Irregular verb
come
/kʌm/
- Base
- come
- Past simple
- came
- Past participle
- come
Usage
The participle come looks identical to the base form, so the auxiliary verb is what marks the perfect tense.
Meaning
- to move towards a person or place
Example
My friends came to dinner yesterday.
She came home late from work.
They have come a long way since the project began.
Teaching note
Come is an ABA verb: the base and participle are both come, while only the simple past changes to came.
Common mistake
Do not carry came into the perfect tense: ‘They have came home’ uses the wrong third form.
Correction: Use ‘They came home at six’ for simple past and ‘They have come home’ when their arrival matters now.