What is the Past Tense of Fly
The verb “fly” is a common word used in both a literal and figurative sense. In its literal form, it refers to the action of moving through the air using wings and/or the aid of engines. In its more figurative sense, it refers to objects that move through the air, usually at high speeds and invariably that have been thrown or cast by another.
However its past tense form can cause English learners some problems and we take a look below to try to make it easier to understand.
What is the past tense of “fly”?
Fly (verb):
(1) Move through the air with the aid of wings, such as the movement of birds and flying insects, or with the additional aid of engines and wings, like the movement of an aircraft
(2) Move through the air (usually at speed) after having been thrown or cast; travel at great speed
- Infinitive to fly
- Simple Past flew
- Past Participle flown
Conjugation Table of “fly”
Pronoun | Infinitive | Simple Past | Present Perfect | Present Continuous |
I | fly | flew | have flown | am flying |
You (sing.) | fly | flew | have flown | are flying |
He/She/It | flies | flew | has flown | is flying |
We | fly | flew | have flown | are flying |
You (pl.) | fly | flew | have flown | are flying |
They | fly | flew | have flown | are flying |
Example Sentences of “fly”
(1) Move through the air with the aid of wings, such as the movement of birds and flying insects, or with the additional aid of engines and wings, like the movement of an aircraft
- Thanks to the strength in their wings, many large birds can fly great distances
- It has been man’s dream to fly since time immemorial
- They watched as the butterfly flew gracefully through the flower beds
(2) Move through the air (usually at speed) after having been thrown or cast; travel at great speed
- He threw the ball very hard, sending it flying at his friend’s head
- Out of nowhere, another driver flew across the intersection at great speed
- As soon as he let go of the javelin, he saw it fly across the field and he knew he had won

Focus: Past Tense of Fly of “fly”
Here are a few more examples of how we can use fly in its various past-tense forms, including all of the following tenses:
- Simple past
- Present perfect
- Past continuous
- Past perfect
Simple Past of “fly”
- We flew to Los Angeles to spend the holidays with our family out there
- The geese flew from South Africa to Germany in an incredible journey
- He was so late that he flew out of the door in a huge rush and forgot to eat breakfast
Present Perfect of “fly”
- That paperwork was much easier than I thought. We have flown through it so fast!
- Have you flown with British Airways before?
- We have flown kites on the beach since we were children
Past Continuous of “fly”
- We were flying to Los Angeles last year when the news broke about the election
- He left school and was flying home as fast as he could to get out of the rain
- That finch was flying towards us, but then a hawk swooped in and killed it
Past Perfect of “fly”
- I had flown all the way to London before I realized I left the important papers at home in New York!
- The bees had flown all the way to a neighboring county to find nectar and were lucky to find any at all.
Understanding the Verb “Fly”
Derived from Old English “flēogan,” the verb “fly” denotes the action of moving through the air, typically referring to birds, aircraft, or even certain insects. Beyond its literal meaning, “fly” can also describe moving quickly or fleeing from something.
Phrasal Verbs with “Fly”
- Fly by: Time passing very quickly.
- The summer holidays always seem to fly by.
- Can’t believe the weekend flew by so quickly.
- Fly into: Suddenly becoming very angry or upset.
- He flew into a rage when he heard the news.
- She flew into a panic when she couldn’t find her passport.
- Fly off the handle: To become suddenly extremely angry.
- My boss flew off the handle when I was late for the meeting.
- She tends to fly off the handle over minor issues.
Common Mistakes with “Fly”
- Incorrect: The time flies so fastly.
- Correct: Time flies so fast.
- Incorrect: He has flied to Paris last week.
- Correct: He flew to Paris last week.
You can check other past tense words by clicking on the links in the table below.
Table 2: Table of Links for irregular Past Tense Verbs
bend | meet | copy | beat |
lay | draw | buy | Fly |
Drink | Think | wear | dive |
rise | dream | Speak | bite |
bear | begin | freeze | sink |
get | give | take | sing |
learn | keep | find | be |
say | catch | eat | come |
go | know | do | cut |
drive | fall | let | make |
pay | read | build | become |
We also have articles and worksheets which we will link examples of below, and if you need more you can try the search box.
- Free Simple Past Tense Worksheets
- irregular verb list
- Simple Present Tense Worksheets
- Regular and irregular past tense worksheets
- Free online past tense games.
- Present perfect tense worksheets
- Simple Future tense worksheets
- Simple Past tense ‘ed’ ending rules and handouts
Conclusion
Hopefully the past tense of fly – flew – is a little clearer now, and how to use it in English. Feel free to make use of any resources on the the site, they are made to help both teachers and students improve their English for free, or at the very least in a cost effective way!
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