Advanced English Grammar Course
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Did you know that about 70% of the time when we use a verb in English, it is an irregular one? That means that learning and using irregular verbs is essential for learning English!
The English language has so many irregular verbs that it can make you go crazy… but even irregular verbs follow some patterns. In this lesson, you’ll learn “groups” of irregular verbs that can make it easier to memorize them. For each group, I’ve given one pronunciation example.
Don’t just study this list – try to create your own sentences and use all the verbs you know! This will help you remember them much better.
Verbs with all 3 forms identical
Let’s begin with the easiest group of irregular verbs. These verbs are the same in the present, the past, and the past participle. They include:
bet, burst, cast, cost, cut, fit,* hit, hurt, let, put, quit, set, shut, split, spread
* When talking about clothes being the correct size
Verbs with identical Present and Past Participle
These verbs are the same in the present and the past participle. Only the past form is different:
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| come | came | come |
| become | became | become |
| run | ran | run |
Verbs with –N in the Past Participle
These verbs are a little more complicated, as they have –n in the past participle form.
There are a few different groups of verbs:
With “o” in the past and past participle
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| break | broke | broken |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| get | got | gotten |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| tear | tore | torn |
| wake | woke | woken |
| wear | wore | worn |
With “o” in the past only
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| drive | drove | driven |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| rise | rose | risen |
| write | wrote | written |
Past with -ew, past participle with -own
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| blow | blew | blown |
| fly | flew | flown |
| grow | grew | grown |
| know | knew | known |
| throw | threw | thrown |
Other irregular verbs with past participle ending in –n
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| give | gave | given |
| see | saw | seen |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| take | took | taken |
Verbs with vowel changes
Long “e” changes to short “e”
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| keep | kept | kept |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| feel | felt | felt |
| bleed | bled | bled |
| feed | fed | fed |
| meet | met | met |
| lead | led | led |
“ea” is pronounced differently
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| deal | dealt | dealt |
| dream | dreamt | dreamt |
| mean | meant | meant |
| read | read | read |
| hear | heard | heard |
Long “i” changes to “ou”
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| bind | bound | bound |
| find | found | found |
| grind | ground | ground |
| wind | wound | wound |
Short “i” changes to “u”
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| dig | dug | dug |
| stick | stuck | stuck |
| spin | spun | spun |
| sting | stung | stung |
| swing | swung | swung |
-ell changes to -old
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| sell | sold | sold |
| tell | told | told |
-ought and –aught endings
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| bring | brought | brought |
| buy | bought | bought |
| catch | caught | caught |
| fight | fought | fought |
| seek | sought | sought |
| teach | taught | taught |
| think | thought | thought |
Verbs with 3 different vowels!
Are you ready for a challenge? These irregular verbs have different vowels in each form. Fortunately, they do follow a pattern.
Vowel changes from “i” to “a” to “u”
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| begin | began | begun |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| ring | rang | rung |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sink | sank | sunk |
| spring | sprang | sprung |
| swim | swam | swum |
The REALLY Irregular Verbs
Well, these are the completely irregular verbs – the ones that don’t fit into any of the categories above! They are also some of the most commonly used verbs in the English language, so make sure to memorize them in all their crazy irregular forms!
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| be | was / were | been |
| do | did | done |
| go | went | gone |
| have | had | had |
| make | made | made |
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