Skip to content
fluentbyear

ENGLISH VERB

approve

to approve

  • Regular verb
  • Gerund: approving
  • Past participle: approved

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Simple present · now, habits and facts

  1. I I approve
  2. you you approve
  3. he, she, it he approves
  4. we we approve
  5. they they approve

Past

Simple past · finished actions

  1. I I approved
  2. you you approved
  3. he, she, it he approved
  4. we we approve
  5. they they approved

Future

Future · “will”

  1. I I will approve
  2. you you will approve
  3. he, she, it he will approve
  4. we we will approve
  5. they they will approve

Present continuous

Present continuous · happening right now

  1. I I am approving
  2. you you are approving
  3. he, she, it he is approving
  4. we we are approving
  5. they they are approving

Present perfect

Present perfect · “have done”

  1. I I have already approved
  2. you you have already approved
  3. he, she, it he has already approved
  4. we we have already approved
  5. they they have already approved

Conditional

Conditional · “would”

  1. I I would approve
  2. you you would approve
  3. he, she, it he would approve
  4. we we would approve
  5. they they would approve

Imperative

Imperative · requests and orders

  1. approve!

How to use approve

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    My boss approves vacation requests on Fridays.

    My boss approves vacation requests on Fridays.

  2. Past

    The bank approved our loan in two days.

    The bank approved our loan in two days.

  3. Future

    The city will approve the new park next month.

    The city will approve the new park next month.

  4. Present continuous

    They are approving fewer visas this year.

    They are approving fewer visas this year.

  5. Present perfect

    The doctor has approved the new medication.

    The doctor approved the new medicine.

  6. Conditional

    I would approve the budget if it were smaller.

    I would approve the budget if it were smaller.

  7. Imperative

    Approve the payment before five, please.

    Please approve the payment before five.

Good to know

  • "Approve" by itself means to approve a request; "approve of" means to approve in the sense of agreeing: "my parents don't approve of him".

Where you hear approve

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

English for Brazilians · Advanced Level 2

  • I approve the trial, not the room. I approve the trial, not the room.
  • The committee approved the trial on Friday. The committee approved the trial on Friday.
  • They're going to approve one page, not twenty. They're going to approve one page, not twenty.

English for Brazilians · Advanced Level 3

  • I approve the trial, not the room. I approve the trial, not the room.
  • The committee approved the trial on Friday. The committee approved the trial on Friday.
  • They're going to approve one page, not twenty. They're going to approve one page, not twenty.
30
Now we need to communicate better

Advanced Level 2 · The room is approved to continue.

Needs a subscription 9
A summary before the details

Advanced Level 3 · Yes, if the coordination approves the cost.

Needs a subscription 13
Two versions with the same name

Advanced Level 3 · Which is the latest approved version? · Jordan approved four. Ten was the first draft. · Then four is the latest approved version. Sam, delete yours. · Sign, the date, and approved. Never final again.

Needs a subscription 22
A three-part question

Advanced Level 3 · Done in two weeks, if you approve today.

Needs a subscription 25
The handover to whoever will take care of it

Advanced Level 3 · In the approved file. Sign, date, approved.

Needs a subscription 15
The call cut out at the main point

Fluency Level 2 · So I approve both morning sessions, as long as the café.

Needs a subscription 24
Who needs to resolve this

Fluency Level 2 · This is beyond what I can approve. Keys are Jordan's. · Approved.

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular verb.