Language/English/Grammar/Irregular-Verbs
Welcome to our lesson on English 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. 📚
Let's dive into the world of irregular verbs and enhance your English language proficiency!
- Note: 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. 😊
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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!
Infinitive | Simple Past | Past Participle |
---|---|---|
arise | arose | arisen |
awake | awoke | awoke (Br - informal)
awoken (formal) awaken (Am - informal) |
be | was, were | been |
bear | bore | borne /
born |
beat | beat | beaten |
become | became | become |
beget | begat (Br)
begot (Am) |
begot (Br)
begotten (Am) |
begin | began | begun |
bend | bent | bent |
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 | burnt (Br)
burned (Am) |
burnt (Br)
burned (Am) |
burst | burst | burst |
buy | bought | bought |
can | could | could |
cast | cast | cast |
catch | caught | caught |
chide | chid /
chode |
chid /
chidden |
choose | chose | chosen |
cling | clung | clung |
clothe | clad /
clothed |
clad /
clothed |
come | came | come |
cost | cost /
costed (Am) |
cost/
costed (Am) |
creep | crept | crept |
cut | cut | cut |
deal | dealt | dealt |
dig | dug | dug |
dive | dived /
dove |
dived (Br)
dove (Am) |
do | did | done |
draw | drew | drawn |
dream | dreamt (Br)
dreamed (Am) |
dreamt (Br)
dreamed (Am) |
drink | drank | drunk |
drive | drove | driven |
dwell | dwelt (Br)
dwelled (Am) |
dwelt (Br)
dwelled (Am) |
eat | ate | eaten |
fall | fell | fallen |
feed | fed | fed |
feel | felt | felt |
fight | fought | fought |
find | found | found |
flee | fled | fled |
fling | flung | flung |
fly | flew | flown |
forbid | forbade | forbidden |
forecast | forecast | forecast |
foresee | foresaw | foreseen |
forget | forgot | forgot (Br)
forgotten (Am) |
forgive | forgave | forgiven |
forsake | forsook | forsaken |
freeze | froze | frozen |
get | got | got (Br)
gotten (Am) |
give | gave | given |
go | went | gone |
grind | ground | ground (Br)
grounded (Am) |
grow | grew | grown |
hang | hung /
hanged |
hung /
hanged |
have | had | had |
hear | heard | heard |
hide | hid | hidden |
hit | hit | hit |
hold | held | held |
hurt | hurt | hurt |
keep | kept | kept |
kneel | knelt (Br)
kneeled (Am) |
knelt (Br)
kneeled (Am) |
know | knew | known |
lay | laid | laid |
lead | led | led |
lean | leant (Br)
leaned (Am) |
leant (Br)
leaned (Am) |
leap | leapt (Br)
leaped (Am) |
leapt (Br)
leaped (Am) |
learn | learnt (Br)
learned (Am) |
learnt (Br)
learned (Am) |
leave | left | left |
lend | lent | lent |
let | let | let |
lie | lay | lain |
light | lit (Br)
lighted (Am) |
lit (Br)
lighted (Am) |
lose | lost | lost |
make | made | made |
mean | meant | meant |
meet | met | met |
mow | mowed | mown (Br)
mowned (Am) |
offset | offset | offset |
overcome | overcame | overcome |
partake | partook | partaken |
pay | paid | paid |
plead | pled (informal)
pleaded (formal) |
pled (informal)
pleaded (formal) |
preset | preset | preset |
prove | proved | proven (Br)
proved (Am) |
put | put | put |
quit | quit | quit |
read | read | read |
rent | rent | rent |
rid | rid | rid |
ride | rode | ridden |
ring | rang | rung |
rise | rose | risen |
run | ran | run |
saw | saw (Br)
sawed (Am) |
sawn (Br)
sawed (Am) |
say | said | said |
see | saw | seen |
seek | sought | sought |
sell | sold | sold |
send | sent | sent |
set | set | set |
shake | shook | shaken |
shed | shed | shed |
shine | shone | shone |
shoe | shod (Br)
shoed (Am) |
shod (Br)
shoed (Am) |
shoot | shot | shot |
show | showed | shown |
shrink | shrank /
shrunk |
shrunk |
shut | shut | shut |
sing | sang | sung |
sink | sank (Br)
sunk (Am) |
sunk (Br)
sunken (Am) |
sit | sat | sat |
slay | slew | slain |
sleep | slept | slept |
slide | slid | slid |
sling | slung | slung |
slink | slunk /
slinked |
slunk /
slinked |
slit | slit | slit |
smell | smelt (Br)
smelled (Am) |
smelt (Br)
smelled (Am) |
sow | sowed | sown (Br)
sowed (Am) |
speak | spoke | spoken |
speed | sped | sped |
spell | spelt | spelt |
spend | spent | spent |
spill | spilt (Br)
spilled (Am) |
spilt (Br)
spilled (Am) |
spin | spun | spun |
spit | spat /
spit |
spat /
spit |
split | split | split |
spoil | spoilt (Br)
spoiled (Am) |
spoilt (Br)
spoiled (Am) |
spread | spread | spread |
spring | sprang | sprung |
stand | stood | stood |
steal | stole | stolen |
stick | stuck | stuck |
sting | stung | stung |
stink | stank /
stunk |
stunk |
strew | strewed | strewn (Br)
strewed (Am) |
strike | struck | struck |
strive | strove (Br)
strived (Am) |
striven (Br)
strived (Am) |
swear | swore | sworn |
sweat | sweat (Br)
sweated (Am) |
sweat (Br)
sweated (Am) |
sweep | swept | swept |
swell | swelled | swollen (Br)
swelled (Am) |
swim | swam | swum |
swing | swung | swung |
take | took | taken |
teach | taught | taught |
tear | tore | torn |
tell | told | told |
think | thought | thought |
throw | threw | thrown |
thrust | thrust | thrust |
tread | trod (Br)
treaded (Am) |
trodden (Br)
treaded (Am) |
typeset | typeset | typeset |
undergo | underwent | undergone |
understand | understood | understood |
wake | woke | woken |
wear | wore | worn |
wed | wed (Br)
wedded (Am) |
wed (Br)
wedded (Am) |
weep | wept | wept |
wet | wet (Br)
wetted (Am) |
wet (Br)
wetted (Am) |
win | won | won |
wind | wound | wound |
withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn |
wring | wrung | wrung |
write | wrote | written |
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 usually in Australia each 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.
France usually beats the US in football.
become / became / become
Jason has become a qualified doctor.
It becomes difficult when students don't study.
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 snapped.
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 sometimes 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 game to see my son playing.
He drives his wife to work every Tuesday.
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?
Birds fly from New Zealand to Siberia towards the end of autumn.
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
Videos
64 Irregular Past Tense Verbs in English! - YouTube
The 50 Most Common Irregular Verbs in English | Grammar ...
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