Understanding Irregular Verbs in English
Irregular verbs in English can be challenging, as they don’t follow standard conjugation rules. However, with practice and a deeper understanding of their unique characteristics, you can significantly improve your grammar skills. In this article, we will cover the basics of irregular verbs, provide examples, and offer some practice questions to help you master this aspect of the English language.
What are Irregular Verbs?
Irregular verbs are those that don’t follow the typical conjugation rules. In most cases, the simple past (V2) and past participle (V3) forms are not created by adding ‘d’, ‘ed’, or ‘ied’ to the base form. For example, the irregular verb “go” has the forms “go-went-gone”. Some irregular verbs have the same past simple (V2) and past participle (V3) forms, such as “bet-bet-bet”.
List of Common Irregular Verbs
Below is a list of common irregular verbs in English, along with their past simple (V2) and past participle (V3) forms.
| Infinitive | Past Simple | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| Arise | Arose | Arisen |
| Babysit | Babysat | Babysat |
| Be | was/were | Been |
| Beat | Beat | Beaten |
| Bend | Bent | Bent |
| Begin | Began | Begun |
| Bet | Bet | Bet |
| Bind | Bound | Bound |
| Bite | Bit | Bitten |
| Bleed | Bled | Bled |
| Blow | Blew | Blown |
| Break | Broke | Broken |
| Breed | Bred | Bred |
| Bring | Brought | Brought |
| Build | Built | Built |
| Catch | Caught | Caught |
| Choose | Chose | Chosen |
| Come | Came | Come |
| Cost | Cost | Cost |
| Cut | Cut | Cut |
| Deal | Dealt | Dealt |
| Dig | Dug | Dug |
| Do | Did | Done |
| Draw | Drew | Drawn |
| Drink | Drank | Drunk |
| Drive | Drove | Driven |
| Eat | Ate | Eaten |
| Fall | Fell | Fallen |
| Feed | Fed | Fed |
| Feel | Felt | Felt |
| Find | Found | Found |
| Fly | Flew | Flown |
| Forbid | Forbade | Forbidden |
| Forget | Forgot | Forgotten |
| Forgive | Forgave | Forgiven |
| Freeze | Froze | Frozen |
| Get | Got | Gotten |
| Give | Gave | Given |
| Go | Went | Gone |
| Grow | Grew | Grown |
| Hang | Hung | Hung |
| Hang | Hanged | Hanged |
| Have | Had | Had |
| Hear | Heard | Heard |
| Hide | Hid | Hidden |
| Hit | Hit | Hit |
| Hold | Held | Held |
| Hurt | Hurt | Hurt |
| Keep | Kept | Kept |
| Know | Knew | Known |
| Lay | Laid | Lain |
| Lead | Led | Led |
| Leave | Left | Left |
| Lend | Lent | Lent |
| Let | Let | Let |
| Lie | Lay | Lain |
| Light | Lit | Lit |
| Lose | Lost | Lost |
| Make | Made | Made |
| Mean | Meant | Meant |
| Meet | Met | Met |
| Pay | Paid | Paid |
| Put | Put | Put |
| Quit | Quit | Quit |
| Read | Read | Read |
| Ride | Rode | Ridden |
| Ring | Rang | Rung |
| Rise | Rose | Risen |
| Run | Ran | Run |
| Say | Said | Said |
| See | Saw | Seen |
| Send | Sent | Sent |
| Set | Set | Set |
| Shake | Shook | Shaken |
| Shine | Shone | Shone |
Irregular Verbs with Multiple Forms or Meanings
Some irregular verbs can have multiple forms or meanings, such as “hang” and “lie”. For example, when “hang” refers to attaching something to a high position, the forms are “hang-hung-hung”. However, when it means to kill someone by suspending them with a rope, the forms are “hang-hanged-hanged”.
Similarly, “lie” has two meanings. When it means to place your body in a horizontal position, the forms are “lie-lay-lain”. When it refers to not telling the truth, the forms are “lie-lied-lied”.
Some verbs can be both regular and irregular, depending on the context and preference. For instance, “burn” can be conjugated as “burned-burned” or “burnt-burnt”. The latter is more common in British English.
Conjugating Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense
Irregular verbs in the present tense follow simple rules. The only change occurs in the third person (He, She, or It). If the verb ends in ‘ss’, ‘x’, ‘ch’, ‘sh’, or ‘o’, we add ‘es’ in the third person, as in “kiss-kisses” or “watch-watches”. If the verb ends in a consonant + ‘y’, we remove ‘y’ and add ‘ies’ in the third person, such as “carry-carries” or “study-studies”.
Example Sentences with Irregular Verbs
- A mechanic fixes cars.
- She watches dramas every night.
- He kisses his daughter before he goes to work.
- She studies every night.
- The baby cries all the time.
- He denies all the responsibilities.
Practice Questions and Answers
Q1: What is the past participle form of the verb “write”?
A1: Written
Q2: Choose the correct form of the verb “lie” in this sentence: “She ___ on the bed.”
A2: Lay
Q3: What is the simple past form of the verb “swim”?
A3: Swam
Q4: How do you conjugate the verb “study” in the third person singular (he, she, it)?
A4: Studies
Q5: What is the correct past participle form for “hang when it means “to attach something in a high position”?
A5: Hung
