write – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of write

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to write sth off
Participle: written sth off
Gerund: writing sth off

Cognates

See the 4 cognates of write

Indicative

Present

Iwrite sth off
youwrite sth off
he;she;itwrites sth off
wewrite sth off
youwrite sth off
theywrite sth off

Perfect

Ihave written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
youhave written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
he;she;ithas written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
wehave written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
youhave written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
theyhave written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off

Past

Iwrote sth off
youwrote sth off
he;she;itwrote sth off
wewrote sth off
youwrote sth off
theywrote sth off

Pluperfect

Ihad written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
youhad written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
he;she;ithad written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
wehad written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
youhad written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
theyhad written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off

Future

Iwill write sth off
youwill write sth off
he;she;itwill write sth off
wewill write sth off
youwill write sth off
theywill write sth off

Future Perfect

Iwill have written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
youwill have written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
he;she;itwill have written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
wewill have written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
youwill have written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
theywill have written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off

Subjunctive

Present

Iwrite sth off
youwrite sth off
he;she;itwrite sth off
wewrite sth off
youwrite sth off
theywrite sth off

Perfect

Ihave written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
youhave written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
he;she;ithave written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
wehave written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
youhave written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
theyhave written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off

Imperfect

Iwrote sth off
youwrote sth off
he;she;itwrote sth off
wewrote sth off
youwrote sth off
theywrote sth off

Pluperfect

Ihad written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
youhad written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
he;she;ithad written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
wehad written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
youhad written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
theyhad written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off

Conditional

Present

Iwould write sth off
youwould write sth off
he;she;itwould write sth off
wewould write sth off
youwould write sth off
theywould write sth off

Perfect

Iwould have written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
youwould have written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
he;she;itwould have written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
wewould have written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
youwould have written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off
theywould have written sth off; wrote sth off; writ sth off

Imperative

youwrite sth off
weLet's write sth off
youwrite sth off

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam writing sth off
youare writing sth off
he;she;itis writing sth off
weare writing sth off
youare writing sth off
theyare writing sth off

Perfect

Ihave been writing sth off
youhave been writing sth off
he;she;ithas been writing sth off
wehave been writing sth off
youhave been writing sth off
theyhave been writing sth off

Past

Iwas writing sth off
youwere writing sth off
he;she;itwas writing sth off
wewere writing sth off
youwere writing sth off
theywere writing sth off

Pluperfect

Ihad been writing sth off
youhad been writing sth off
he;she;ithad been writing sth off
wehad been writing sth off
youhad been writing sth off
theyhad been writing sth off

Future

Iwill be writing sth off
youwill be writing sth off
he;she;itwill be writing sth off
wewill be writing sth off
youwill be writing sth off
theywill be writing sth off

Future Perfect

Iwill have been writing sth off
youwill have been writing sth off
he;she;itwill have been writing sth off
wewill have been writing sth off
youwill have been writing sth off
theywill have been writing sth off

Conditional

Present

Iwould be writing sth off
youwould be writing sth off
he;she;itwould be writing sth off
wewould be writing sth off
youwould be writing sth off
theywould be writing sth off

Perfect

Iwould have been writing sth off
youwould have been writing sth off
he;she;itwould have been writing sth off
wewould have been writing sth off
youwould have been writing sth off
theywould have been writing sth off

Other

Verbs conjugated like 'write'

overwrite, rewrite, smite, typewrite, underwrite, write,

Verbs similar to 'write'

waite, white, wite, writhe, wrote, arise, bite, bribe, bride, brine,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

form letters, words or symbols in order to communicate
scribble
send (a letter) to
post
fill in, complete
sit
to form letters, words or symbols on a surface in order to communicate
handwrite
to compose text
pen
inscribe
engross, scrawl, scribe, sign, print, letter, indite
compose
draft, formulate, record

Antonyms

compose
discompose, disarrange, scatter, disperse

Additional Information

Etymology

1. O.E. writan "to score, outline, draw the figure of," later "to set down in writing" (class I strong verb; past tense wrat, pp. writen), from P.Gmc. *writanan "tear, scratch" (cf. O.Fris. writa "to write," O.S. writan "to tear, scratch, write," O.N. rita "write, scratch, outline," O.H.G. rizan "to write, scratch, tear," Ger. reißen "to tear, pull, tug, sketch, draw, design"), outside connections doubtful. Words for "write" in most I.E languages originally mean "carve, scratch, cut" (cf. L. scribere, Gk. grapho, Skt. rikh-); a few originally meant "paint" (cf. Goth. meljan, O.C.S. pisati, and most of the modern Slavic cognates).
"For men use to write an evill turne in marble stone, but a good turne in the dust." [More, 1513]
To write (something) off (1682) originally was from accounting; fig. sense is recorded from 1889. Write-in "unlisted candidate" is recorded from 1932.
2. From Middle English writen, from Old English wrītan, from Proto-West Germanic *wrītan, from Proto-Germanic *wrītaną (“to carve, write”), from Proto-Indo-European *wrey- (“to rip, tear”).
3. Cognate with West Frisian write (“to wear by rubbing, rip, tear”), Dutch wrijten (“to argue, quarrel”), Middle Low German wrîten (“to scratch, draw, write”) (> Low German wrieten, rieten (“to tear, split”)), German reißen (“to tear, rip”), Norwegian rita (“to rough-sketch, carve, write”), Swedish rita (“to draw, design, delineate, model”), Icelandic ríta, rita (“to inscribe, sketch, write”), German ritzen (“to carve, scratch”), Proto-Slavic *ryti (“to carve, engrave, dig”), Polish ryć (“to engrave, dig”), Czech rýt (“to engrave, dig”). See also rit and rat. See: Middle English 'writen', Proto-Germanic '*wrītaną', Dutch 'wrijten', Low Saxon 'wrieten', German, old spelling 'reißen', Swedish 'rita', Icelandic 'rita', German, old spelling 'ritzen', Proto-Slavic '*ryti', Polish 'ryć', Czech 'rýt'.

Verbs referencing "write"

German, old spelling reißen, Albanian shkruaj, Tok Pisin raitim.

Sample Sentences

  • She was seated in a little enclosure, made by school-desks and forms, writing her daily journal. But soon finishing this pursuit, she engaged in an animated conversation with a teacher who sat beside her. This was a favourite mistress with the poor pupil. If she could see [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • I have extracted a few disjointed fragments of her history, from an account, written by that one man who has made her what she is. It is a very beautiful and touching narrative; and I wish I could present it entire. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • ‘“ But wonderful as is the rapidity with which she writes her thoughts upon the air, still more so is the ease and accuracy with which she reads the words thus written by another; grasping their hands in hers, and following every movement of their [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • ‘“ But wonderful as is the rapidity with which she writes her thoughts upon the air, still more so is the ease and accuracy with which she reads the words thus written by another; grasping their hands in hers, and following every movement of their fingers, as letter after letter conveys their meaning to her mind. It is in this way that she converses with her [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • Such are a few fragments from the simple but most interesting and instructive history of Laura Bridgman. The name of her great benefactor and friend, who writes it, is Dr. Howe. There are not many persons, I hope and believe, who, after reading these passages, can ever hear that name with indifference. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • I turned over the leaves of her Diary, and found it written in a fair legible square hand, and expressed in terms which were quite intelligible without any explanation. On my saying that I should like to see her write again, the teacher who sat beside her, [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] thrice. In doing so, I observed that she kept her left hand always touching, and following up, her right, in which, of course, she held the pen. No line was indicated by any contrivance, but she wrote straight and freely. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] Boston. I was much surprised at first, too, to observe that the counsel who interrogated the witness under examination at the time, did so sitting. But seeing that he was also occupied in writing down the answers, and remembering that he was alone and had no ‘junior, ’ I quickly consoled myself with the reflection that law was not quite so expensive an article here, as at home; and that the [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] the inquiry still further, and found that the Transcendentalists are followers of my friend Mr. Carlyle, or I should rather say, of a follower of his, Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson. This gentleman has written a volume of Essays, in which, among much that is dreamy and fanciful (if he will pardon me for saying so ), there is much more that is true and manly, honest and bold. Transcendentalism has its [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] Secondly, nearly all these young ladies subscribe to circulating libraries. Thirdly, they have got up among themselves a periodical called THE LOWELL OFFERING, ‘A repository of original articles, written exclusively by females actively employed in the mills,’—which is duly printed, published, and sold; and whereof I brought away from Lowell four hundred good solid pages, which I have read from [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • You know, Hemingway wrote, " The world breaks everyone, (The Crow)
  • [Claire] Dear friends, fifty years ago, I went to Juliet's house in Verona. I wrote her a letter and I asked her a question. (Letters to Juliet)
  • I thought that's what I wrote in the scratch, all these years. (This Is the Zodiac Speaking)
  • the kid had hit written all over him. (Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties)