Language/English/Grammar/Irregular-Verbs

Welcome to our lesson on English Grammar → Irregular Verbs! In this lesson, we will explore verbs in English that are considered irregular because they don't follow the usual "ed" ending (such as "studied") in the past tense and/or the past participle forms. 📚

After mastering irregular verbs, you might also be interested in learning about other aspects of English grammar. For instance, you can check out our lesson on common English grammar mistakes to avoid pitfalls in your writing and speaking. Additionally, our lesson on ellipsis in English grammar can help you understand the difference between legitimate and false ellipsis. And if you're looking to improve your question-forming skills, don't miss our English grammar questions lesson. 😊

Let's dive into the world of irregular verbs and enhance your English language proficiency!

Learn and have fun

Watch this video, you will learn and have fun too ;) !

Irregular Verb List

Here is a list of the most common and contemporary irregular verbs in English. Note that there are often differences between British (Br) and American (Am) English. These are marked.

Sometimes, it is relative usage. For example, the simple past and past participle of of "learn" - "learnt" - is the usual form for the majority of British English speakers whereas "learned" is used by most American English speakers, less than one third use "learnt".

Sometimes, the regular form of a verb has one meaning whereas its irregular form has another.

Also, usage of irregular verbs can even depend on which region you are from in Britain, the US, Australia, Canada and other English-speaking countries. Native English speakers often love to argue with each other about which irregular form is the correct one - even when they are from the same country!

We've seen many of the irregular verbs, now let's see some sentences using them:

Example Sentences Using Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs, on the other hand, need to be studied individually. These example sentences in all tenses will help students learn irregular verb forms in context. Click on one of the irregular verbs listed below for example sentences of irregular verbs in all tenses including active and passive forms, as well as conditional and modal forms.

To help you choose the verb you need, each verb includes three example sentences to get you started.

be / was / were / been

Tom was in New York yesterday.

I've been at home for a long time.
My friend is often in Australia for the summer.
She'll be at the party in London next weekend.

beat  / beat / beaten

We beat the home team yesterday.
I've never beaten David at chess.
Do you think you could beat him?

become  / became / become

Jason has become a qualified doctor.
It becomes difficult sometimes when students don't do their homework.
The situation became difficult last week.

begin  / began / begun

The play hasn't begun yet.
I began to understand the problem yesterday.
The film begins at 9 pm each evening.

bend  / bent / bent

He bent the branch until it broke.
The flag poll often bends in the wind.
I've bent the nail when I hit it with a hammer. 

break / broke / broken

My boy has broken three windows this week!
I broke that window last week.
Glass often breaks if you drop it. 

buy  / bought / bought

Janice bought a new watch last week.
I usually buy my vegetables in the morning.
He's bought more than ten cars in his life. 

come  / came / come

We came home earlier yesterday.
He comes to class on time every day.
We've come across that song before. 

cut / cut / cut

How many pieces have you cut?
I cut my finger on a piece of broken glass yesterday.
The butcher usually cuts the meat for us.

draw / drew / drawn

She drew a beautiful picture in class.

Jackie has drawn a few clowns this week.
The magician draws a card from the pack at each show. 

drink / drank / drunk

I was so thirsty I drank two bottles of water.
Have you drunk any wine yet?
People drink water when they are thirsty. 

drive / drove / driven

Have you ever driven across the US?
I drove to the cricket match to see my son play.
He drives his boss to work every day. 

eat / ate / eaten

We ate lunch early today.
Have you eaten already?
We often eat lunch at a nearby restaurant.

find / found / found

Have you found him yet?
I found an old book on that table over there.
I find it difficult to write sentences in English!

fly / flew / flown

Cheryl flew to Brazil last month.

Have you ever flown around the world?
The birds fly from New Zealand to Siberia each summer.

Practice Resources

https://quizlet.com/164041806/irregular-verbs-english-irregular-verbs-flash-cards/

https://www.memrise.com/course/100903/learn-english-irregular-verbs/

https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/1042687651

Other Lessons

• REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
• Adverbs of Manner
• Confusion between Adjectives and Adverbs
• Subjunctive mood
• INFINITIVES
• Questions
• Mood vs Tense
• After all
• Abstract nouns and concrete nouns
• More on Omission