Mastering the Past Tense of ‘Marry’: Forms, Usage, and Examples

The verb “marry” is a fundamental word in English, describing one of the most significant relationships and life events—getting married. Whether sharing your personal story, describing someone else’s biography, or writing fiction, knowing how to correctly use the past tense of “marry”, which is “married”, is essential for clear, accurate communication.

Understanding verb tenses is crucial because they provide precise information about when an action happened. This is especially important for describing past life events like weddings, ensuring your stories are both clear and grammatically correct.

This comprehensive guide is designed for:

• English language learners at all levels
• ESL/EFL students preparing for tests
• Teachers seeking detailed resources
• Writers who want to avoid common mistakes

In this article, you’ll find definitions, grammar structures, usage rules, many examples, common mistakes, advanced tips, and plenty of exercises with answers. By the end, you’ll confidently use “married” and its related forms in any past-tense context.

Table of Contents

1. Definition Section
2. Structural Breakdown
3. Types or Categories
4. Examples Section
5. Usage Rules
6. Common Mistakes
7. Practice Exercises
8. Advanced Topics
9. FAQ Section
10. Conclusion

3. Definition Section

3.1. What Does “Marry” Mean?

“Marry” is a verb that means to become the husband or wife of someone, typically through a legal or religious ceremony. For example, “They plan to marry next year.”

Related noun: “marriage”, meaning the state or ceremony of being married. However, this article focuses on the verb forms.

3.2. Grammatical Classification

• Verb type: Regular verb
• Verb group: Action verb, transitive (usually requires an object)
• Base form: marry
• Simple past: married
• Past participle: married
• Present participle: marrying

3.3. Function of the Past Tense of “Marry”

The past tense “married” expresses an action that happened and was completed in the past. It appears in:

• Simple past tense: “She married last year.”
• Past continuous: “They were marrying during the festival.”
• Past perfect: “They had married by then.”
• Passive voice in past: “They were married by the priest.”

3.4. Usage Contexts

• Biographical details: “My parents married in 1980.”
• Historical events: “The king married twice.”
• Storytelling: “They married after years of friendship.”

4. Structural Breakdown

4.1. Forming the Simple Past of “Marry”

Since “marry” is a regular verb, its simple past is formed by adding -ed:

marry + ed → married

Note: Because “marry” ends in a vowel + y (the “r” is a consonant, but the rule applies to consonant + y), the y remains, and we simply add -ed.

Base Form	Past Simple	Past Participle	Present Participle
marry	married	married	marrying

4.2. Pronunciation Notes

• “Marry”: /ˈmæri/
• “Married”: /ˈmærid/

Notice the /d/ ending in “married” and practice the difference.

4.3. Affirmative Sentence Structure

Pattern: Subject + married + object (+ time expression)

Example: “They married last summer.”

Subject	Affirmative Sentence
I	I married my best friend in 2015.
You	You married young.
He	He married a famous actress.
She	She married her college sweetheart.
We	We married abroad.
They	They married after five years of dating.

4.4. Negative Sentence Structure

Pattern: Subject + did not (didn’t) + marry + object

Example: “She didn’t marry until 30.”

Remember: Use the base form “marry” after “did not.”

Affirmative	Negative
She married him.	She didn’t marry him.
They married in June.	They didn’t marry in June.
He married twice.	He didn’t marry twice.

4.5. Question Form

Pattern: Did + subject + marry + object (+ time)?

Example: “Did he marry his childhood friend?”

Question
Did you marry last year?
Did she marry the doctor?
Did they marry abroad?
Did he marry twice?

4.6. Past Continuous and Perfect Forms with “Marry”

• Past continuous: was/were + marrying
• Past perfect: had married

Examples:

• “She was marrying into a wealthy family.”
• “They had married before they moved abroad.”

Tense	Example
Past Continuous	They were marrying when the storm began.
Past Perfect	He had married twice before 1980.

5. Types or Categories

5.1. Simple Past of “Marry”

Describes a single, completed event in the past.

Example: “She married in 1998.”

5.2. Past Continuous Form

Describes an ongoing or background event in the past.

Example: “They were marrying as the guests arrived.”

5.3. Past Perfect Form

Describes an action completed before another past action.

Example: “They had married before buying their house.”

5.4. Passive Voice in Past Tense

Focuses on the action, not the doer.

Example: “He was married by the mayor.”

Active Voice	Passive Voice
They married in June.	They were married in June.
The couple married at city hall.	The couple was married at city hall.
He married his high school sweetheart.	He was married by a local priest.

6. Examples Section

6.1. Simple Past Affirmative Examples

• My grandparents married in 1950.
• She married her college sweetheart.
• They married after a long engagement.
• He married three times in his life.
• We married abroad during our vacation.
• I married young, at twenty-one.
• The actress married a famous musician.
• They married despite their families’ objections.
• My sister married last summer.
• The king married a princess from Spain.

6.2. Simple Past Negative Examples

• He didn’t marry until his late forties.
• She never married.
• They didn’t marry during the war.
• I didn’t marry my childhood friend.
• She didn’t marry for love.
• They didn’t marry in their hometown.
• He didn’t marry anyone from work.
• We didn’t marry last year.
• The prince didn’t marry the noblewoman.
• My uncle didn’t marry again after his divorce.

6.3. Simple Past Questions

• When did they marry?
• Did she marry the doctor?
• Who did he marry?
• Where did you marry?
• Did they marry in church?
• Did your parents marry young?
• Did the king marry twice?
• Why did she marry him?
• Did he marry after graduating?
• Did they marry during the summer?

6.4. Past Continuous Examples

• They were marrying while the band played.
• The couple was marrying at the church when it started to rain.
• We were marrying when our families arrived.
• She was marrying into a wealthy family at that moment.
• They were marrying just as the sun was setting.

6.5. Past Perfect Examples

• They had married before moving abroad.
• By 1980, he had married twice.
• She had married before starting her new job.
• We had married before buying our house.
• They had married several years earlier.

6.6. Passive Voice Examples

• They were married by a priest.
• The couple was married in a private ceremony.
• He was married by his uncle, who was a judge.
• They were married at sunset.
• The princess was married to the prince in a grand ceremony.

6.7. Tables of Examples

Table 1: Affirmative vs. Negative Sentences

Affirmative	Negative
She married last year.	She didn’t marry last year.
They married abroad.	They didn’t marry abroad.
He married twice.	He didn’t marry twice.

Table 2: Questions with Answers

Question	Answer
Did she marry the doctor?	Yes, she married him last year.
When did they marry?	They married in 2010.
Who did he marry?	He married his high school friend.

Table 3: Active vs. Passive Voice

Active	Passive
They married last summer.	They were married last summer.
The king married a princess.	The princess was married to the king.
He married a famous singer.	He was married by the mayor.

Table 4: Past Continuous and Past Perfect

Tense	Example
Past Continuous	They were marrying as the guests arrived.
Past Perfect	They had married before moving abroad.

Table 5: Mixed Examples with Time Expressions

Time Expression	Example
Last year	They married last year.
Five years ago	She married five years ago.
Before the war	They had married before the war started.
During the festival	They were marrying during the festival.
By 1980	He had married twice by 1980.

7. Usage Rules

7.1. General Rule for Regular Verbs

For most regular verbs, form the simple past and past participle by adding -ed to the base form:

marry → married

7.2. Spelling Rule for “Marry”

Since “marry” ends with a consonant + y, we do not change “y” to “i” before adding -ed. Just add -ed.

Correct: married

Incorrect: married

7.3. When to Use Past Simple of “Marry”

• Completed actions/events in the past
• Use with time references such as:

• last year
• in 2005
• five years ago
• before the war
• after graduation

7.4. Using “Marry” with or without Object

• Usually transitive: “He married Jane.”
• Sometimes used without an object, especially in passive or general statements: “They married last summer.”

7.5. Common Time Expressions

Time Expression	Example Sentence
Last year	They married last year.
Five years ago	He married five years ago.
In 1990	She married in 1990.
Before	They had married before the war.
After	They married after college.

7.6. Special Cases and Variations

• Formal: “They married in June.”
• Informal: “They got married in June.”
• Regional: Both forms are used in British and American English, but “got married” is slightly more conversational.
• Fixed expressions:
• “Married to someone” (adjective form): “She is married to John.”
• “Married with children” (adjective phrase): “They are married with two kids.”

7.7. Exceptions or Irregularities

“Marry” is a regular verb, so there are no irregular past forms. However, watch out for idiomatic expressions and adjective uses that may differ.

8. Common Mistakes

8.1. Incorrect Verb Form

✗ “She marryed last year.”

✓ “She married last year.”

8.2. Confusing Past and Past Participle

✗ “They have marry yesterday.”

✓ “They married yesterday.”

✓ “They have married recently.”

8.3. Wrong Auxiliary with Past Simple

✗ “Did she married him?”

✓ “Did she marry him?”

8.4. Misusing “Married” as an Adjective

• Verb: “They married in June.”
• Adjective: “They are married.”

8.5. Incorrect Passive Construction

✗ “They was married by the priest.”

✓ “They were married by the priest.”

8.6. Using “Married” with Incorrect Prepositions

✗ “She married with John.”

✓ “She married John.”

✓ “She is married to John.”

8.7. Table of Common Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
She marryed last year.	She married last year.	Regular verb adds -ed, not -yed.
Did he married her?	Did he marry her?	Use base form after “did.”
They have marry yesterday.	They married yesterday.	Use simple past, not infinitive.
They was married by the mayor.	They were married by the mayor.	Use “were” with plural subject.
She married with John.	She married John.	No preposition after “marry.”
She is married with John.	She is married to John.	Use “to” with adjective “married.”

9. Practice Exercises

9.1. Fill-in-the-Blank

Complete the sentences with the correct form of “marry.”

1. They ______ in 2010.
2. She didn’t ______ until her thirties.
3. Did he ______ his childhood friend?
4. By 1995, they had ______ twice.
5. The couple was ______ by the mayor.
6. We ______ in a small church.
7. He never ______ again after his divorce.
8. They were ______ as the guests arrived.
9. She has ______ recently.
10. Why didn’t you ______ her?

Answer Key:

1. married
2. marry
3. marry
4. married
5. married
6. married
7. married
8. marrying
9. married
10. marry

9.2. Correct the Mistake

Find and correct the errors.

1. She marryed last year.
2. They was married by a priest.
3. Did he married her?
4. They have marry yesterday.
5. She married with Tom.
6. They didn’t married in June.
7. He had marry before moving abroad.
8. The couple was marry at sunset.
9. She is married with a doctor.
10. When did you married?

Answer Key:

1. She married last year.
2. They were married by a priest.
3. Did he marry her?
4. They married yesterday.
5. She married Tom.
6. They didn’t marry in June.
7. He had married before moving abroad.
8. The couple was married at sunset.
9. She is married to a doctor.
10. When did you marry?

9.3. Identify the Tense/Form

Identify whether each sentence is in the simple past, past continuous, past perfect, or passive voice.

1. They married in 2012.
2. They were marrying as the guests arrived.
3. They had married before the war.
4. The couple was married by the priest.
5. She married her college sweetheart.
6. He was marrying into a wealthy family.
7. They had married before buying a house.
8. They were married at city hall.
9. I married my best friend.
10. They were marrying when it started to rain.

Answer Key:

1. Simple past
2. Past continuous
3. Past perfect
4. Passive voice (simple past passive)
5. Simple past
6. Past continuous
7. Past perfect
8. Passive voice
9. Simple past
10. Past continuous

9.4. Sentence Construction

Create sentences with “marry” in the following forms:

1. Simple past affirmative
2. Simple past negative
3. Simple past question
4. Past continuous
5. Past perfect
6. Passive voice

Sample Answers:

1. She married last year.
2. He didn’t marry until he was thirty.
3. Did they marry in Paris?
4. They were marrying when the rain began.
5. They had married before moving abroad.
6. They were married by a judge.

9.5. Matching Exercise

Match the time expressions to the most appropriate sentence.

Time Expression	Sentence
Last summer	a. They were marrying when the guests arrived.
Before buying the house	b. They married five years ago.
Five years ago	c. They married last summer.
When the guests arrived	d. They had married before buying the house.

Answer Key:

• Last summer → c
• Before buying the house → d
• Five years ago → b
• When the guests arrived → a

10. Advanced Topics

10.1. Subtle Differences: “Married” vs. “Got Married”

“Married” is more formal and direct; “got married” is more conversational and emphasizes the process or event of marriage.

Expression	Example	Nuance
married	They married last year.	Formal, factual
got married	They got married last year.	Conversational, focuses on the event

10.2. Marry as Part of Phrasal and Idiomatic Expressions

• Marry into: to become part of a family/social group by marriage (e.g., “She married into a wealthy family.”)
• Marry off: to arrange for someone to get married, often by their parents (e.g., “They married off their daughter last year.”)

Use the past tense appropriately: “She married into money.”, “They married off their son.”

10.3. Reported Speech with Past Tense of “Marry”

In reported speech, often shift the tense back:

• Direct: “He said, ‘I married last year.'”
• Reported: “He said he had married the year before.”

10.4. Past Habitual Contexts

To describe past habits or general truths:

“People married young in those days.”

Or: “People used to marry young.”

10.5. Regional and Cultural Variations

• British English often uses both “married” and “got married.”
• American English favors “got married” in informal speech.
• In some cultures, married off implies arranged marriages.

11. FAQ Section

1. What is the simple past tense of “marry”?
   The simple past is “married.”
2. How do you spell the past tense of “marry”?
   It is spelled m-a-r-r-i-e-d.
3. Is “marry” a regular or irregular verb?
   It is a regular verb.
4. What’s the difference between “married” as a verb and an adjective?
   As a verb: “They married in 2010.”
   As an adjective: “They are married now.”
5. How do you form negative sentences with the past tense of “marry”?
   Use did not (didn’t) + marry: “She didn’t marry him.”
6. How do you ask questions using the past tense of “marry”?
   Use Did + subject + marry: “Did he marry her?”
7. Can “marry” be used in the passive voice?
   Yes: “They were married by a priest.”
8. What are common mistakes with the past tense of “marry”?
   Misspelling (marryed), wrong tense after “did,” or incorrect prepositions (“married with” instead of “married to”).
9. When do you use “got married” instead of “married”?
   “Got married” is more conversational or informal, emphasizing the event.
10. Is it correct to say “married with”?
    No. Use “married to” (person) or “married with” only when describing number of children: “married with three kids.”
11. How do you use “married” in past perfect tense?
    Use had married: “They had married before the war.”
12. What are some idioms related to “marry” and their past tense forms?
    “Married into” (“She married into wealth”), “married off” (“They married off their daughter”), “got married” (“They got married last summer”).

12. Conclusion

Using “marry” correctly in the past tense is essential for clear storytelling and accurate descriptions of life events. Remember, “marry” is a regular verb with the simple past and past participle “married”. It appears in simple past, past continuous, past perfect, and passive voice forms.

Pay close attention to spelling rules, sentence structures, and common mistakes, especially with auxiliaries and prepositions. Practice regularly with the examples and exercises to build confidence.

Mastering the past tense of “marry” will help you narrate biographies, historical events, and personal stories effectively while improving your overall fluency. Keep exploring English tenses and vocabulary for even better communication skills!