The past tense of tear is usually tore. Its past participle is torn, while teared up has a different use.
The correct form depends on how you use tear in the sentence.
tear → tore → torn
For the “rip or pull apart” meaning, the verb changes to tear, tore, torn. But when tear up means getting tears in your eyes or becoming emotional, you can use teared up.
What Is the Past Tense of Tear?
When tear means “to rip or pull apart,” its simple past form is tore.
Examples:
- I tore the paper.
- She tore her old shirt.
- He tore the letter into pieces.
- The dog tore the cushion.
The past participle is torn:
- I have torn the paper.
- She had torn her jacket.
- The page was torn from the book.
The main forms are:
- Present: tear
- Past: tore
- Past participle: torn
- -ing form: tearing
Tear is an irregular verb, so its past form is not made by adding -ed.
How to Use Tear, Tore, and Torn
Tear
Tear is the base form. Use it for the present tense and after words such as will, can, should, and to.
Examples:
- Be careful not to tear the page.
- I often tear old notes into small pieces.
- You should not tear the label off.
- She will tear the wrapping open.
Tore
Tore is the simple past form. Use it when the ripping happened in the past.
Examples:
- I tore my jeans yesterday.
- She tore the envelope open.
- Tom tore the photograph by accident.
- A powerful gust tore the sign loose from the wall.
For example:
Yesterday, I tore the page.
Use tore for an action that was completed in the past.
Torn
Torn is the past participle. It is commonly used with has, have, or had, and it also appears in passive sentences.
Examples:
- I have torn the paper.
- She has torn her dress.
- They had torn down the old posters.
- The envelope was torn open.
Torn can also describe the condition of something:
- He was wearing a torn shirt.
- I found a torn page under the desk.
- The flag looked old and torn.
So, tore and torn are both correct, but they are used differently.
Is “Teared” Correct?
Yes, but not when tear means “to rip.”
For example, this is incorrect:
I teared the paper.
The correct form is:
I tore the paper.
However, you can use teared up when someone gets tears in their eyes or becomes emotional.
Examples:
- When the news reached her, she teared up.
- He teared up during the graduation ceremony.
- Near the movie’s ending, I teared up.
So teared is not simply an incorrect form. In teared up, it has a different meaning.
Tore Up vs. Teared Up
These expressions are easy to confuse because they look and sound similar, but they describe different things.
Tore Up = Ripped Something
When tear up means to rip something into pieces, its past form is tore up.
Examples:
- She tore up the old receipt.
- He tore up the letter after reading it.
- I tore up the damaged photograph.
The past participle is torn up:
- She has torn up the letter.
- The old documents were torn up and thrown away.
Tear up = Became Emotional.
When tear up means getting tears in your eyes or becoming emotional, you tear up.
Examples:
- She teared up when her son came home.
- He teared up at the kind words.
- As the movie was coming to an end, I teared up.
Compare the meanings:
He tore up the letter.
He ripped the letter.
He teared up after reading the letter.
He became emotional.
The form of tear up depends on what the expression means.
Why Is “Tear” Confusing?
English has two different words spelled tear.
In this sense, tear works as a verb meaning to rip or pull something apart:
- Tear the paper.
- Tear the cloth.
- Tear the page out.
In the other sense, tear is a noun that refers to a drop of fluid from the eye:
- A tear rolled down her cheek.
- There were tears in his eyes.
- She wiped a tear from her face.
Although they look identical in writing, these two words have different pronunciations.
When tear means “rip,” its three main forms are tear, tore, and torn. Because the eye-related tear is a noun, it has no tense forms.
That is why sentences about ripping and crying can seem confusing when you first see them.
See Also: Is Verb a Doing Word? The Simple Truth About Verbs
Common Mistakes With Tear
1. Using “torn” as the simple past
Incorrect:
Yesterday, I torn my shirt.
Correct:
Yesterday, I tore my shirt.
Use tore for an action that was completed in the past.
2. Using “tore” after “have”
Incorrect:
I have tore the paper.
Correct:
I have torn the paper.
Use torn after have, has, or had.
3. Using “teared” for ripping
Incorrect:
He teared the envelope.
Correct:
He tore the envelope.
When someone ripped something in the past, use tore.
4. Confusing “tore up” with “teared up”
Keep the meanings separate:
She tore up the document.
She ripped it into pieces.
She teared up during the speech.
She became emotional.
Complete Verb Forms of Tear
These are the main forms worth remembering:
- Base form: tear
- Third-person singular: tears
- Simple past: tore
- Past participle: torn
- Present participle: tearing
Examples:
Present:
I tear old papers before throwing them away.
Past:
I tore the paper yesterday.
Present perfect:
I have torn the paper already.
Past perfect:
I had torn the paper before you arrived.
Continuous:
She is tearing the wrapping paper.
For tear meaning “rip,” the three forms are tear, tore, and torn.
Remembering Tear, Tore, and Torn
Use this simple rule:
Tear = present
Tore = simple past
Torn = past participle
Here is the pattern in three sentences:
I tear the paper.
Yesterday, I tore the paper.
I have torn the paper.
For an emotional reaction:
After hearing the news, she teared up.
For ripping something into pieces:
She tore up the letter.
See Also: How Many Verb Tenses Are in English? The 12 Tenses Explained
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the past tense of tear?
When tear means to rip or pull something apart, its past form is tore.
What is the past participle of tear?
The past participle is torn.
For example:
She has torn the paper.
Is “tore” or “torn” correct?
Both are correct, but they have different uses. Tore is the simple past, while torn is the past participle.
Is “teared” a word?
Yes. Tear up is used when someone gets tears in their eyes or becomes emotional.
Is “I teared the paper” correct?
No. If you mean that you ripped the paper, say:
I tore the paper.
Is “I have tore” correct?
No. The correct form is the past participle:
I have torn it.
What past-tense form should you use for “tear up”?
It depends on the meaning.
When tear up means ripping something into pieces, the past form is tore up.
If tear up means to become emotional, use teared up.
What is the difference between tore and torn?
Tore is the simple past:
She tore the page.
Torn is the past participle:
She has torn the page.
Final Thought
The three forms to remember are:
tear → tore → torn
Use tore for a past action involving ripping:
I tore the page.
Use torn as the past participle:
I have torn the page.
When someone becomes emotional, use teared up:
Hearing the news made her tear up.
Once you know what each form means and how it works in a sentence, choosing between tear, tore, torn, and teared up becomes much easier.
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