Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs are the tricky ones. Luckily, it’s only about 5 percent of verbs, but the problem is they are some of the most commonly used verbs.
Regular verbs are easy, we just add -ed on the end. However, irregular verbs can change a bit, change completely, and sme don’t even change at all. This is why you have to memorize them.
A list of the most commonly used irregular verbs. It’s critical that you memorize these.
The base form (verb 1) is used for Present Simple Tense and Future Tenses (after will), Past Simple is used for Past Simple tense only. Past Participle (verb 3) is used in all Present, Past and Future Perfect Tenses.
The best way to memorize irregular verbs is through flash cards. Check out these printables to make either flashcards or memory cards…
20 Most Common Irregular Verbs
These are the most commonly used irregular verbs that you have to memorize first.
| Base form (Verb 1) | Past tense (Verb 2) | Past participle (Verb 3) |
|---|---|---|
| be (am/is/are) | was/were | been |
| come | came | come |
| do | did | done |
| feel | felt | felt |
| find | found | found |
| get | got | gotten |
| give | gave | given |
| go | went | gone |
| have | had | had |
| keep | kept | kept |
| know | knew | known |
| let | let | let |
| make | made | made |
| mean | meant | meant |
| put | put | put |
| say | said | said |
| see | saw | seen |
| take | took | taken |
| tell | told | told |
| think | thought | thought |
Other Common Irregular Verbs
Once you’ve memorized the above verbs, it’s time to memorize these.
| Base form (Verb 1) | Past Simple (Verb 2) | Past Particple (Verb 3) |
|---|---|---|
| beat | beat | beaten |
| become | became | become |
| begin | began | begun |
| bend | bent | bent |
| bet | bet | bet |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| bleed | bled | bled |
| blow | blew | blown |
| break | broke | broken |
| breed | bred | bred |
| bring | brought | brought |
| build | built | built |
| burn | burnt/burned | burnt/burned |
| buy | bought | bought |
| catch | caught | caught |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| cost | cost | cost |
| cut | cut | cut |
| dig | dug | dug |
| draw | drew | drawn |
| dream | dreamt/dreamed | dreamt/dreamed |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| drive | drove | driven |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| feed | fed | fed |
| fight | fought | fought |
| fly | flew | flown |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| grow | grew | grown |
| hear | heard | heard |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| hit | hit | hit |
| hold | held | held |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| lay | laid | laid |
| lead | led | led |
| lean | leant/leaned | leant/leaned |
| leave | left | left |
| lend | lent | lent |
| lose | lost | lost |
| meet | met | met |
| pay | paid | paid |
| quit | quit | quit |
| read [ri:d] | read [red] | read [red] |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| ring | rang | rung |
| rise | rose | risen |
| run | ran | run |
| sell | sold | sold |
| send | sent | sent |
| set | set | set |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| shine | shone | shone |
| shoe | shod | shod |
| shoot | shot | shot |
| show | showed | shown |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk |
| shut | shut | shut |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sink | sank | sunk |
| sit | sat | sat |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| spend | spent | spent |
| spill | spilt/spilled | spilt/spilled |
| spread | spread | spread |
| speed | sped | sped |
| stand | stood | stood |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| stick | stuck | stuck |
| sting | stung | stung |
| stink | stank | stunk |
| swear | swore | sworn |
| sweep | swept | swept |
| swim | swam | swum |
| swing | swung | swung |
| teach | taught | taught |
| tear | tore | torn |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| understand | understood | understood |
| wake | woke | woken |
| wear | wore | worn |
| wet | wet | wet |
| win | won | won |
| write | wrote | written |