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Regular and Irregular Verbs

Luckily for us, most verbs in English are regular verbs. This means that we can beconfident with the forms they take because they follow a predictable pattern. Thoseverbs that dont follow the basic rules are called irregular verbs.

Thepast tenseandpast participleof regular verbs can be formed by adding ed to theend of the verb root. If the verb already ends with an e, then we simply add a d. The

present participleof regular verbs is formed by adding ing to the end of the root. (Aparticiple is a word formed from a verb and used in a verb phrase or as a noun oradjective.)

Here are some examples of regular verbs in their various forms:

Present Past Past Participle Present Participle

cough coughed coughed coughing

dance danced danced dancing

On the other hand,the past tense and past particle ofirregularverbs vary, so youmustmemorize the changes. Here is a partial list of irregular verbs with their past and pastparticiple forms. You will want to refer to this list or a dictionary if you are unsure of averb form.

Present Past Past Participle

Arise arose arisenAwake awoke awokenBe (am, are, is) was (were) been

Become became becomeBegin began begunBend bent bentBite bit bitten

Blow blew blownBreak broke broken

Bring brought brought

Build built builtBuy bought boughtCatch caught caught

Choose chose chosen

Come came come

Do (does) did doneDraw drew drawn

Drink drank drunkDrive drove driven

Eat ate eaten

Fall fell fallenFeed fed fedFeel felt felt

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Fight fought foughtFind found foundFly flew flown

Freeze froze frozen

Get got got orgotten

Give gave given

Go (goes) went goneGrow grew grown

Have (has) had hadHear heard heard

Hide hid hidden

Hold held heldHurt hurt hurt

Keep kept kept

Know knew known

Lay laid laidLead led ledLeave left left

Lend lent lentLie lay lain

Light lit lit

Lose lost lostMake made madeMeet met met

Pay paid paid

Ride rode riddenRing rang rungRise rose risen

Run ran runSay said said

See saw seenSell sold soldSend sent sentShake shook shaken

Shrink shrank shrunk

Sing sang sungSleep slept slept

Speak spoke spokenSpend spent spentStand stood stood

Steal stole stolen

Swear swore sworn

Swim swam swumTake took taken

Teach taught taught

Tear tore tornTell told told

Think thought thoughtWake woke orwaked woken orwakedWear wore worn

Write wrote written