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ENGLISH VERB

hold someone to

to hold someone to their word

  • Irregular verb
  • Gerund: holding someone to
  • Past participle: held someone to

Conjugation

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

Present

Simple present · now, habits and facts

  1. I I hold someone to their word
  2. you you hold someone to their word
  3. he, she, it he holds someone to their word
  4. we we hold someone to their word
  5. they they hold someone to their word

Past

Simple past · finished actions

  1. I I held someone to their word
  2. you you held someone to their word
  3. he, she, it he held someone to their word
  4. we we hold someone to their word
  5. they they held someone to their word

Future

Future · “will”

  1. I I will hold someone to their word
  2. you you will hold someone to their word
  3. he, she, it he will hold someone to their word
  4. we we will hold someone to their word
  5. they they will hold someone to their word

Present continuous

Present continuous · happening right now

  1. I I am holding someone to their word
  2. you you are holding someone to their word
  3. he, she, it he is holding someone to their word
  4. we we are holding someone to their word
  5. they they are holding someone to their word

Present perfect

Present perfect · “have done”

  1. I I have already held someone to their word
  2. you you have already held someone to their word
  3. he, she, it he has already held someone to their word
  4. we we have already held someone to their word
  5. they they have already held someone to their word

Conditional

Conditional · “would”

  1. I I would hold someone to their word
  2. you you would hold someone to their word
  3. he, she, it he would hold someone to their word
  4. we we would hold someone to their word
  5. they they would hold someone to their word

Imperative

Imperative · requests and orders

  1. hold someone to their word!

How to use hold someone to

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

  1. Present

    My wife holds me to every promise I make.

    My wife holds me to every promise I make.

  2. Past

    They held him to the price in the ad.

    They charged him the price on the ad.

  3. Future

    You said pizza on Friday, I will hold you to that.

    You said pizza on Friday; I'll hold you to that.

  4. Present continuous

    The kids are holding me to the trip I promised.

    The kids are holding me to the trip I promised.

  5. Present perfect

    Nobody has held her to the deadline yet.

    No one has held her to the deadline yet.

  6. Conditional

    I would hold them to the contract if I were you.

    I would hold them to their contract if I were you.

  7. Imperative

    Hold him to his word, he promised to help.

    Hold him to his word; he promised to help.

Good to know

  • The person stays in the middle and the promise comes after "to": "hold him to his word", "I'll hold you to that".
  • "Don't hold me to it" is "não me cobre isso depois", when you're not sure.

Where you hear hold someone to

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

English for Brazilians · Intermediate Level 3

  • When people promise something, I hold them to it. When people promise something, I hold them to it.
  • Did Omar hold you to that, Ana? Did Omar hold you to that, Ana?
  • Okay. But I'll hold you to that. Okay. But I'll hold you to that.

English for Brazilians · Advanced Level 1

  • If I say a date, don't hold me to it. If I say a date, don't hold me to it.
  • We didn't hold Walter to a date. We didn't hold Walter to a date.
  • One evening a month? I'll hold you to that. One evening a month? I'll hold you to that.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular verb.