Mastering the Verb "Own" in English Tenses: A Comprehensive Guide

The verb “own” in English grammar is a unique one, with specific conjugations and usage rules across different tenses. Understanding the nuances of using “own” correctly can be a challenge for both native and non-native English speakers. This comprehensive guide will delve into the intricacies of the verb “own” in various tenses, providing you with a thorough understanding of its proper application.

Present Tense

In the present tense, the conjugations of the verb “own” are as follows:

Singular:
– I own
– You own
– He/She/It owns

Plural:
– We own
– You own
– They own

Examples:
– “I own a small business.”
– “She owns a collection of rare books.”
– “They own a vacation home in the mountains.”

Present Progressive Tense

The present progressive tense of the verb “own” is used to describe an ongoing or temporary ownership situation. The conjugations are as follows:

Singular:
– I am owning
– You are owning
– He/She/It is owning

Plural:
– We are owning
– You are owning
– They are owning

Examples:
– “I am currently owning a car, but I plan to sell it soon.”
– “The company is owning the property for the duration of the project.”
– “They are owning the rights to the intellectual property.”

Past Tense

In the past tense, the conjugations of the verb “own” are as follows:

Singular:
– I owned
– You owned
– He/She/It owned

Plural:
– We owned
– You owned
– They owned

Examples:
– “I owned a house in the city before moving to the suburbs.”
– “She owned a successful restaurant for many years.”
– “They owned a small farm when they were younger.”

Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense of the verb “own” is used to describe ownership that has continued up to the present moment. The conjugations are as follows:

Singular:
– I have owned
– You have owned
– He/She/It has owned

Plural:
– We have owned
– You have owned
– They have owned

Examples:
– “I have owned this car for the past five years.”
– “She has owned the company since its inception.”
– “They have owned the property for over a decade.”

Present Perfect Progressive Tense

The present perfect progressive tense of the verb “own” is used to describe an ongoing or continuous ownership situation that has continued up to the present moment. The conjugations are as follows:

Singular:
– I have been owning
– You have been owning
– He/She/It has been owning

Plural:
– We have been owning
– You have been owning
– They have been owning

Examples:
– “I have been owning this house for the past 15 years.”
– “She has been owning the business since she graduated from college.”
– “They have been owning the land for generations.”

Past Progressive Tense

The past progressive tense of the verb “own” is used to describe an ongoing or temporary ownership situation in the past. The conjugations are as follows:

Singular:
– I was owning
– You were owning
– He/She/It was owning

Plural:
– We were owning
– You were owning
– They were owning

Examples:
– “I was owning a small apartment when I was a student.”
– “She was owning the property for a short period of time.”
– “They were owning the business during the economic downturn.”

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense of the verb “own” is used to describe ownership that had occurred before a specific point in the past. The conjugations are as follows:

Singular:
– I had owned
– You had owned
– He/She/It had owned

Plural:
– We had owned
– You had owned
– They had owned

Examples:
– “I had owned a car before I started using public transportation.”
– “She had owned the house for several years before selling it.”
– “They had owned the business for decades before passing it on to their children.”

Past Perfect Progressive Tense

The past perfect progressive tense of the verb “own” is used to describe an ongoing or continuous ownership situation that had occurred before a specific point in the past. The conjugations are as follows:

Singular:
– I had been owning
– You had been owning
– He/She/It had been owning

Plural:
– We had been owning
– You had been owning
– They had been owning

Examples:
– “I had been owning the property for several years before deciding to sell it.”
– “She had been owning the business for a long time before retiring.”
– “They had been owning the land for generations before deciding to develop it.”

Future Tense

In the future tense, the conjugations of the verb “own” are as follows:

Singular:
– I will own
– You will own
– He/She/It will own

Plural:
– We will own
– You will own
– They will own

Examples:
– “I will own a house in the next few years.”
– “She will own the company after the current CEO retires.”
– “They will own the property once the sale is finalized.”

Future Progressive Tense

The future progressive tense of the verb “own” is used to describe an ongoing or temporary ownership situation in the future. The conjugations are as follows:

Singular:
– I will be owning
– You will be owning
– He/She/It will be owning

Plural:
– We will be owning
– You will be owning
– They will be owning

Examples:
– “I will be owning the car for the duration of the lease.”
– “She will be owning the business until she retires.”
– “They will be owning the property for the next few years.”

Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense of the verb “own” is used to describe ownership that will have occurred before a specific point in the future. The conjugations are as follows:

Singular:
– I will have owned
– You will have owned
– He/She/It will have owned

Plural:
– We will have owned
– You will have owned
– They will have owned

Examples:
– “I will have owned this car for 10 years by the time I retire.”
– “She will have owned the company for 20 years before passing it on to her children.”
– “They will have owned the property for a long time before deciding to sell it.”

Future Perfect Progressive Tense

The future perfect progressive tense of the verb “own” is used to describe an ongoing or continuous ownership situation that will have occurred before a specific point in the future. The conjugations are as follows:

Singular:
– I will have been owning
– You will have been owning
– He/She/It will have been owning

Plural:
– We will have been owning
– You will have been owning
– They will have been owning

Examples:
– “I will have been owning this house for 15 years by the time I retire.”
– “She will have been owning the business for a long time before passing it on to her successor.”
– “They will have been owning the land for generations before deciding to develop it.”

Usage Notes

The verb “own” is rarely used in continuous tenses, except when it means “to take responsibility for” or “to claim (heritage, power, success)”.
In general, “own” describes a state or situation rather than an action, which is why it is not commonly used in progressive tenses.

Examples

“I own a car.” (Present Tense)
“I have owned a car for five years.” (Present Perfect Tense)
“I will own a house by next year.” (Future Tense)

References

https://www.wordreference.com/conj/enverbs.aspx?v=own
https://en.pons.com/verb-tables/english/own
https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/124766/can-we-use-the-verb-own-in-the-progressive-tense

Kamalika Nag

Hello…I am Kamalika Nag, an assistant teacher and Subject Matter Expert by profession. I have done my post-graduation in English Literature. To comply with all the norms and knowledge to be a teacher, I also completed a Bachelor of Education (B.ed). I have 8 years of experience in teaching literature. My purpose here is to deliver my expertise in a cogent and comprehensive approach to all the readers. Being a vivid learner and a passionate teacher, I love to do experiments with new approaches to learning. I’m more than glad to be part of such an amazing community.