Sit down: taking a seat and inviting someone

The idea

Sit down often describes moving into a seated position. Use sat down for the past and double t in sitting. Add a place when useful: on the wall, beside the window or here.

Examples

• Please sit down beside the window.
• Omar sat down on the low wall.
• We sit down to eat at noon.
• Mina is sitting down now.
• You can sit down here.
• She sat down, then opened her notebook.

Watch out

Do not form the past as sitted. Also, be sitting down can describe an existing seated position, so it does not always mean the person is moving down at that moment.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the correct option. Omar ___ down on the low wall. (sat / sitted)

   Show answer or example answer

   sat

   The past of sit is sat, so the completed action is sat down.

2. Choose the correct option. Mina is ___ down now. (sitting / siting)

   Show answer or example answer

   sitting

   Double the final t before -ing: sitting.

3. Choose the correct option. Please ___ down beside the window. (sit / sits)

   Show answer or example answer

   sit

   An imperative after please uses the base form sit, without -s.

Use it today

Invite a visitor to sit in a particular place. Then write where someone sat down yesterday and what they did next.