ENGLISH LANGUAGE GRAMMAR - PARTS OF SPEECH
IRREGULAR VERBS
ENGLISH IRREGULAR VERBS
Irregular verbs are the bane of students whose mother tongue is not English
and who are trying to understand how these verbs are applied in various tenses.
They even trip up native English speakers who aren't always sure of the form of
these verbs! It isn't made any easier by the fact that some verbs are regular in
American English and irregular in British English.
However, there are some general classifications that make it a little easier to
remember how these verbs are formed and to remember them when applying them in
your sentences.
Irregular verbs in English fall into three categories:
1. GROUP 1: verbs where all three forms are the same - e.g. 'hit, hit, hit'
2. GROUP 2: verbs where two of the three forms are the same - e.g. 'become,
became,become'
3. GROUP 3: verbs where all three forms are different - e.g. 'choose,chose,chosen'
Common irregular verbs that differ in American English and British English
• wake can be regular in American English but is irregular in British English
• dive is irregular in American English but regular in British English
• get in American English usually has a past particple of 'gotten' while
in British English the past participle is 'got'
• wet,quit,and fit are regular in British English but irregular in American English
• learn,lean,smell,burn,dream,spill and spoil are all regular in American English
while in
• British English they can be regular but is more common to see the past
and past participles with -t added (e.g. dreamt,spoilt,spilt,smelt)
COMMON GROUP 1 ENGLISH IRREGULAR VERBS
All three forms are the same.
Base Past Past Participle Group Note
bid bid bid 1
cut cut cut 1
hit hit hit 1
hurt hurt hurt 1
let let let 1
put put put 1
quit quit quit 1 regular in BE
read read read 1
rid rid rid 1
shut shut shut 1
split split split 1
spread spread spread 1
thrust thrust thrust 1
AE=American English
BE=British English
COMMON GROUP 2 ENGLISH IRREGULAR VERBS
Two of the three forms are the same.
Examples with 'catch':
• Mary catches the bus to work every day.
• Mary caught the bus to work yesterday.
• Mary has caught the bus to work since her car broke down.
Base Past Past Participle Group Note
beat beat beaten 2
become became become 2
behold beheld beheld 2
bend bent bent 2
beseech besought besought 2
bet bet, betted bet, betted 2
bind bound bound 2
bleed bled bled 2
breed bred bred 2
bring brought brought 2
build built built 2
burn burnt, burned burnt, burned 2 regular in AE
buy bought bought 2
catch caught caught 2
cling clung clung 2
come came come 2
creep crept crept 2
dare dared dared 2
deal dealt dealt 2
dig dug dug 2
dive dived dived 2
dream dreamt dreamt 2 regular in AE
dwell dwelt,dwelled dwelt,dwelled 2
feed fed fed 2
feel felt felt 2
fight fought fought 2
find found found 2
fit fit, fitted fit, fitted 2 regular in BE
flee fled fled 2
fling flung flung 2
get got got, gotten 2 'gotten' in AE
gild gilt, gilded gilt, gilded 2
gird girt, girded girt, girded 2
grind ground ground 2
Base Past Past Participle Group Note
hang hung hung 2
have had had 2
hear heard heard 2
hold held held 2
keep kept kept 2
kneel knelt knelt 2
lay laid laid 2
lead led led 2
leap leapt, leaped leapt, leaped 2
learn learnt learnt 2 regular in AE
leave left left 2
lend lent lent 2
light lit lit 2
lose lost lost 2
make made made 2
mean meant meant 2
meet met met 2
pay paid paid 2
plead pled, pleaded pled, pleaded 2
rend rent rent 2
run ran run 2
say said said 2
seek sought sought 2
sell sold sold 2
send sent sent 2
shine shone shone 2
sit sat sat 2
sleep slept slept 2
slide slid slid 2
sling slung slung 2
slink slunk slunk 2
smell smelt smelt 2 regular in AE
sneak snuck, sneaked snuck, sneaked 2
speed sped, speeded sped, speeded 2
spell spelt spelt 2 regular in AE
spend spent spent 2
spill spilt spilt 2 regular in AE
spin spun spun 2
spit spat spat 2
spoil spoilt, spoiled spoilt, spoiled 2
stand stood stood 2
stick stuck stuck 2
sting stung stung 2
strike struck struck 2
sweep swept swept 2
swing swung swung 2
teach taught taught 2
tell told told 2
Base Past Past Participle Group Note
think thought thought 2
understand understood understood 2
weep wept wept 2
wet wet, wetted wet, wetted 2 regular in BE
win won won 2
wind wound wound 2
withdraw withdrew withdraw 2
wring wrung wrung 2
AE=American English
BE=British English
COMMON GROUP 3 ENGLISH IRREGULAR VERBS
All of the three forms are different.
Examples with 'begin':
• I begin my day with a glass of organge juice.
• I began to study French when I was living in Paris.
• I have begun to understand my parents since I have had children of my own.
Base Past Past Participle Group Note
arise arose arisen 3
awake awoke, awaked awoken 3
be was been 3
bear bore borne 3
befall befell befallen 3
beget begot begotten 3
begin began begun 3
bereave bereaved bereft 3
bestride bestrode bestridden 3
bid bade bidden 3
bite bit bitten 3
blow blew blown 3
blow blew blown 3
break broke broken 3
broadcast broadcast broadcast 3
burst burst burst 3
cast cast cast 3
choose chose chosen 3
cost cost cost 3
dive dove dived 3 regular in BE
do did done 3
draw drew drawn 3
drink drank drunk 3
drive drove driven 3
eat ate eaten 3
fall fell fallen 3
fly flew flown 3
forbear forbore forborne 3
forbid forbade forbidden 3
forget forgot forgotten 3
forgive forgave forgiven 3
forsake forsook forsaken 3
freeze froze frozen 3
give gave given 3
go went gone 3
grow grew grown 3
hide hid hidden 3
know knew known 3
lie lay lain 3
melt melted melted, molten 3
mow mowed mown, mowed 3
ride rode ridden 3
ring rang rung 3
rise rose risen 3
rise rose risen 3
see saw seen 3
sew sewed sewn 3
shake shook shaken 3
shear sheared shorn, sheared 3
shed shed shed 3
shoe shod, shoed shone 3
shoot shot shone 3
show showed shown 3
shrink shrank shrunk 3
sing sang sung 3
sink sank sunk 3
slit slit slit 3
smite smote smitten 3
speak spoke spoken 3
spring sprang sprung 3
steal stole stolen 3
stride strode stridden 3
swear swore sworn 3
swim swam swum 3
take took taken 3
tear tore torn 3
throw threw thrown 3
tread trod trodden 3
tread trod trodden 3
undergo underwent undergone 3
undertake undertook undertaken 3
wake woke woken 3 can be regular in AE
wear wore worn 3
weave wove woven 3
write wrote written 3
AE=American English
BE=British English
LIST OF ENGLISH IRREGULAR VERBS
Base Past Past Participle Group
arise arose arisen 3
awake awoke, awaked awoken 3
be was been 3
bear bore borne 3
beat beat beaten 2
become became become 2
befall befell befallen 3
beget begot begotten 3
begin began begun 3
behold beheld beheld 2
bend bent bent 2
bereave bereaved bereft 3
beseech besought besought 2
bestride bestrode bestridden 3
bet bet, betted bet, betted 2
bid bade bidden 3
bid bid bid 1
bind bound bound 2
bite bit bitten 3
bleed bled bled 2
blow blew blown 3
blow blew blown 3
break broke broken 3
breed bred bred 2
bring brought brought 2
broadcast broadcast broadcast 3
build built built 2
burn burnt, burned burnt, burned 2
burst burst burst 3
buy bought bought 2
cast cast cast 3
catch caught caught 2
choose chose chosen 3
cling clung clung 2
come came come 2
cost cost cost 3
creep crept crept 2
cut cut cut 1
dare dared dared 2
deal dealt dealt 2
Base Past Past Participle Group
dig dug dug 2
dive dove dived 3
dive dived dived 2
do did done 3
draw drew drawn 3
dream dreamt dreamt 2
drink drank drunk 3
drive drove driven 3
dwell dwelt,dwelled dwelt,dwelled 2
eat ate eaten 3
fall fell fallen 3
feed fed fed 2
feel felt felt 2
fight fought fought 2
find found found 2
fit fit, fitted fit, fitted 2
flee fled fled 2
fling flung flung 2
fly flew flown 3
forbear forbore forborne 3
forbid forbade forbidden 3
forget forgot forgotten 3
forgive forgave forgiven 3
forsake forsook forsaken 3
freeze froze frozen 3
get got got, gotten 2
gild gilt, gilded gilt, gilded 2
gird girt, girded girt, girded 2
give gave given 3
go went gone 3
grind ground ground 2
grow grew grown 3
hang hung hung 2
have had had 2
hear heard heard 2
hide hid hidden 3
hit hit hit 1
hold held held 2
hurt hurt hurt 1
keep kept kept 2
kneel knelt knelt 2
know knew known 3
lay laid laid 2
lead led led 2
leap leapt, leaped leapt, leaped 2
learn learnt learnt 2
leave left left 2
lend lent lent 2
let let let 1
lie lay lain 3
light lit lit 2
lose lost lost 2
make made made 2
mean meant meant 2
meet met met 2
melt melted melted, molten 3
mow mowed mown, mowed 3
pay paid paid 2
plead pled, pleaded pled, pleaded 2
put put put 1
quit quit quit 1
read read read 1
rend rent rent 2
rid rid rid 1
ride rode ridden 3
ring rang rung 3
rise rose risen 3
rise rose risen 3
run ran run 2
say said said 2
see saw seen 3
seek sought sought 2
sell sold sold 2
send sent sent 2
sew sewed sewn 3
shake shook shaken 3
shear sheared shorn, sheared 3
shed shed shed 3
shine shone shone 2
shoe shod, shoed shone 3
shoot shot shone 3
show showed shown 3
shrink shrank shrunk 3
shut shut shut 1
sing sang sung 3
sink sank sunk 3
sit sat sat 2
sleep slept slept 2
slide slid slid 2
sling slung slung 2
slink slunk slunk 2
slit slit slit 3
smell smelt smelt 2
smite smote smitten 3
sneak snuck, sneaked snuck, sneaked 2
speak spoke spoken 3
Base Past Past Participle Group
speed sped, speeded sped, speeded 2
spell spelt spelt 2
spend spent spent 2
spill spilt spilt 2
spin spun spun 2
spit spat spat 2
split split split 1
spoil spoilt, spoiled spoilt, spoiled 2
spread spread spread 1
spring sprang sprung 3
stand stood stood 2
steal stole stolen 3
stick stuck stuck 2
sting stung stung 2
stride strode stridden 3
strike struck struck 2
swear swore sworn 3
sweep swept swept 2
swim swam swum 3
swing swung swung 2
take took taken 3
teach taught taught 2
tear tore torn 3
tell told told 2
think thought thought 2
throw threw thrown 3
thrust thrust thrust 1
tread trod trodden 3
tread trod trodden 3
undergo underwent undergone 3
understand understood understood 2
undertake undertook undertaken 3
wake woke woken 3
wear wore worn 3
weave wove woven 3
weep wept wept 2
wet wet, wetted wet, wetted 2
win won won 2
wind wound wound 2
withdraw withdrew withdraw 2
wring wrung wrung 2
write wrote written 3
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