Irregular Verbs
Most verbs in the English language follow the
same rule: add –d or –ed to the
present form of the verb, to make the past tense
and the past participle.
The verbs that follow this rule are called regular
verbs. They follow this pattern:
Present tense: add
Past tense: added
Past participle: added
There are also many verbs that do not follow
this rule. They are called irregular verbs.
We usually learn the right way to use these
verbs just by hearing them and reading them.
Here are two rules for using irregular verbs:
1. With the past participle, use
a helping verb such as has, have, or had.
have ridden
has broken
had thrown
2. With the past tense, use no helping
verb.
The meeting began
early.
The flowers lay on
the table.
The table below shows the most common irregular
verbs.
| say |
said |
said |
| make |
made |
made |
| go |
went |
gone |
| take |
took |
taken |
| come |
came |
come |
| see |
saw |
seen |
| know |
knew |
known |
| get |
got |
got/gotten |
| give |
gave |
given |
| find |
found |
found |
| think |
thought |
thought |
| tell |
told |
told |
| become |
became |
become |
| show |
showed |
shown |
| leave |
left |
left |
| feel |
felt |
felt |
| put |
put |
put |
| bring |
brought |
brought |
| begin |
began |
begun |
| keep |
kept |
kept |
| hold |
held |
held |
| write |
wrote |
written |
| stand |
stood |
stood |
| hear |
heard |
heard |
| let |
let |
let |
| mean |
meant |
meant |
| set |
set |
set |
| meet |
met |
met |
| run |
ran |
run |
| pay |
paid |
paid |
| sit |
sat |
sat |
| speak |
spoke |
spoken |
| lie |
lay |
lain |
| lead |
led |
led |
| read |
read |
read |
| grow |
grew |
grown |
| lose |
lost |
lost |
| fall |
fell |
fallen |
| send |
sent |
sent |
| build |
built |
built |
| understand |
understood |
understood |
| draw |
drew |
drawn |
| break |
broke |
broken |
| spend |
spent |
spent |
| cut |
cut |
cut |
| rise |
rose |
risen |
| drive |
drove |
driven |
| buy |
bought |
bought |
| wear |
wore |
worn |
| choose |
chose |
chosen |
|
Exercise: The verbs in these sentences
are irregular verbs. For each sentence,
circle the correct word from the two given in
the parentheses.
1. The class (began, begun) about eight o’clock.
2. The gate had been (broke, broken) long ago.
3. Who (bring, brought) these books to the library?
4. Has everyone (chose, chosen) a subject for
his report?
5. Jimmy (came, come) home after the game.
6. Emma has never (did, done) such hard work.
7. When we were camping, we (drank, drunk) from
the creek.
8. Someone had (ate, eaten) all the chocolate
cake.
9. The snow had (fell, fallen) very quickly.
10. Have you ever eaten a (froze, frozen) banana
covered with chocolate?
11. Laura has (given, gave) a good report on
the elections.
12. Everyone had (went, gone) home before it
got dark.
13. That tree has (grew, grown) two feet this
year.
14. I should have (known, knew) what to do.
15. Our science class has (grew, grown) different
plants for the experiment.
16. The team (knew, known) the rules for the
game.
17. My alarm clock had (rung, rang) too soon
for me.
18. The church bells always (rung, rang) at eight.
19. The sun had (rose, risen) early since it
was summer.
20. We (run, ran) to the corner store for bread.
21. The children (sang, sung) three songs.
22. The boys (saw, seen) two deer in the forest.
23. The mayor of the city (spoke, spoken) to
the reporters.
24. The thief had (stole, stolen) several items
from the store.
25. I have never (swam, swum) all the way to
the island.
26. They have (went, gone) ice skating every
winter.
27. Terry (threw, thrown) the ball for his dog
to chase.
28. Michael has (write, written) an interesting
story.
29. The girl had (threw, thrown) away her old
shoes.
30. Have you (wrote, written) in your journal
every week?
English
Lessons Table of Contents
|
