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How To Conjugate the Verb “Alight”?
The verb “alight” is a somewhat formal or literary word, but it’s still used in modern English, especially in British English. In this post, we’ll look at how to conjugate this irregular verb across various tenses and forms, provide example sentences, and clarify how it’s used in context.
Understanding the Verb “Alight”
Definition
- To get off a bus, train, horse, or other form of transport.
- Example: The tourists alighted from the bus in front of the historic cathedral.
- To descend or land on something gently (commonly used with birds or insects).
- Example: A butterfly alighted on her hand, resting for just a moment before flying away.
More Example Sentences
- I alighted from the train and walked home.
- A butterfly alighted softly on the flower.
- Passengers alight here for the museum.
Conjugation of “Alight” (Basic Forms)
| Verb Form | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Base form | alight |
| 3rd person singular (present) | alights |
| Present participle / Gerund | alighting |
| Past simple | alit / alighted |
| Past participle | alit / alighted |
✅ Both alit and alighted are correct past forms. Alighted is more commonly used in everyday English, while alit is more literary or poetic.
Conjugation of “Alight” in Common Tenses
| Tense | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Simple Present | I alight from the bus at this stop. |
| Present Continuous | I am alighting from the train now. |
| Simple Past | She alighted from the carriage slowly. |
| Past Continuous | They were alighting when the train stopped. |
| Present Perfect | We have alighted at the wrong station! |
| Past Perfect | He had alighted before the rain started. |
| Future Simple | I will alight at the next platform. |
| Future Perfect | They will have alighted by 10 o’clock. |
🔉 Pronunciation
- Alight: /əˈlaɪt/
- Alighted: /əˈlaɪtɪd/
- Alit: /əˈlɪt/
🌍 Usage Notes
- “Alight” is formal or literary in tone.
- Commonly used in British English train or bus announcements: “Please take care when alighting from the bus.”
- Less common in American English, where “get off” is typically used instead.
- “Alit” is often used in poetry or descriptive writing: “A single snowflake alit on her shoulder.”
Irregular Verb Pattern
“Alight” follows a common irregular pattern where the past simple and past participle are the same.
- Similar verbs include:
bend – bent – bent
burn – burnt/burned – burnt/burned
Synonyms
| Meaning | Common Synonyms |
|---|---|
| Get off a vehicle | get off, step off, dismount |
| Land gently (bird/insect) | settle, perch, land |
Note: “Alight” is more formal than “get off.”
Mini Practice Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “alight.”
- The passengers ___ from the train at the final stop. (past)
- Birds often ___ on the rooftops at sunset. (present)
- She was ___ when she dropped her phone. (participle)
- I ___ at the wrong station yesterday. (past)
- The fairy had ___ on the leaf. (past participle)
Answer Key
- alighted / alit
- alight
- alighting
- alighted / alit
- alighted / alit
📚 Literary Touch
Use of “alit” in poetic or descriptive writing helps create a gentle, elegant tone.
Another Splendour on his mouth alit,
That mouth, whence it was wont to draw the breath
Which gave it strength to pierce the guarded wit,
And pass into the panting heart beneath
With lightning and with music: the damp death
Quench’d its caress upon his icy lips;
And, as a dying meteor stains a wreath
Of moonlight vapour, which the cold night clips,
It flush’d through his pale limbs, and pass’d to its eclipse.Adonais: An Elegy on the Death of John Keats, by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Final Thoughts
Though not frequently used in everyday conversation, the verb “alight” is still important to understand—especially in formal writing, announcements, and literature.