Irregular verbs are essential in English grammar, but they don’t follow the usual rule of adding -ed for past tense. Instead, they have unique forms that you need to memorize. This guide breaks them down with simple examples to make learning easier.
An irregular verb is a verb that does not follow the usual rule of forming the past tense by adding -ed. For example:
Regular verb: play → played
Irregular verb: go → went (not "goed")
Irregular verbs are common in English, so learning them is essential for effective communication.
Regular verbs follow a consistent pattern:
Base form: walk
Past tense: walked
Past participle: walked
Irregular verbs change in unpredictable ways. For example:
Base form: run
Past tense: ran
Past participle: run
Tip: The past tense and past participle of irregular verbs often don’t follow any specific rule. Memorization and practice are key!
Base form: The original form of the verb (e.g., eat).
Past tense: The form used for past actions (e.g., ate).
Past participle: Used with helping verbs like has or have (e.g., eaten).
go
went
gone
drink
drank
drunk
write
wrote
written
take
took
taken
Although irregular verbs don’t follow fixed rules, some patterns can help you group them:
Base form = Past Simple = Past Participle
These verbs do not change at all.
Bet
Bet
Bet
Cost
Cost
Cost
Cut
Cut
Cut
Hit
Hit
Hit
Hurt
Hurt
Hurt
Let
Let
Let
Put
Put
Put
Read
Read
Read
Set
Set
Set
Shut
Shut
Shut
Base form ≠ Past Simple = Past Participle
The base form changes, but the past simple and participle forms are identical.
Bring
Brought
Brought
Build
Built
Built
Burn
Burnt/Burned
Burnt/Burned
Buy
Bought
Bought
Catch
Caught
Caught
Feel
Felt
Felt
Keep
Kept
Kept
Leave
Left
Left
Send
Sent
Sent
Spend
Spent
Spent
Base form ≠ Past Simple ≠ Past Participle
Each form of the verb is unique.
Be
Was/Were
Been
Begin
Began
Begun
Drink
Drank
Drunk
Eat
Ate
Eaten
Go
Went
Gone
Ring
Rang
Rung
Swim
Swam
Swum
Take
Took
Taken
Write
Wrote
Written
See
Saw
Seen
Base form and past forms have a vowel change
The verbs undergo changes primarily in vowels.
Break
Broke
Broken
Choose
Chose
Chosen
Drive
Drove
Driven
Speak
Spoke
Spoken
Steal
Stole
Stolen
Wake
Woke
Woken
Freeze
Froze
Frozen
Shake
Shook
Shaken
Write
Wrote
Written
Ride
Rode
Ridden
Past participle form ends with “-en”
These verbs have a specific suffix in their participle forms.
Break
Broke
Broken
Choose
Chose
Chosen
Drive
Drove
Driven
Speak
Spoke
Spoken
Steal
Stole
Stolen
Wake
Woke
Woken
Freeze
Froze
Frozen
Shake
Shook
Shaken
Write
Wrote
Written
Ride
Rode
Ridden
Eat
Ate
Eaten
Give
Gave
Given
See
Saw
Seen
Take
Took
Taken
Write
Wrote
Written
Drive
Drove
Driven
Verbs with "-d" or "-t" Ending Past Forms
Build
Built
Built
Burn
Burnt/Burned
Burnt/Burned
Dream
Dreamt/Dreamed
Dreamt/Dreamed
Feel
Felt
Felt
Lend
Lent
Lent
Send
Sent
Sent
Spend
Spent
Spent
Smell
Smelt/Smelled
Smelt/Smelled
Spill
Spilt/Spilled
Spilt/Spilled
Learn
Learnt/Learned
Learnt/Learned
Used less frequently in modern English
Abide
Abode
Abided/Abidden
Arise
Arose
Arisen
Awake
Awoke
Awoken
Behold
Beheld
Beheld
Bend
Bent
Bent
Bereave
Bereaved/Bereft
Bereaved/Bereft
Beseech
Besought
Besought
Bet
Bet
Bet
Bid
Bade/Bid
Bidden/Bid
Bind
Bound
Bound
Breed
Bred
Bred
Cling
Clung
Clung
Creep
Crept
Crept
Deal
Dealt
Dealt
Dive
Dove/Dived
Dived
Fling
Flung
Flung
Forsake
Forsook
Forsaken
Hew
Hewed
Hewed/Hewn
Knit
Knit/Knitted
Knit/Knitted
Leap
Leapt/Leaped
Leapt/Leaped
Lie
Lay
Lain
Shed
Shed
Shed
Sling
Slung
Slung
Smite
Smote
Smitten
Spit
Spat/Spit
Spat/Spit
Spread
Spread
Spread
Strew
Strewed
Strewn/Strewed
Stride
Strode
Stridden
Strive
Strove
Striven
Thrust
Thrust
Thrust
Wring
Wrung
Wrung
Here’s a list of full irregular verbs in English
Abide
Abode
Abided/Abidden
Arise
Arose
Arisen
Awake
Awoke
Awoken
Be
Was/Were
Been
Bear
Bore
Born(e)
Beat
Beat
Beaten
Become
Became
Become
Begin
Began
Begun
Bend
Bent
Bent
Bet
Bet
Bet
Bid (offer)
Bid
Bid
Bid (farewell)
Bade
Bidden
Bind
Bound
Bound
Bite
Bit
Bitten
Bleed
Bled
Bled
Blow
Blew
Blown
Break
Broke
Broken
Bring
Brought
Brought
Build
Built
Built
Burn
Burnt/Burned
Burnt/Burned
Buy
Bought
Bought
Catch
Caught
Caught
Choose
Chose
Chosen
Cling
Clung
Clung
Come
Came
Come
Cost
Cost
Cost
Creep
Crept
Crept
Cut
Cut
Cut
Deal
Dealt
Dealt
Dig
Dug
Dug
Do
Did
Done
Draw
Drew
Drawn
Dream
Dreamt/Dreamed
Dreamt/Dreamed
Drink
Drank
Drunk
Drive
Drove
Driven
Eat
Ate
Eaten
Fall
Fell
Fallen
Feed
Fed
Fed
Feel
Felt
Felt
Fight
Fought
Fought
Find
Found
Found
Flee
Fled
Fled
Fly
Flew
Flown
Forget
Forgot
Forgotten
Forgive
Forgave
Forgiven
Freeze
Froze
Frozen
Get
Got
Got/Gotten
Give
Gave
Given
Go
Went
Gone
Grow
Grew
Grown
Hang
Hung
Hung
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/Lighted
Lit/Lighted
Lose
Lost
Lost
Make
Made
Made
Mean
Meant
Meant
Meet
Met
Met
Pay
Paid
Paid
Put
Put
Put
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
Sew
Sewed
Sewn
Shake
Shook
Shaken
Shine
Shone
Shone/Shined
Shoot
Shot
Shot
Show
Showed
Shown/Showed
Shut
Shut
Shut
Sing
Sang
Sung
Sink
Sank
Sunk
Sit
Sat
Sat
Sleep
Slept
Slept
Slide
Slid
Slid
Speak
Spoke
Spoken
Spend
Spent
Spent
Spill
Spilt/Spilled
Spilt/Spilled
Spin
Spun
Spun
Split
Split
Split
Spread
Spread
Spread
Stand
Stood
Stood
Steal
Stole
Stolen
Stick
Stuck
Stuck
Sting
Stung
Stung
Stink
Stank
Stunk
Stride
Strode
Stridden
Strike
Struck
Struck/Stricken
String
Strung
Strung
Swear
Swore
Sworn
Sweep
Swept
Swept
Swim
Swam
Swum
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
Weave
Wove
Woven
Win
Won
Won
Wind
Wound
Wound
Withdraw
Withdrew
Withdrawn
Write
Wrote
Written
Irregular verbs are challenging but essential for mastering English. By focusing on the most common verbs, learning their patterns, and practicing regularly, you can improve your skills quickly. Remember, practice makes perfect —so keep using these verbs in your daily conversations!