Past Tense of Shoot
“Shoot” follows the pattern shoot → shot → shot. The same inflected form serves a finite simple-past clause and a past-participle construction; surrounding grammar identifies the role. Keep this verb-form task separate from the noun “shot” and from specialized shooting terminology; the reviewed verb paradigm is shoot → shot → shot.
The simple past and past participle of “shoot” are both “shot.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| completed action in simple past | shot | Use “shot.” |
| past participle after have/has/had | shot | Use “shot.” |
| present/base-form context | shoot | Use “shoot” when a past form is not required. |
Quick tests
Verb-form test
Do you need the simple past or past participle of “shoot”?
If yes: Use “shot.”
If no: Use “shoot” or the appropriate present form when the sentence is not past.
Caveat: Both simple past and past participle are “shot.” Keep this verb-form task separate from the noun “shot” and from specialized shooting terminology; the reviewed verb paradigm is shoot → shot → shot.
Examples
The photographer shot the sequence at sunrise.
“Shot” is the simple past of “shoot.”
They have shot three versions of the scene.
“Shot” is the past participle after “have.”
We shoot the product photos indoors.
The present form is “shoot.”
Further guidance
Core difference
Use “shot” for both the simple past and the past participle.
Fast Test
If the sentence needs a past form or participle, choose “shot”; use “shoot” or the appropriate present form in present-time contexts.
Usage Boundary
Both simple past and past participle are “shot.” Keep this verb-form task separate from the noun “shot” and from specialized shooting terminology; the reviewed verb paradigm is shoot → shot → shot.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- SHOOT Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster (opens in a new tab)Merriam-Webster · Merriam-Webster records shot as the inflected past form of shoot.
- SHOOT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge records shot as both the past tense and past participle of shoot.