The development of a language is like the growth of a city: some streets are added, and old ones are redrawn. Therefore, ancient cities do not have such a clear geometry as modern ones, which can be designed and built very quickly. The same applies to language: new rules for forming words appear, but some of the outdated ones partially remain due to the popularity of words formed on their basis. As a consequence, English has a group of irregular nouns and verbs. They do not obey the general rules for the formation of derivative forms and require memorization. By learning English online, you will get acquainted with the most effective methods of mastering irregular verbs. This will make your task extremely easy, and you will naturally remember more than 200 irregular verbs!
How Are Irregular Verbs Different?
To create the simple past or the past participle from a regular verb, you need to add -d or -ed as an ending. The choice of option depends on which letter the verb ends with — a vowel or a consonant. For irregular verbs, these conjugation rules do not apply, and their forms must be checked using the tables of irregular verbs. Below, you will find the most commonly used irregular verbs in English, which you may often encounter in print media, books, and articles.
Also, use software that checks spelling. Even if you make a mistake, it will help you find the correct form of an irregular verb.
| Base Form / Infinitive | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| arise | arose | arisen |
| be | was, were | been |
| bear | bore | borne |
| become | became | become |
| begin | began | begun |
| bend | bent | bent |
| beset | beset | beset |
| bid | bid | bid |
| bind | bound | bound |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| bleed | bled | bled |
| blow | blew | blown |
| break | broke | broken |
| breed | bred | bred |
| bring | brought | brought |
| broadcast | broadcast | broadcast |
| build | built | built |
| burn | burned/burnt | burned/burnt |
| burst | burst | burst |
| buy | bought | bought |
| cast | cast | cast |
| 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 | dreamed/dreamt | dreamed/dreamt |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| drive | drove | driven |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| feed | fed | fed |
| fight | fought | fought |
| find | found | found |
| fit | fit | fit |
| flee | fled | fled |
| fling | flung | flung |
| fly | flew | flown |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden |
| foretell | foretold | foretold |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| forsake | forsook | forsaken |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| go | went | gone |
| get | got | gotten |
| give | gave | given |
| grind | ground | ground |
| grow | grew | grown |
| hang | hanged | hanged |
| have | had | had |
| hear | heard | heard |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| hit | hit | hit |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| keep | kept | kept |
| kneel | knelt | knelt |
| know | knew | known |
| lead | led | led |
| lend | lent | lent |
| let | let | let |
| lie | lay | lain |
| light | lit/lighted | lit/lighted |
| lose | lost | lost |
| mean | meant | meant |
| meet | met | met |
| mistake | mistook | mistaken |
| mow | mowed | mowed |
| overcome | overcame | overcome |
| overdo | overdid | overdone |
| overthrow | overthrew | overthrown |
| plead | pleaded/plead | pleaded/plead |
| prove | proved | proved/proven |
| pay | paid | paid |
| put | put | put |
| quit | quit | quit |
| read | read | read |
| rid | rid | rid |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| rise | rose | risen |
| run | ran | run |
| say | said | said |
| see | saw | seen |
| sell | sold | sold |
| send | sent | sent |
| sew | sewed | sewn/sewed |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| shear | sheared | sheared/shorn |
| shed | shed | shed |
| shine | shone | shone |
| shoot | shot | shot |
| show | showed | shown |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk |
| shut | shut | shut |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sink | sank | sunk |
| sit | sat | sat |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| slide | slid | slid |
| slit | slit | slit |
| smell | smelled | smelled |
| smite | smote | smitten |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| speed | sped/speeded | sped/speeded |
| spell | spelled | spelled |
| spend | spent | spent |
| spill | spilt/spilled | spilt/spilled |
| spin | spun | spun |
| spit | spat | spat |
| spoil | spoilt/spoiled | spoilt/spoiled |
| spread | spread | spread |
| spring | sprang | sprung |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| stick | stuck | stuck |
| sting | stung | stung |
| stride | strode | stridden |
| sweep | swept | swept |
| swell | swelled | swelled/swollen |
| swim | swam | swum |
| tell | told | told |
| think | thought | thought |
| thrive | thrived/throve | thrived |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| thrust | thrust | thrust |
| tread | trod | trodden |
| understand | understood | understood |
| uphold | upheld | upheld |
| upset | upset | upset |
| wake | woke | woken |
| wear | wore | worn |
| weave | wove/weaved | wove/weaved |
| wed | wedded/wed | wedded/wed |
| weep | wept | wept |
| win | won | won |
| wind | wound | wound |
| withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn |
| withhold | withheld | withheld |
| wring | wrung | wrung |
| write | wrote | written |
