time.” “I ran into an old friend yesterday.” “The meeting ran over by twenty minutes.” Never use ran after have, has, had, or did.
How do you use run as a past participle?
Use the past participle run after have, has, or had: “I have run three marathons.” “She has run this company for ten years.” “By noon, they had run fifteen kilometres.” Also use it in passive constructions: “The event was run by volunteers.” “The programme has been run successfully since 2020.”
What are all the forms of the verb run?
Base form: run. Third-person singular present: runs. Present participle / gerund: running. Simple past: ran. Past participle: run. Full paradigm: “I run every morning. She runs at noon. We are running late. Yesterday I ran ten kilometres. I have run this race before. The event was run smoothly.”
Are there other irregular verbs with the same pattern as run?
Yes. The same vowel-shift pattern — where the past participle is identical to the base form — appears in come/came/come and become/became/become. All three have a base form, a simple past with a different vowel, and a past participle that returns to the base form. Learning all three together as a set is an efficient way to memorise this pattern.