GRAMMAR
Irregular verbs
What are irregular verbs?
Regular verbs have ed at the end of the simple past and past participle forms:
| Base verb + ed |
|---|
Examples of regular verbs:
| Infinitive | Simple past | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| play | played | played |
| visit | visited | visited |
| work | worked | worked |
In contrast to the above examples of regular verbs, irregular verbs are verbs which don't follow the above pattern of conjugation.
Irregular verbs
Irregular verb forms can not be predicted, that's why you should learn them by heart. The best way to deal with them is as follows:
- Use them in appropriate contexts (in your writing or in your conversation)
- Write down examples in your exercise book.
- Always keep a list of irregular verbs at your disposal. (Note that most language books include a section at the end for irregular verbs.)
A list of irregular verbs
| Infinitive | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| awake | awoke | awoken |
| be | was, were | been |
| bear | bore | born |
| beat | beat | beat |
| become | became | become |
| begin | began | begun |
| bend | bent | bent |
| beset | beset | beset |
| bet | bet | bet |
| bid | bid / bade | bid / bidden |
| bind | bound | bound |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| bleed | bled | bled |
| blow | blew | blown |
| break | broke | broken |
| breed | bred | bred |
| bring | brought | brought |
| broadcast | broadcast | broadcast |
| build | built | built |
| burn | burned / burnt | burned / burnt |
| burst | burst | burst |
| buy | bought | bought |
| cast | cast | cast |
| catch | caught | caught |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| cling | clung | clung |
| come | came | come |
| cost | cost | cost |
| creep | crept | crept |
| cut | cut | cut |
| deal | dealt | dealt |
| dig | dug | dug |
| dive | dived / dove | dived |
| do | did | done |
| draw | drew | drawn |
| dream | dreamed / dreamt | dreamed / dreamt |
| drive | drove | driven |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| feed | fed | fed |
| feel | felt | felt |
| fight | fought | fought |
| find | found | found |
| fit | fit | fit |
| flee | fled | fled |
| fling | flung | flung |
| fly | flew | flown |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| forego (forgo) | forewent | foregone |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| forsake | forsook | forsaken |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| get | got | gotten |
| give | gave | given |
| go | went | gone |
| grind | ground | ground |
| grow | grew | grown |
| hang | hung | hung |
| hear | heard | heard |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| hit | hit | hit |
| hold | held | held |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| keep | kept | kept |
| kneel | knelt | knelt |
| knit | knit | knit |
| know | knew | know |
| lay | laid | laid |
| lead | led | led |
| leap | leaped / leapt | leaped / leapt |
| learn | learned / learnt | learned / learnt |
| leave | left | left |
| lend | lent | lent |
| let | let | let |
| lie | lay | lain |
| light | lighted / lit | lighted / lit |
| lose | lost | lost |
| make | made | made |
| mean | meant | meant |
| meet | met | met |
| misspell | misspelled / misspelt | misspelled / misspelt |
| mistake | mistook | mistaken |
| mow | mowed | mowed / mown |
| overcome | overcame | overcome |
| overdo | overdid | overdone |
| overtake | overtook | overtaken |
| overthrow | overthrew | overthrown |
| pay | paid | paid |
| plead | pleaded / pled | pleaded / pled |
| prove | proved | proved / proven |
| put | put | put |
| quit | quit | quit |
| read | read | read |
| rid | rid | rid |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| ring | rang | rung |
| rise | rose | risen |
| run | ran | run |
| saw | sawed | sawed / sawn |
| say | said | said |
| see | saw | seen |
| seek | sought | sought |
| sell | sold | sold |
| send | sent | sent |
| set | set | set |
| sew | sewed | sewed / sewn |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| shave | shaved | shaved / shaven |
| shear | sheared / shore | sheared / shorn |
| shed | shed | shed |
| shine | shone | shone |
| shoe | shod | shod |
| shoot | shot | shot |
| show | showed | showed / shown |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk |
| shut | shut | shut |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sink | sank | sunk |
| sit | sat | sat |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| slay | slew | slain |
| slide | slid | slid |
| sling | slung | slung |
| slit | slit | slit |
| smite | smote | smitten |
| sow | sowed | sowed / sown |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| speed | sped | sped |
| spend | spent | spent |
| spill | spilled / spilt | spilled / spilt |
| spin | spun | spun |
| spit | spit / spat | spit |
| split | split | split |
| spread | spread | spread |
| spring | sprang / sprung | sprung |
| stand | stood | stood |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| stick | stuck | stuck |
| sting | stung | stung |
| stink | stank | stunk |
| stride | strode | stridden |
| strike | struck | struck |
| string | strung | strung |
| strive | strove | striven |
| swear | swore | sworn |
| sweep | swept | swept |
| swell | swelled | swelled / swollen |
| swim | swam | swum |
| swing | swung | swung |
| take | took | taken |
| teach | taught | taught |
| tear | tore | torn |
| tell | told | told |
| think | thought | thought |
| thrive | thrived / throve | thrived |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| thrust | thrust | thrust |
| tread | trod | trodden |
| understand | understood | understood |
| uphold | upheld | upheld |
| upset | upset | upset |
| wake | woke | woken |
| wear | wore | worn |
| weave | weaved / wove | weaved / woven |
| wed | wed | wed |
| weep | wept | wept |
| wind | wound | wound |
| win | won | won |
| withhold | withheld | withheld |
| withstand | withstood | withstood |
| wring | wrung | wrung |
| write | wrote | written |
