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Irregular Verbs
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What Are Irregular Verbs? (with Examples)
An irregular verb is one that does not form its simple past tense or its past participle by adding "-ed" or "-d" to the base form. Irregular verbs contrast with regular verbs, which form the simple past tense and past participle by adding "-ed" or "-d."| Regular Verb | Simple Past Test | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| jump | jumped | has jumped |
| Irregular Verb | Simple Past Test | Past Participle |
| arise | arose | arisen |
Irregular Verbs Test
Use the buttons to form the past tense and then the participle of the irregular verb shown.| Irregular Verb | |
|---|---|
| Past Tense | Past Participle |
Irregular Verbs Are Very Common
It is somewhat ironic that the most regularly used verbs in English are irregular. They are:| Base Form | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| be | was/were | has been |
| come | came | has come |
| get | got | has got ( )gotten (  ) |
| go | went | has gone |
| know | knew | has known |
| make | made | has made |
| say | said | has said |
| see | saw | has seen |
| take | took | has taken |
| think | thought | has thought |
With an irregular verb, the past form and past participle are often different (but not always). For example:
| Irregular Verb | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| To begin | began | has begun |
| To break | broke | has broken |
| To buy | bought | has bought |
Irregular Verbs Versus Regular Verbs
Now, compare those irregular forms with those of regular verbs, which just add "-ed" or "-d":| Regular Verb | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| To cook | cooked | has cooked |
| To play | played | has played |
| To dance | danced | has danced |
The Most Common Irregular Verbs in English
Listed below are the most common irregular verbs in English:| Irregular Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| arise | arose | arisen |
| be | was/were | been |
| beat | beat | beaten |
| become | became | become |
| 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 |
| buy | bought | bought |
| 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 |
| fight | fought | fought |
| find | found | found |
| fly | flew | flown |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| get | got | got () gotten ( ) |
| give | gave | given |
| go | went | gone |
| grow | grew | grown |
| 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 | laid |
| 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 |
| sell | sold | sold |
| send | sent | sent |
| set | set | set |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| shine | shone | shone |
| shoot | shot | shot |
| show | showed | shown |
| shut | shut | shut |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sink | sank | sunk |
| sit | sat | sat |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| slide | slid | slid |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| spend | spent | spent |
| spin | spun | spun |
| spread | spread | spread |
| stand | stood | stood |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| stick | stuck | stuck |
| sting | stung | stung |
| strike | struck | struck |
| swear | swore | sworn |
| sweep | swept | swept |
| swim | swam | swum |
| swing | swung | swung |
| take | took | taken |
| teach | taught | taught |
| tear | tore | torn |
| tell | told | told |
| think | thought | thought |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| understand | understood | understood |
| wake | woke | woken |
| wear | wore | worn |
| win | won | won |
| withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn |
| write | wrote | written |
Verbs with Irregular and Regular Forms
The following verbs can be regular or irregular:| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| burn | burned OR burnt | burned OR burnt |
| dream | dreamed OR dreamt | dreamed OR dreamt |
| learn | learned OR learnt | learned OR learnt |
| hang | hung also hanged | hung also hanged |
| smell | smelled OR smelt | smelled OR smelt |
| spell | spelled OR spelt | spelled OR spelt |
Irregular Verbs That Don't Change
Some irregular verbs do not change their forms for the simple past tense and the past participle:| Verb | Past Simple | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| bet | bet | bet |
| broadcast | broadcast | broadcast |
| cut | cut | cut |
| hit | hit | hit |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| let | let | let |
| put | put | put |
| quit | quit | quit |
| read | read | read |
| set | set | set |
| shut | shut | shut |
| spread | spread | spread |
Irregular Verbs Can Be Strong or Weak Verbs
An irregular verb can be either a weak verb (when its past forms end "–d" or "-t") or a strong verb. Here are some examples of strong and weak irregular verbs:| Base Form | Simple Past Tense | Past Participle | comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| grow | grew | has grown | irregular verb (strong) |
| freeze | froze | has frozen | irregular verb (strong) |
| tell | told | has told | irregular verb (weak) |
| shoot | shot | has shot | irregular verb (weak) |
Infographic Explaining Strong, Weak, Regular, and Irregular Verbs
The terms "irregular verb" and "strong verb" are not synonyms (i.e., they do not mean the same). Similarly, the terms "regular verb" and "weak verb" are not synonyms.Here is a Venn diagram that explains how verbs are classified:
Why Should I Care about Irregular Verbs?
Somewhat counter-intuitively, the most common verbs in English are irregular. So, if you're learning or teaching English, you must embrace them. There's no real trick to learning how to use irregular verbs. You just have to learn them. The truth is that you won't master English without studying them.Good luck!
Key Point
- Irregular verbs are a pain, but you must learn them. Flash cards are a good option.
Ready for the Test?
Here is a confirmatory test for this lesson.This test can also be:
- Edited (i.e., you can delete questions and play with the order of the questions).
- Printed to create a handout.
- Sent electronically to friends or students.
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?