Past tense of HOLD

English Grammar

The past tense of HOLD is HELD.

Pronunciation of HELD

UK: / hɛld /

US: / hɛld /

The pronunciation is the same in both British and American English though the realization of /ɛ/ may vary slightly due to regional accents.

You can hear the pronunciation of HELD in this video:

Example sentences with HELD

• She held an egg in her hand.
• She held the baby gently in her arms until he fell asleep.
• I held the flashlight steady while my dad fixed the broken pipe.
• The little girl tightly held her mother's hand in the crowded market.
• The university held the graduation ceremony in the main stadium.
• The board of directors held an emergency meeting on Tuesday morning.
• The police held the suspect for questioning overnight.
• Troops held their positions despite the intense pressure from the enemy.
• The athlete held the world record for over five years.
• He held the elevator door open for the rushing coworker.

Next learning activities

See our List of past tense irregular verbs in English.

Watch our video about 101 Irregular Past Tense Verbs in English.

English Language Resource

We also have all of these verbs available as flash cards / charts that can be used in the ESOL / ELA classroom. These can be purchased here: 101 Irregular Verbs - Past Tense in English - Flash Cards / Charts

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