Past tense of DRIVE
English Grammar
The past tense of DRIVE is DROVE.
Pronunciation of DROVE
UK: / drəʊv / OR / droʊv / - In British English, the vowel can be transcribed as /əʊ/ or /oʊ/, depending on the regional accent. The /əʊ/ transcription reflects a diphthong that starts more central and moves towards the /ʊ/ sound, while /oʊ/ is more commonly used in representations of Received Pronunciation.
US: / droʊv /
The main difference might be in the exact quality of the vowel sound /æ/, which can vary slightly between accents. However, for standard British and American English, the transcription is the same. Some American accents might pronounce it with a slightly more open or different vowel.
You can hear the pronunciation in the video.
Example sentences with DROVE
- She drove a hard bargain in the negotiations.
- He drove the car at high speed.
- They drove through the night to reach their destination.
- I drove him to the airport early in the morning.
- The storm drove the ship off course.
- He drove the point home with his speech.
- She drove the tractor on the farm.
- He drove a taxi for a living.
- We drove along the coast, enjoying the scenery.
- She drove the stake into the ground.
- He drove the ball into the net for a goal.
- I drove the route many times, knowing it by heart.
- She drove the message home with her presentation.
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
If you found this grammar lesson about the past tense of DRIVE in English useful, let others know about it.
