Irregular verbs
Irregular verbs
The English language has a large number of irregular verbs. In the great majority of these, the past participle and/or past tense is not formed according to the usual patterns of English regular verbs.
(does not take the -ed ending for the Past Simple and Past Participle forms.)
Other parts of the verb ? such as the present 3rd person singular -s or -es, and present participle -ing ? may still be formed regularly.
・They all have a base form.
Example to run, to buy, to go, to be, to do…
・A gerund and present participle form (ing) where ing is added to the end of the verb.
Example running, going, doing, having, writing, buying…
・An -s or -es form where s is added to the end of the verb.
Example runs, beats, catches, chooses…
NOTE:
Among the exceptions are the verb "to be" and certain *defective verbs which cannot be conjugated into certain tenses.
* A defective verb is a verb with an incomplete conjugation.
Defective verbs cannot be conjugated in certain tenses, aspects, or moods.
V1 =Present Simple, Future Simple
V2 =Past simple
V3 =Perfect tenses, Passive Forms, Passive Adjective
Category 1: V2=V3
・ irregular ending with no vowel change.
group 1: d ending changes to t, ent changes to end
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| bend | bending | bent | bent |
| build | building | built | built |
| lend | lending | lent | lent |
| send | sending | sent | sent |
| spend | spending | spent | spent |
group 2: the verbs have and make
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| have has*(3rdP.S.)<> | having | had | had |
| make | making | made | made |
group 3: regular (V2, V3) in US English, irregular in UK English
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| learn | learning | learned learnt | learned learnt |
| burn | burning | burned burnt | burned burnt |
| dwell | dwelling | dwelled dwelt | dwelled dwelt |
| smell | smelling | smelled smelt | smelled smelt |
| spell | spelling | spelled spelt | spelled spelt |
| spill | spilling | spilled spilt | spilled spilt |
| spoil | spoiling | spoiled spoilt | spoiled spoilt |
group 4: ay ending changes to aid
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| lay | laying | laid | laid |
| pay | paying | paid | paid |
| say | saying | said (/sed/) | said (/sed/) |
Category 2: V2=V3
Vowel change, irregular ending
group 5: vowel change , d or t ending
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| creep | creeping | crept | crept |
| feed | feeding | fed | fed |
| feel | feeling | felt | felt |
| keep | keeping | kept | kept |
| kneel | kneeling | knelt/kneeled | knelt/kneeled |
| meet | meeting | met | met |
| sleep | sleeping | slept | slept |
| sweep | sweeping | swept | swept |
| weep | weeping | wept | wept |
| leave | leaving | left | left |
group 6: different pronunciation of the same vowel d or t ending
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| deal | dealing | dealt | dealt |
| dream | dreaming | dreamed dreamt | dreamed dreamt |
| lean | leaning | leaned leant | leaned leant |
| leap | leaping | leapt | leapt |
| mean | meaning | meant | meant |
| read | reading | read (/red/) | read (/red/) |
| hear | hearing | heard | heard |
group 7: ell turns to old
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| sell | selling | sold | sold |
| tell | telling | told | told |
group 8: vowel change with ought (or aught) ending d or t ending
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| bring | bringing | brought | brought |
| buy | buying | bought | bought |
| fight | fighting | fought | fought |
| seek | seeking | sought | sought |
| think | thinking | thought | thought |
| catch | catching | caught | caught |
| teach | teaching | taught | taught |
Category 3: V1=V2=V3
Verbs with the same form
group 9: Verbs that do not change d or t ending
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| bet | betting | bet betted | bet betted |
| bid (to offer) | bidding | bid | bid |
| broadcast | broadcasting | broadcast broadcasted | broadcast broadcasted |
| burst | bursting | burst | burst |
| cost | costing | cost | cost |
| cut | cutting | cut | cut |
| fit | fitting | fit (was the right size) | fit (was the right size) |
| fit | fitting | fitted (tailored, changed size) | fitted (tailored, changed size) |
| hit | hitting | hit | hit |
| hurt | hurting | hurt | hurt |
| let | letting | let | let |
| put | putting | put | put |
| set | setting | set | set |
| shut | shutting | shut | shut |
| spread | spreading | spread | spread |
| quit | quitting | quit | quit |
Category 4:
Vowel change, V3 ending with (e)n
group 10: V2 and V3 with long /o / sound
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| break | breaking | broke | broken |
| choose | choosing | chose | chosen |
| freeze | freezing | froze | frozen |
| speak | speaking | spoke | spoken |
| steal | stealing | stole | stolen |
| awake | awaking | awoke awaked | awoken awaked |
| wake | waking | woke waked | woken waked |
| weave | weaving | wove | woven |
group 11: V2 long o sound, V3 shirt /i/ sound
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| arise | arising | arose | arisen |
| rise | rising | rose | risen |
| ride | riding | rode | ridden |
| drive | driving | drove | driven |
| write | writing | wrote | written |
group 12: The following verbs:
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| bite | biting | bit | bitten |
| hide | hiding | hid | hidden |
| eat | eating | ate | eaten |
| give | giving | gave | given |
| forgive | forgiving | forgave | forgiven |
| bid ( to command, farewell) | bidding | bade | bidden |
| forget | forgetting | forgot | forgotten |
| get | getting | got | gotten (got - British) |
| shake | shaking | shook | shaken |
| take | taking | took | taken |
| see | seeing | saw | seen |
| beat | beating | beat | beaten |
| fall | falling | fell | fallen |
| lie (down to rest) | lying | lay | latin |
| lie (tell a lie) | lying | lied | lied |
| lay | laying | laid | laid |
group 13: the ear-ore-orn pattern
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| bear | bearing | bore | born |
| swear | swearing | swore | sworn |
| tear | tearing | tore | torn |
| wear | wearing | wore | worn |
group 14: V1 with ow, V2 with ew, V3 with own
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| blow | blowing | blew | blown |
| grow | growing | grew | grown |
| know | knowing | knew | known |
| throw | throwing | threw | thrown |
| fly | flying | flew | flown |
| draw | drawing | drew | drawn |
Category 5:
regular V2, regular or irregular V3
group 15
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| show | showing | showed | showed shown |
| mow | mowing | mowed | mowed mown |
| swell | swelling | swilled | swelled swollen |
| sew | sewing | sewed | sewed sewn |
| shine (the shoes) | shining | shined | shined |
| shine (brightly) | shining | shown | shown |
Category 6: V2=V3
vowel change, no ending,
group 16: vowel change pattern, no ending
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| dig | digging | dug | dug |
| stick | sticking | stuck | stuck |
| spin | spinning | spun | spun |
| sting | stinging | stung | stung |
| strike | striking | struck | struck |
| swing | swinging | swung | swung |
| hang (a man) | hanging | hanged | hanged |
| hang (a picture) | hanging | hung | hung |
| slide | sliding | slid | slid |
| light | lighting | lighted lit | lighted lit |
| shoot | shooting | shot | shot |
group 17: vowel change pattern i - ou - ou
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| bind | binding | bound | bound |
| find | finding | found | found |
| grind | grinding | ground | ground |
| wind | winding | wound | wound |
vowel change ee - e - e
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| bleed | bleeding | bled | bled |
| feed | feeding | fed | fed |
| flee | fleeing | fled | fled |
| lead | leading | led | led |
| speed | speeding | speeded sped | speeded sped |
Category 7:
other irregular verbs
group 19: vowel change pattern i - a - u
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| begin | beginning | began | begun |
| drink | drinking | drank | drunk |
| ring | ringing | rang | rung |
| shrink | shrinking | shrank | shrunk |
| sink | sinking | sank | sunk |
| spin | spinning | span spun | spun |
| spring | springing | sprang | sprung |
| swim | swimming | swam | swum |
group 20: vowel change, V1=V3
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| come | coming | came | come |
| become | becoming | became | become |
| run | running | ran | run |
group 21: miscellaneous
| Infinitive | Present Participle | Simple Past | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| be(am, is, are) | being | was was were | been |
| go | going | went | gone |
| dive(jumped head first) | diving | dove | dived |
| dive (scuba-diving) | diving | dived | dived |
| do | doing | did | done |
| can | - | could | - |
| may | - | might | - |
| hold | holding | held | held |
| stand | standing | stood | stood |
| understand | understanding | understood | understood |
| sit | sitting | sat | sat |
| babysit | babysitting | babysat | babysat |
| win | winning | won | won |
| lose | losing | lost | lost |