The word kidding is often used in informal conversations to indicate joking or not being serious. When discussing its past tense, it is important to understand the verb it derives from and how it functions grammatically. Kidding comes from the verb kid, which means to tease or joke with someone. Knowing how to use the past tense correctly is essential for clear communication, especially when recounting events or conversations where someone was joking or not serious. This topic explores the past tense of kidding, its usage, common errors, and examples to help you master this verb form effectively.
Understanding the Verb Kid
Kid as a verb is informal and means to joke, tease, or say something in a playful manner without intending to be taken seriously. It is commonly used in everyday speech among friends, family, and colleagues. The present participle form of kid is kidding, which often appears in phrases like just kidding to clarify that one is joking.
Examples of Kid in Present Tense
- I’m justkidding, don’t take it seriously.
- She likeskiddingaround with her friends.
- They oftenkideach other to lighten the mood.
Here, kid and kidding express ongoing or habitual joking behavior.
Past Tense of Kid
Since kid is a regular verb, its past tense is formed by adding -ed. Therefore, the past tense of kid is kidded. This is sometimes surprising to learners because kidding sounds like it could be an irregular form, but it is not.
- Base form: kid
- Past tense: kidded
- Past participle: kidded
- Present participle: kidding
- Third-person singular present: kids
Examples of Kidded in Past Tense
- Hekiddedabout winning the lottery, but no one believed him.
- Yesterday, theykiddedaround during the meeting.
- Shekiddedher brother after he made a funny mistake.
Using kidded clearly indicates that the joking took place at a specific point in the past.
Common Phrases Involving Kidding and Kidded
Just Kidding
One of the most popular expressions with kidding is just kidding, which people use to signal that what they just said was a joke and should not be taken seriously. Although kidding here is a present participle, the phrase can be applied to past situations with slight adjustment.
- I didn’t mean it; I was justkidding.
- He said he won the game, but he wasjust kidding.
Kidded Around
The phrase kidded around is an informal way to say someone joked or played around without being serious.
- Theykidded aroundduring lunch to ease the tension.
- Wekidded arounda lot when we were kids.
Using Kidded in Different Grammatical Forms
Past Perfect Tense
When describing an action completed before another past event, kidded can be used in the past perfect tense with had.
- He hadkiddedabout the situation before things got serious.
- They had alreadykiddedduring the previous meeting.
Passive Voice
Although less common, kidded can appear in passive voice to highlight the receiver of the joking action:
- He waskiddedby his friends for his unusual outfit.
- She was oftenkiddedabout her cooking skills.
Pronunciation and Spelling Notes
Kid is pronounced /kɪd/, and the past tense kidded is pronounced /Ëkɪdɪd/. Notice the double d in the past tense spelling, which is standard for verbs ending with a short vowel sound followed by a consonant. This doubling helps maintain the short vowel sound. Correct pronunciation and spelling are important for clarity, especially in spoken English.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Because kid is often used informally and people say kidding frequently, some learners make mistakes with the past tense form. Here are common errors and their corrections:
- Incorrect: Hekidedabout winning the game.
Correct: Hekiddedabout winning the game. - Incorrect: Theykidaround yesterday.
Correct: Theykiddedaround yesterday. - Incorrect: She waskiddingyesterday.
Correct: She waskiddedyesterday. (If passive voice)
Or
Shewas kiddingyesterday. (If continuous past tense)
It is also important to distinguish between the continuous past (was/were kidding) and simple past (kidded) depending on the meaning you want to express.
Contextual Uses of Kidded and Kidding
In Casual Conversation
Most often, kid and its forms are used in casual conversations among friends and family to lighten the mood or express humor.
- I was justkidding, don’t get mad!
- Hekiddedabout the surprise party.
In Written Dialogue
Writers often use kidding and kidded in dialogues to portray playful characters or humorous situations.
- Are you serious, or are youkidding? she asked.
- Hekiddedhis friend about the funny incident.
In Storytelling and Narratives
When recounting past events involving jokes or teasing, kidded helps to clarify that the statements were not serious.
- During the reunion, theykiddedeach other about old memories.
- Shekiddedher brother relentlessly when they were young.
Synonyms of Kid (as a verb)
If you want to express joking or teasing in different words, here are some common synonyms:
- Joke
- Tease
- Poke fun
- Mess around
- Play around
While kid is informal and friendly, some synonyms may carry different tones or levels of formality.
Summary of Key Points
- Kid is an informal verb meaning to joke or tease.
- The past tense of kid is kidded.
- Kidded is formed by doubling the d and adding -ed.
- Kidding is the present participle used for continuous tense or informal phrases like just kidding.
- Common mistakes include incorrect past tense spelling and tense confusion.
- Kidded can be used in past perfect and passive voice forms.
The past tense of kidding comes from the verb kid, and the correct past tense form is kidded. Understanding this simple yet often confused verb form is important for both spoken and written English, especially in informal contexts where humor and teasing are involved. Using kidded correctly in sentences allows you to clearly express when the joking happened in the past. Whether you’re sharing stories, engaging in casual conversations, or writing dialogues, mastering kidded and kidding will help improve your fluency and make your English sound more natural and accurate.