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Welcome to Irregular Verbs

By on September 11, 2010

Rule #1 – Don’t panic!

Even if you conjugate an irregular verb using the rules of regular verb conjugation most native English speakers will still understand you. What you say will sound unusual, but the listener should be able to figure out what you mean.

Examples:

Irregular
Verb		 Correct
Past Tense		 Incorrect
Past Tense
be
I have been good today.		 been beed
I have beed good today.
have
I had a good time.		 had haved
I haved a good time.
do
You did a good job		 did doed
You doed a good job.
write
I wrote an essay.		 wrote writed
I writed an essay

In regular English verbs conjugations –ed shows that an action was in the past (e.g. he walked to work yesterday) so applying it to an irregular verb still ‘makes sense’ (and can be understood), but it is bad grammar.

The following pages contain ‘cheat sheets’ of common irregular verbs arranged into groups sharing the same conjugation (where possible).

Irregular verbs with no similar conjugation patterns

Note: Some of the words in this group may have derivative words, e.g. think and rethink.

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
be was/were been is being
have had had has having
say said said says saying
make made made makes making
think thought thought thinks thinking

Do

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
do did done does doing
outdo outdid outdone outdoes outdoing
overdo overdid overdone overdoes overdoing
redo redid redone redoes redoing
undo undid undone undoes undoing

Eat

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
eat ate eaten eats eating
overeat overate overeaten overeats overeating

Sleep

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
sleep slept slept sleeps sleeping
oversleep overslept overslept oversleeps oversleeping
creep crept crept creeps creeping
feel felt felt feels feeling
keep kept kept keeps keeping
lose lost lost loses losing
sweep swept swept sweeps sweeping
weep wept wept weeps weeping

Drink

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
drink drank drunk drinks drinking
begin began begun begins beginning
ring rang rung rings ringing
sink sank sunk sinks sinking
countersink countersank countersunk countersinks countersinking
swim swam swum swims swimming

Put

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
put put put puts putting
input input input inputs inputting
broadcast broadcast broadcast broadcasts broadcasting
burst burst burst bursts bursting
bust bust bust busts busting
cost cost cost costs costing
cut cut cut cuts cutting
forecast forecast forecast forecasts forecasting
hit hit hit hits hitting
hurt hurt hurt hurts hurting
let let let lets letting
read read read reads reading
misread misread misread misreads misreading
reread reread reread rereads rereading
set set set sets setting
reset reset reset resets resetting
shed shed shed sheds shedding

Run

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
run ran run runs running
outrun outran outrun outruns outrunning
overrun overran overrun overruns overrunning

Get

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
get got got/gotten gets getting
forget forgot forgotten forgets forgetting

Go

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
go went gone/been goes going
undergo underwent undergone undergoes undergoing

Know

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
know knew known knows knowing
blow blew blown blows blowing
grow grew grown grows growing
outgrow outgrew outgrown outgrows outgrowing
overgrow overgrew overgrown overgrows overgrowing
throw threw thrown throws throwing
overthrow overthrew overthrown overthrows overthrowing

Take

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
take took taken takes taking
mistake mistook mistaken mistakes mistaking
overtake overtook overtaken overtakes overtaking
partake partook partaken partakes partaking
undertake undertook undertaken undertakes undertaking
forsake Forsook forsaken forsakes Forsaking
shake shook shaken shakes shaking

See

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
see saw seen sees seeing
foresee foresaw foreseen foresees foreseeing
oversee oversaw overseen oversees overseeing

Come

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
come came come comes coming
become became become becomes becoming
overcome overcame overcome overcomes overcoming

Give

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
give gave given gives giving
forgive forgave forgiven forgives forgiving

Find

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
find found found finds finding
bind bound bound binds binding
fight fought fought fights fighting
grind ground ground grinds grinding
wind
unwind		 wound
unwound		 wound
unwound		 winds
unwinds		 winding
unwinding

Tell

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
tell told told tells telling
foretell foretold foretold foretells foretelling
sell sold sold sells selling

Leave

Base Form Past Simple Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle
leave left left leaves leaving
cleave cleft cleft cleaves cleaving

Downloads

Related posts:

  1. Test Your Verbs 1
  2. Test Your Verbs 1 Answers
  3. 50 Opposites (Answers)
  4. 50 Opposites

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