Strived or Strove: The Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Past Tense

English learners and even seasoned writers often stumble over one small but tricky choice: should you use “strived” or “strove” as the past tense of strive? This verb, meaning to make a great effort, to work hard toward a goal, or to struggle against difficulties, sits in a confusing spot between regular and irregular verbs. It has two competing past forms—strived and strove—and both appear in edited, published works, dictionaries, and real-life speech. Strived or Strove.

So which one is correct? Which sounds more natural in academic, casual, or professional settings? And why has this little word caused confusion for centuries?

This article will break it all down. We’ll explore history, grammar rules, usage patterns, literary examples, modern trends, and even tricks to help you easily remember the correct form of “strive.”

Table of Contents

What Does “Strive” Mean?

At its core, to strive means to make strong efforts to achieve or accomplish something difficult. It’s not about small tasks; it carries weight, persistence, and often a sense of noble purpose.

A student strives to pass a difficult test.
An athlete strives to break a personal record.
A company strives to deliver excellence.
Generations have strived (or strove) for justice and equality.

In short, “strive” is about serious effort.

Form	Example Sentence
Infinitive	To strive for perfection is admirable.
Present Simple	She strives for excellence in every project.
Present Continuous	They are striving to meet the deadline.
Past Simple	He strove/strived to overcome his fears.
Past Perfect	We had striven for years before achieving success.
Present Perfect	The team has striven for excellence all season.

Strived or Strove: Which Is Correct?

Here’s the short answer: both are technically correct, but context matters.

Strove → Traditional, irregular past tense, more common in older, literary, or formal writing.
Strived → Regularized form, more common in modern English, especially in casual speech and American usage.

For example:

Jackson strove to defeat his rivals and win the world title. (literary, historical)
The team strived all year to achieve balance and meet their goals. (modern, everyday use)

Authorities like Merriam-Webster and the Oxford English Dictionary recognize both versions. However, “strove” has a longer history, while “strived” has gained traction in recent decades.

Why the Confusion Exists

English verbs fall into two families: regular (follow predictable -ed endings) and irregular (change in unpredictable ways).

Regular → work → worked
Irregular → sing → sang → sung

“Strive” sits awkwardly between the two. Historically, it behaved like drive → drove → driven:

Strive → Strove → Striven

But over time, English speakers regularized the verb, creating the alternative strived. That’s why both coexist.

Historical Usage of “Strove” vs. “Strived”

Looking back through literature, dictionaries, and digitized works like the New York Times archives and Google Ngram Viewer, we see clear patterns.

18th–19th century: Strove was predominant, appearing 5–6 times more frequently than strived.
Late 19th century: Usage of strove peaked.
20th century onward: Strived gained ground, especially in North America, though strove remained strong in British English.
Modern trend: Both forms appear in edited texts, but strived is increasingly accepted in casual and professional writing.

Century	Predominant Form	Notes
1800s	Strove	Appeared more in books, formal writing.
Late 19th	Strove	Peak usage in newspapers, magazines.
20th	Mixed	Strived began appearing more frequently.
21st	Balanced	Strived accepted in casual and professional settings.

Grammar Rules: How to Conjugate “Strive”

Let’s set it out clearly with conjugation tables.

Present Tense Forms

Person	Form	Example
I / We	strive	I strive to do my best.
You	strive	You strive for excellence.
He / She / It	strives	She strives every day.
They	strive	They strive to achieve goals.

Past Tense Forms

Form	Examples
Strove (traditional)	She strove to complete the test.
Strived (modern)	They strived to meet the company deadline.

Perfect Tenses (Always “Striven”)

Tense	Example
Present Perfect	We have striven for equality.
Past Perfect	He had striven for decades.
Future Perfect	By 2030, they will have striven for justice.

Examples in Real-Life Context

In Sports:

The athlete strove to break his personal record.
Ross strived to win the championship and finally succeeded.

In Education:

The student strove for perfection on her exams.
They strived to finish their studies despite hardships.

In Work and Business:

The company strove to produce annual budget surpluses.
Workers strived to balance deadlines with personal lives.

In History and Literature:

Generations strove for justice and freedom.
Medieval scholars strived to preserve ancient knowledge.

Mnemonics to Remember the Correct Form

If you find yourself hesitating, try these tricks:

Rhyming Device: Strive → Drive.
- Drive → Drove.
- Strive → Strove.
Modern Shortcut: If you want the easy, regular option, just add -ed: strived.
Situational Choice:
- Formal, academic, historical writing → strove.
- Casual, modern, everyday English → strived.

Strived or Strove in British vs. American English

British English: Strove remains more common, especially in published works.
American English: Strived is increasingly favored in modern usage, though both are widely understood.

Region	Preferred Form
North America	Strived (modern trend)
UK / Commonwealth	Strove (traditional)
Academic Writing	Strove
Casual Conversation	Strived

Common Mistakes and Erroneous Usage

He has strove for success. (wrong)
He has striven for success. (correct)
They striven to complete the project. (wrong tense)
They strived to complete the project. (correct, casual)
She strivest to achieve perfection. (archaic, Shakespearean)
She strives to achieve perfection. (modern, correct)

Strived or Strove in Literature and Culture

Shakespeare’s early texts sometimes used strivest and striveth.
Attinborough and other scholars noted “strove” as the noble, poetic choice.
Songs, speeches, and even newspapers like the New York Times have used both forms, depending on tone.
Springsteen’s audience “strove for meaning,” while modern headlines often read “students strived for change.”

Expert Opinions and Dictionaries

Merriam-Webster: Both forms are accepted.
Oxford English Dictionary: Strove is traditional, strived is also correct.
Cambridge Grammar: Usage varies by region and formality.
BBC Learning English: Notes that learners can safely use either, but strove may sound old-fashioned.

When to Use Which

Think of it this way:

Want to sound literary, formal, or traditional? → Use strove.
Writing in a modern, casual, or American context? → Use strived.
Using perfect tenses? → Always use striven.

Conclusion

The choice between strived and strove reflects the beauty and flexibility of English. Both forms have centuries of use, and both are recognized today.

If you’re writing formally—an academic paper, historical story, or professional report—strove may be the safer choice. If you’re speaking casually, writing online, or teaching English learners, strived is easier and perfectly acceptable.

The key is consistency: once you choose a form, stick to it in the same piece of writing.

FAQs

1. Is “strived” incorrect?
No. Strived is widely accepted, especially in modern American English.

2. Which is more formal: strived or strove?
Strove is considered more formal and traditional.

3. Can I always use “striven” for past tense?
No. Striven is only for perfect tenses (e.g., has striven, had striven).

4. Which is more common today?
In the US, strived is gaining popularity. In the UK, strove remains more common.

5. How can I easily remember?
Think of “drive → drove.” Since strive rhymes, the irregular past is strove.

Andrew Christopher

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