What an Irregular Verb Is
In the last lesson, a verb went into the past by adding -ed: work → worked. Some verbs do not follow that rule. 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.
The verb stays the same and adds an ending.
IRREGULARa new word
go changes completely into went.
We went to the park by motorbike.
Went is a completely new word.
EVERY SUBJECTI · he · they
I made, he made, they made: one form for every subject.
My dad made breakfast for everyone.
My dad is he, and the form does not change.
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 form. 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 to Nha Trang."
- Question 2
"She a cake for my birthday."
The forms
AFFIRMATIVE
Spast form…
They came home at midnight.
The past form goes after the subject. Add no other word.
Negatives and questions come in the next lesson.
LEARN THESE FIRST
- havehad
- dodid
- getgot
- seesaw
- comecame
- saysaid
- eatate
- givegave
- findfound
- leaveleft
- meetmet
- sleepslept
You use these all the time when you talk about the past. Learn them first.
Other verbs are easier to remember in sound groups: verbs whose past forms change in the same way.
-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
in these verbs, i becomes a
TRY IT
- Question 1
"I the answer to the last question."
- Question 2
"Mum some mangoes at the market."
- Question 3
"Our cat a mouse in the kitchen."
When to use it
A finished action at a clear time
I lost my wallet two days ago.
It is over, and you can say when.
Signal words: yesterday · last week · two days ago · in 2020
A chain of events
I got up, had a quick breakfast and ran to the bus.
Every verb in the chain is in the past.
Signal words: then · after that · and
Telling what people said or knew
He told me about his new job.
Said, told, thought and knew are very common.
Signal words: said · told · thought · knew
Earlier today
I spent a lot of money this morning.
The morning is over, so it is already the past.
Signal words: this morning · at lunch · an hour ago
Regular vs. irregular
You cannot tell a verb's group from its meaning.
| REGULAR | IRREGULAR | |
|---|---|---|
| hearing | listen → listened | hear → heard |
| seeing | look → looked | see → saw |
| speaking | talk → talked | speak → spoke · tell → told |
| arriving | arrive → arrived | come → came |
Most English verbs are regular. The irregular ones are fewer, but many of them are the verbs people use most.
When you meet a new verb, look it up. A dictionary usually shows the past form of an irregular verb next to the word.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"I a strange noise outside."
- Question 2
"At the meeting, our boss first."
Common mistakes
Incorrect:I goed to the beach last weekend.
Correct:I went to the beach last weekend.
Go is irregular, so it takes no -ed; its past form is went.
Incorrect:She buyed a new bag.
Correct:She bought a new bag.
Buy has its own past form. Learn it: bought.
Incorrect:He cames home late on Friday.
Correct:He came home late on Friday.
A past form is the same for every subject, so he takes came with no -s.
Incorrect:We eat pizza last night.
Correct:We ate pizza last night.
Last night says when, but the verb still changes: eat becomes ate.
Incorrect:Yesterday I seen a snake in the garden.
Correct:Yesterday I saw a snake in the garden.
Seen is from the third column. A past simple sentence uses 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 the past of buy, and brought is the past of bring. The two words differ by one letter.
Quick check · 6 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, so its past form is a word of its own: wrote. There is no such word as writed.
Choose the correct past form:
Oh no, he left his phone at school.
- A. left — Correct
- B. lefts
- C. leaved
Answer: A. left
In the past, he, she and it use the same form as every other subject. The -s is only for the present simple.
Choose the correct past form:
It was late. We got a taxi home.
- A. got — Correct
- B. getted
- C. get
Answer: A. got
Get is irregular, and its past form is got. There is no word getted.
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 and are easy to mix up. Taught is the past of teach; 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
The past simple uses the second column: saw. Seen is in the third column, for grammar you will learn later.
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 somebody a story, and tell is irregular: told. Talk is regular, but it cannot take "me a story" straight after it.
See whether it really stuck.
Start the quiz · 12 questions
