The word sit is super common. You use it all day! You sit at work. You sit on chairs. You sit in class. But here’s a question, what about when it already happened? What’s the past form of sit?
If you said sat, you got it!
This lesson helps you use sit and sat right. You’ll see what they mean. You’ll see examples. You’ll see questions too. And common mistakes? We’ll fix those. Everything stays simple. Promise.
What Does Sit Mean?
Sit means to rest on your bottom. Your back stays up. Your legs bend. You do it on chairs or the ground. It’s what you do when you stop standing.
Here’s what it can mean:
- To rest somewhere: “Please sit on the sofa.”
- To stay in one spot: “The cat sits by the window.”
- To take a test (in British English): “I will sit for the test next week.”
So sit means to be seated or to get comfy somewhere.
Sit Past Form: Sat
The past form of sit is sat.
sit → sat
It’s an irregular verb. What’s that mean? It doesn’t add -ed like most verbs. The vowel changes instead, from i to a.
Look at these:
• I sat on the floor yesterday.
• She sat by her friend at lunch.
• They sat in the garden all night.
• We sat quiet in class.
• The dog sat by the door. He wanted food!
Each one talks about stuff that already happened.
Sit Past Participle
The past participle? Also sat.
Yep, both forms are the same. Easy!
| Tense | Verb Form | Example |
| Present | sit | I sit here every day. |
| Past | sat | I sat here yesterday. |
| Past Participle | sat | I have sat here lots. |
See? Just remember sat. That’s it!
How to Say Sit and Sat
Sit sounds like /sɪt/
Sat sounds like /sæt/
You change the i to a short a.
Try it out loud:
Sit — Sat — Sat.
Now let’s use them in sentences.
Positive Sentences with Sat
Formula: Subject + sat + object/place/time
Look:
• I sat on the chair.
• She sat next to me.
• We sat together at the movie.
• They sat under the big tree.
• He sat by the window. He read a book.
All these happened before now.
Negative Sentences
Formula: Subject + did not + sit + object/place/time**
Wait! After “did not,” use sit. Not sat.
Examples:
• I did not sit there.
• She did not sit near the teacher.
• They did not sit in class yesterday.
• We did not sit for the exam.
• He did not sit quietly.
People mess this up a lot. After “did not,” go back to sit.
Questions with Sit
Formula: Did + subject + sit + object/place/time?
Like this:
• Did you sit up front?
• Did she sit by you?
• Did they sit for the test?
• Did we sit by the window?
• Did he sit here yesterday?
Simple questions. Direct too.
Wh-Questions
Formula: Wh-word + did + subject + sit + object/place/time?
Examples:
• Where did you sit?
• When did she sit for the exam?
• Why did he sit there?
• Who did you sit with?
• How long did they sit on the bench?
These get you more details about what happened.
Sit vs Sat
People mix these up. Here’s the deal:
| Word | Type | Example | Meaning |
| sit | Present tense | I sit here every morning. | Happening now. |
| sat | Past tense | I sat here yesterday. | It happened before. |
Use sit for now. Use sat for before.
Sit in Different Tenses
Here’s how sit changes:
| Tense | Formula | Example |
| Simple Present | sit | I sit on the bench daily. |
| Present Continuous | am/is/are sitting | She is sitting in class. |
| Simple Past | sat | We sat on the sofa last night. |
| Past Continuous | was/were sitting | They were sitting by the river. |
| Present Perfect | have/has sat | I have sat there before. |
| Past Perfect | had sat | We had sat there before the meeting. |
| Future | will sit | I will sit with you tomorrow. |
| Future Perfect | will have sat | By night, we will have sat through it all. |
See? Easy to use sit in all tenses.
Common Uses of Sit
Here’s how we use sit and sat daily.
Sit down / Sat down
Move from standing to sitting.
• Please sit down.
• She sat down to write.
Sit on
Be seated on something.
• The cat sat on the mat.
• I sat on the sofa for hours.
Sit with
Stay next to someone.
• He sat with his friend.
• They sat with their teacher.
Sit around
Relax or do nothing.
• We sat around talking.
• They sat around the fire.
Sit for
Take a test or pose for photos.
• I sat for my math test.
• She sat for a painting.
Common Mistakes with Sit and Sat
Students make these errors. Let’s fix them.
| Wrong | Right | Why? |
| I sit there yesterday. | I sat there yesterday. | Past needs past form. |
| She didn’t sat down. | She didn’t sit down. | After “didn’t,” use base form. |
| Did you sat here? | Did you sit here? | “Did” shows the past already. |
| He was sit there. | He was sitting there. | Use “sitting” after “was.” |
Remember these. Your English gets better!
Real-Life Examples
At home:
• I sat on the sofa. Watched TV.
• My mom sat by me at dinner.
At school:
• We sat quiet during the test.
• The teacher sat at her desk.
Outside:
• The kids sat under a tree.
• They sat by the lake for hours.
In exams:
• I sat for English last week.
• She sat for all her tests.
In travel:
• We sat by the window. On the bus.
• He sat by a stranger. On the plane.
You’ll use sat like this daily.
Phrases and Idioms with Sit
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
| sit tight | wait patiently | Just sit tight. Results are coming. |
| sit still | don’t move | The baby couldn’t sit still. |
| sit in | join a meeting or class | Can I sit in on your class? |
| sit back | relax and do nothing | Sit back. Enjoy the show. |
| sit well with | agree with or accept | That didn’t sit well with me. |
| sit up | rise to sitting position | He sat up in bed. Suddenly. |
These change with time too. Like:
• Yesterday, I sat back. Watched the sunset.
• I sit up early each morning.
Sit and Set: Don’t Mix Them Up
People confuse sit and set.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
| sit | to rest or be seated | I sit on the chair. |
| set | to place or put down | I set the glass on the table. |
sit → sat (past)
set → set (same in past)
Look:
• I sat on the chair. (Right)
• I set the plate on the table. (Right)
• I set on the chair. (Wrong!)
Quick Review
| Topic | Key Point |
| Base form | sit |
| Past form | sat |
| Past participle | sat |
| Type | Irregular verb |
| Example | I sat on the chair. |
Summary
• The past form? Sat.
• Both past forms are sat.
• After “did not,” use sit, not sat.
• Don’t mix up sit and set.
• Use sat for past stuff.
Now you know! The past form of sit is sat. Short. Simple. Used all the time.
Use sit for now:
• I sit here each morning.
Use sat for past:
• I sat here yesterday.
Keep practicing. Write sentences. Speak to them too. Talk about where you sat, at school, on the bus, at a café. The more you use it, the easier it gets.
Soon you’ll never forget:
Sit → Sat → Sat.
Easy, right?