Learn to Speak English Fluently: Irregular Verbs
Learn to speak English fluently using TLP Spoken English Course. The course is designed to facilitate self-learning in an easy way. It is organised into units to help you learn step by step in a simple and systematic way. You should go through all the units to be able to speak fluently. To know more you can read: How to Use the Course Content? In the previous unit you have learnt the Use of ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ and in this unit you will learn about ‘Irregular Verbs‘ and their three different forms.
Irregular and Regular Verbs
We use a verb to express any kind of action or talk about possession. There are two kinds of verbs–Irregular and Regular. Irregular Verbs are also called Strong Verbs and Regular Verbs as Weak Verbs. Both Regular and Irregular Verbs have three forms–Present (base form), Past and Past Participle. In most of the Irregular Verbs the three forms are different. For example the three forms of the Irregular Verb, ‘begin’ are: ‘begin, began and begun’.
For a Regular Verb, the second and third forms are the same. The three forms of the Regular Verb, ‘count’ are ‘count, counted and counted’. To form the past tense of a Regular Verb, which is ending with a vowel ‘a, e, i, o, u’, one must add ‘d’ to it. For example the past tense form of ‘agree’ becomes ‘agreed’. The past tense and past participle form of such verbs is the same (Ex.: agree, agreed, agreed). If the regular verb ends with a consonant add ‘ed’ to form the past tense or the past participle. (Ex.: ‘boil, boiled, boiled’). There are some exceptions. Verbs ending in ‘y’ change into ‘ied’ (Ex. carry, carried, carried). With some verbs like ‘permit’, we add the last letter along with ‘ed’ (Ex. permit, permitted, permitted).
Below is the list of the three forms of the Irregular (strong) Verbs. You should be thorough with the three different forms of the Irregular Verbs, which are used in different tenses. You can understand how the different forms are used from the following example.
I awake at five o’clock every morning.
He awoke me at five o’clock in the morning.
He has awakened me at five o’clock in the morning.
List of Irregular (strong) Verbs
PRESENT PAST PAST PARTICIPLE
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX(Used with have, has, had,)
awake awoke awakened
be (is, are) was/were been
become became become
begin began begun
bend bent bent
bid bade bidden
bite bit bitten
blow blew blown
break broke broken
bring brought brought
burst burst burst
buy bought bought
build built built
can could could
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
come came come
cost cost cost
creep crept crept
cut cut cut
dig dug dug
do did done
drag dragged dragged
draw drew drawn
drink drank drunk
drive drove driven
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
feel felt felt
fight fought fought
find` found found
fly flew flown
forget forgot forgotten
forgive forgave forgiven
freeze froze frozen
get got gotten, got
give gave given
go went gone
grow grew grown
hang (a picture) hung hung
have had had
hear heard heard
hide hid hidden
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
keep kept kept
know knew known
lead led led
learn learned, learned,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXlearnt learnt
leave left left
lend lent lent
light lit lit
lose lost lost
make made made
mean meant meant
meet met met
pay paid paid
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
shoot shot shot
show showed shown
shrink shrank shrunk
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
speak spoke spoken
spend spent spent
spin spun spun
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
strike struck struck
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
wear wore worn
win won won
write wrote written
Previous: Use of ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’
Check the meanings of the words in English Oxford Living Dictionaries