The Comprehensive Guide to Using “Decide” in Different Tenses

The verb “decide” is a crucial part of the English language, and its usage in different tenses can significantly impact the meaning and context of a sentence. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the various forms of the verb “decide” and how to use them effectively in your writing and speech.

Present Tense

Simple Present

The simple present tense of “decide” is used to express general truths, habitual actions, or timeless statements. For example:

• “I decide to go to the gym every morning.”
• “The committee decides on the final budget proposal.”
• “She always decides to take the scenic route to work.”

Present Continuous

The present continuous tense of “decide” is used to express an ongoing action or decision-making process. For example:

• “I am deciding what to wear to the party.”
• “The team is deciding on the best course of action.”
• “She is deciding whether to accept the job offer.”

Present Perfect

The present perfect tense of “decide” is used to express a completed action or decision that has a connection to the present. For example:

• “I have decided to take a break from work.”
• “The company has decided to expand into new markets.”
• “She has decided to pursue a career in the arts.”

Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect continuous tense of “decide” is used to express an ongoing action or decision-making process that has a connection to the present. For example:

• “I have been deciding on a new career path for months.”
• “The board has been deciding on the best strategy for the company.”
• “She has been deciding whether to move to a new city.”

Past Tense

Simple Past

The simple past tense of “decide” is used to express a completed action or decision in the past. For example:

• “I decided to quit my job last year.”
• “The committee decided on the final design proposal.”
• “She decided to take a vacation to the beach.”

Past Continuous

The past continuous tense of “decide” is used to express an ongoing action or decision-making process in the past. For example:

• “I was deciding what to do with my life at that time.”
• “The team was deciding on the best course of action during the meeting.”
• “She was deciding whether to accept the scholarship offer.”

Past Perfect

The past perfect tense of “decide” is used to express a completed action or decision that occurred before another past event. For example:

• “I had decided to move to a new city before I got the job offer.”
• “The company had decided to launch the new product line before the competition did.”
• “She had decided to pursue a degree in engineering before changing her mind.”

Past Perfect Continuous

The past perfect continuous tense of “decide” is used to express an ongoing action or decision-making process that occurred before another past event. For example:

• “I had been deciding on a new career path for months before I finally made the switch.”
• “The board had been deciding on the best strategy for the company for several weeks before the shareholders’ meeting.”
• “She had been deciding whether to accept the job offer for weeks before making her decision.”

Future Tense

Simple Future

The simple future tense of “decide” is used to express a future action or decision. For example:

• “I will decide on the final design by tomorrow.”
• “The committee will decide on the budget proposal next week.”
• “She will decide whether to accept the scholarship offer.”

Future Continuous

The future continuous tense of “decide” is used to express an ongoing action or decision-making process in the future. For example:

• “I will be deciding on the final design over the next few days.”
• “The team will be deciding on the best course of action during the meeting.”
• “She will be deciding whether to move to a new city for the next few weeks.”

Future Perfect

The future perfect tense of “decide” is used to express a completed action or decision in the future. For example:

• “I will have decided on the final design by the end of the week.”
• “The company will have decided on the new product line before the end of the quarter.”
• “She will have decided whether to accept the job offer by the end of the month.”

Future Perfect Continuous

The future perfect continuous tense of “decide” is used to express an ongoing action or decision-making process in the future with a connection to another action. For example:

• “I will have been deciding on the final design for a month by the time it’s complete.”
• “The board will have been deciding on the best strategy for the company for several weeks by the time of the shareholders’ meeting.”
• “She will have been deciding whether to accept the scholarship offer for weeks by the time she makes her decision.”

Conditional Tense

Simple Conditional

The simple conditional tense of “decide” is used to express a hypothetical situation or decision. For example:

• “I would decide to take the risk if I were you.”
• “The committee would decide to approve the proposal if the budget allowed for it.”
• “She would decide to move to a new city if the job opportunity was better.”

Conditional Continuous

The conditional continuous tense of “decide” is used to express an ongoing hypothetical action or decision-making process. For example:

• “I would be deciding on the final design if I were in charge.”
• “The team would be deciding on the best course of action if they had more information.”
• “She would be deciding whether to accept the job offer if the salary was higher.”

Conditional Perfect

The conditional perfect tense of “decide” is used to express a completed hypothetical action or decision. For example:

• “I would have decided to take the risk if I had the chance.”
• “The company would have decided to launch the new product line if the market research had been more favorable.”
• “She would have decided to pursue a degree in engineering if she had not changed her mind.”

Conditional Perfect Continuous

The conditional perfect continuous tense of “decide” is used to express an ongoing hypothetical action or decision-making process with a connection to another action. For example:

• “I would have been deciding on the final design for months if I had the resources.”
• “The board would have been deciding on the best strategy for the company for several weeks if they had more time.”
• “She would have been deciding whether to accept the scholarship offer for weeks if she had not received the job offer.”

Imperative

Imperative

The imperative form of “decide” is used to give direct commands or instructions. For example:

• “Decide on the final design by tomorrow.”
• “Decide whether to accept the job offer as soon as possible.”
• “Decide on the best course of action during the meeting.”

Examples of “Decide” in Different Tenses

• Present: “I decide to go to the gym every morning.”
• Past: “I decided to quit my job last year.”
• Future: “I will decide on the final design by tomorrow.”
• Conditional: “I would decide to take the risk if I were you.”

Key Points to Remember

• Decide is the base form of the verb.
• Decided is the past tense and past participle form.
• Deciding is the present participle form.
• Has/Have Decided is the present perfect form.
• Had Decided is the past perfect form.
• Will Decide is the simple future form.
• Would Decide is the conditional form.

Reference Links

1. https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/i-decide-i-decided.3431962/
2. https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-past-tense-of/decide.html
3. https://en.pons.com/verb-tables/english/decide