Choose or Chose – The Tale of Two Choices

Difference Between Choose and Chose

In English, “choose” and “chose” are words that tell about picking something. Let’s learn more about them.

History

Both words come from old English. “Choose” comes from the word “cēosan” which means to pick. “Chose” is the past form of “choose”.

How to Use Them

Choose:
We use “choose” when we talk about picking now or in the future.

• I choose my clothes every morning.
• She will choose a book to read.
• They choose a movie to watch tonight.
• We can choose our seats in the class.
• You choose the color you like best.

Chose:
We use “chose” when we talk about picking in the past.

• Yesterday, I chose a green shirt.
• He chose to play soccer last week.
• They chose a gift for their friend.
• We chose a hotel to stay in.
• You chose a book last time.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Remember “choose” is for now or later, and “chose” is for before. Think of “choose” with two “o”s like in “now” and “future” which have two ‘o’s sound in them. “Chose” has only one “o” because it happened once in the past.

Summary

Choose: Use it when talking about now or later.
Chose: Use it when talking about before.

Use these tricks and you will not mix them up!