definition 2 min read

is saying past tense

Whether 'is saying' is past tense, what tense it actually is, and the matching past forms.

A closer look

No, is saying is present tense, the present continuous: is plus an -ing verb for something happening now. She is saying her name for the recording right now. The past forms are was saying or said, as in She said goodbye and left. Sayed is not a word; say is irregular.

No, is saying is present tense, the present continuous: is plus an -ing verb for something happening now. She is saying her name for the recording right now. The past forms are was saying or said, as in She said goodbye and left. Sayed is not a word; say is irregular.

To answer the question, no. Is saying is present tense, the present continuous: is plus an -ing verb, for something happening as you speak.

Picture a phone call: Please hold, she is saying goodbye to the guest right now. The saying is happening as the words are spoken, so the present continuous fits.

For the past, use was saying or said: He was saying his vows when the rain started, or simply He said his vows in the drizzle. The first shows an action already in progress; the second treats it as done.

Watch the spelling: say is irregular, so the past is said, never sayed.

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