What Are Irregular Verbs?
Most verbs add -ed in the past: work → worked. Some verbs don't. Each one has its own past form. These are the irregular verbs.
REGULARadd -ed
walk adds -ed and becomes walked.
We walked to the park after dinner.
IRREGULARa new word
go changes completely into went.
We went to the park by motorbike.
EVERY SUBJECTno -s
My dad made breakfast for everyone.
An irregular verb does not add -ed. It has its own past form, the same for every subject.
Irregular verb tables have three columns. The first is the base verb. The second is the past form, which this lesson is about. You can leave the third column for later.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"Last summer my family blank to Nha Trang."
The forms
AFFIRMATIVE
Spast form…
They came home at midnight.
The past form goes after the subject. Add no other word.
You use these past forms just like -ed verbs (lesson 2). Negatives and questions come in the next lesson.
LEARN THESE FIRST
- havehad
- dodid
- getgot
- seesaw
- comecame
- saysaid
- eatate
- givegave
- findfound
- leaveleft
- meetmet
- sleepslept
Said sounds like "sed", not "say-d".
SAME WORD
- putput
- cutcut
- costcost
- hithit
- letlet
- readread
No change. But past read sounds like "red".
Other verbs are easier to learn in sound groups:
-OUGHT / -AUGHT
- buybought
- thinkthought
- bringbrought
- teachtaught
- catchcaught
bought (from buy) and brought (from bring) differ by a single r
-EW
- knowknew
- growgrew
- throwthrew
- flyflew
knew sounds like new
I → A
- drinkdrank
- swimswam
- singsang
- sitsat
TRY IT
- Question 1
"I blank the answer to the last question."
- Question 2
"Mum blank some mangoes at the market."
When to use it
Earlier today
I spent a lot of money this morning.
The morning is over. It is already the past.
Often used with: this morning · at lunch · an hour ago
Regular or Irregular?
The meaning does not tell you the group.
| REGULAR | IRREGULAR | |
|---|---|---|
| hearing | listen → listened | hear → heard |
| seeing | look → looked | see → saw |
| speaking | talk → talked | speak → spoke · tell → told |
Most verbs are regular, but many of the most common ones are irregular. A dictionary shows the past form next to the word.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"I blank a strange noise outside."
Common mistakes
Incorrect:I goed to the beach last weekend.
Correct:I went to the beach last weekend.
Go has no -ed. Its past is went.
Incorrect:She buyed a new bag.
Correct:She bought a new bag.
Buy has its own past form: bought.
Incorrect:He come home late on Friday.
Correct:He came home late on Friday.
Come is the present. The past is came.
Incorrect:I putted my bag on the chair.
Correct:I put my bag on the chair.
Put does not change in the past.
Incorrect:Yesterday I seen a snake in the garden.
Correct:Yesterday I saw a snake in the garden.
Seen is from the third column. Use saw.
Incorrect:I brought this shirt at the market for ten dollars.
Correct:I bought this shirt at the market for ten dollars.
Bought is from buy. Brought is from bring.
Quick check · 5 questions
Choose the correct past form:
My sister wrote a long letter to our grandma.
- A. wrote — Correct
- B. writed
- C. write
Answer: A. wrote
Write is irregular. There is no word writed.
Choose the correct past form:
Oh no, he left his phone at school.
- A. left — Correct
- B. leave
- C. leaved
Answer: A. left
Leave is the present. Leaved is not a word.
Choose the correct past form:
Mr. Hùng taught us a new song in music class.
- A. taught — Correct
- B. thought
- C. teached
Answer: A. taught
Taught and thought sound alike. Thought is the past of think.
Choose the correct past form:
I saw Linh at the bus stop this morning.
- A. saw — Correct
- B. seen
- C. see
Answer: A. saw
Seen is in the third column. You will need it later, not here.
Choose the correct verb:
Grandpa told me a funny story about his village.
- A. told — Correct
- B. telled
- C. talked
Answer: A. told
You tell someone a story. You talk to someone.
See whether it really stuck.
Start the quiz · 12 questions
