Undergo In Past Tense – Undergone Or Underwent?

By Benjamin Essek

What Is The Past Tense Of Undergo?

The past tense of undergo is underwent because it follows the standard pattern of forming the V2 form of irregular verbs in English. To form the past tense of “undergo”, we change “-go” to “-went”. This is an irregularity that is shared with a few other English verbs like “overthrow” (overthrew), “overdo” (overdid), and “understand” (understood).

You can check out the table below for other verb forms of undergo:

Base/Infinitive Form (V1) undergo
Present Form/3rd Person/Singular Form undergoes
Past Form (V2) underwent
Past Participle Form (V3) undergone
Present Participle/Gerund undergoing

How To Pronounce “Underwent” Correctly? 

According to Oxford Learner Dictionary, the transcription of undergo is /ˌʌndəˈɡəʊ/ in British accents, and /ˌʌndərˈɡəʊ/ in American accents. 

The past tense underwent is pronounced as /ˌʌndəˈwent/ by Britain and /ˌʌndərˈwent/ by American.

You can take a look at the below table more details:

Verb Forms Pronunciation 
British English language American English language
undergo /ˌʌndəˈɡəʊ/ /ˌʌndərˈɡəʊ/
underwent (V2) /ˌʌndəˈwent/ /ˌʌndərˈwent/
undergone (V3) /ˌʌndəˈɡɒn/ /ˌʌndərˈɡɒn/
undergoing /ˌʌndəˈɡəʊɪŋ/ /ˌʌndərˈɡəʊɪŋ/

Check out the below videos to pronounce undergo and underwent correctly:

How to say undergo:

How to say underwent in British accent:

What Are The Definitions Of Underwent?

Underwent and its base form have the same meaning. While “underwent” is used to describe a completed action that happened in the past, “undergo” is used to talk about current or ongoing events in the present or future.

  • To experience or go through something that may be unpleasant or involve a significant change.

Example 1: He underwent heart surgery last year and had been recovering well.

Example 2: The old building underwent major renovations in the 1990s to meet modern safety standards.

  • To experience/endure something that may be unpleasant and have a powerful impact.

Example 1: She underwent a grueling training program to prepare for last year’s Olympic Games.

Example 2: The region underwent a severe drought that devastated the crops and livestock in the area.

Exercises

2
Created on By Benjamin Essek

Undergo In Past Tense

Choose the correct verb form of undergo to fill in the blanks:

1 / 7

She ___ a painful divorce in 2019 and has been working on healing ever since.

2 / 7

The community has ____ a significant transformation in recent years due to increased immigration.

3 / 7

Last month, the region ____ a severe drought that completely devastated the local economy.

4 / 7

They are currently ____ a major renovation of their home and garden.

5 / 7

She usually _____ training to keep up with the latest trends in her industry. (See past tense of keep here)

6 / 7

The company ______ significant changes in the last decade to adapt to new market conditions.

7 / 7

She ____ a traumatic experience during her time in the military.

Your score is

The average score is 86%

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FAQs

What Are The Synonyms And Antonyms Of The Verb Undergo?

According to the Thesaurus, synonyms of the verb undergo are: bear, endure, experience, go through, meet with, have, see, sustain, suffer, withstand, bow, abide, defer, feel, encounter, know, stand, share, support, weather, tolerate, yield, put up with, bear up, and submit to.

See past tense of bear here.

The antonyms of undergo include: discontinue, refuse, surrender, disallow, disapprove, let go, oppose, reject, stop, veto, commit, do, and execute.

Note that the synonyms and antonyms of “undergo” do not necessarily have the same meaning. The synonyms of “undergo” refer to experiencing a state or an event, while the antonyms refer to not undergoing or refusing to do something.

Therefore, when using the synonyms and antonyms of “undergo,” make sure that the word you choose fits the context and meaning of the sentence.

Is Undergo a Transitive Or Intransitive Verb?

Undergo is a transitive verb since it calls for a direct object in a sentence. When standing alone without an object, it can’t complete the meaning. 

Examples:

  • She underwent surgery last week. (surgery is the direct object that receives the action of the verb “underwent”)
  • He had to undergo a background check before getting the job. (background check is the direct object of “undergo”)
  • The athlete will undergo a fitness test before joining the team. (Fitness test is the direct object)
  • The car underwent repairs after the accident. (repairs is the direct object that the car underwent)