Gave is the past tense of give. When you hand something to someone or let them have it, you give it to them. After it's done, you gave it to them.

You might have given your friend a birthday present yesterday. Your teacher gave the class homework last week. Your parents gave you permission to ride your bike to the park. In each case, something passed from one person to another: an object, a task, or approval.

The word works for things you can't touch, too. A speech might have given you inspiration. A book gave you new ideas. A long run gave you energy for the rest of the day.

People sometimes confuse gave with given. Remember: gave is for actions that already happened and are complete. “Yesterday I gave him the ball.” But if you're using have or has with the verb, you use given instead: “I have given him the ball.”