Irregular Verbs
Rules for conjugating English verbs in different tenses
CEFR: A1 = Beginner - Essential verbs for basic communication · A2 = Elementary - Common verbs for everyday situations · B1 = Intermediate - Verbs for work and social contexts · B2 = Upper Intermediate - Verbs for complex expression
Base, past tense, and past participle are all the same · Past tense and past participle are the same · Base, past tense, and past participle are all different · Base and past tense are the same, past participle differs
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| Base Form | Past Tense | Past Participle | Pattern | CEFR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| be | was/were | been | ||
| begin | began | begun | ||
| buy | bought | bought | ||
| catch | caught | caught | ||
| choose | chose | chosen | ||
| come | came | come | ||
| do | did | done | ||
| draw | drew | drawn | ||
| drink | drank | drunk | ||
| drive | drove | driven | ||
| eat | ate | eaten | ||
| feel | felt | felt | ||
| find | found | found | ||
| fly | flew | flown | ||
| forget | forgot | forgotten | ||
| get | got | got/gotten | ||
| give | gave | given | ||
| go | went | gone | ||
| have | had | had | ||
| hear | heard | heard | ||
| know | knew | known | ||
| learn | learnt/learned | learnt/learned | ||
| make | made | made | ||
| meet | met | met | ||
| pay | paid | paid | ||
| put | put | put | ||
| read | read | read | ||
| ride | rode | ridden | ||
| run | ran | run | ||
| say | said | said | ||
| see | saw | seen | ||
| send | sent | sent | ||
| show | showed | shown | ||
| sing | sang | sung | ||
| sit | sat | sat | ||
| sleep | slept | slept | ||
| speak | spoke | spoken | ||
| swim | swam | swum | ||
| become | became | become | ||
| break | broke | broken | ||
| bring | brought | brought | ||
| build | built | built | ||
| cost | cost | cost | ||
| cut | cut | cut | ||
| dream | dreamt/dreamed | dreamt/dreamed | ||
| fall | fell | fallen | ||
| grow | grew | grown | ||
| hit | hit | hit | ||
| hold | held | held | ||
| hurt | hurt | hurt | ||
| keep | kept | kept | ||
| leave | left | left | ||
| let | let | let | ||
| lie | lay | lain | ||
| lose | lost | lost | ||
| mean | meant | meant | ||
| mistake | mistook | mistaken | ||
| ring | rang | rung | ||
| sell | sold | sold | ||
| shut | shut | shut | ||
| spend | spent | spent | ||
| stand | stood | stood | ||
| steal | stole | stolen | ||
| throw | threw | thrown | ||
| win | won | won | ||
| beat | beat | beaten | ||
| bite | bit | bitten | ||
| bleed | bled | bled | ||
| blow | blew | blown | ||
| burn | burnt/burned | burnt/burned | ||
| dig | dug | dug | ||
| dive | dove/dived | dived | ||
| feed | fed | fed | ||
| fight | fought | fought | ||
| forgive | forgave | forgiven | ||
| freeze | froze | frozen | ||
| hang | hung | hung | ||
| hide | hid | hidden | ||
| knit | knit/knitted | knitted | ||
| lay | laid | laid | ||
| lead | led | led | ||
| lend | lent | lent | ||
| light | lit/lighted | lit/lighted | ||
| prove | proved | proven | ||
| quit | quit | quit | ||
| rebuild | rebuilt | rebuilt | ||
| rise | rose | risen | ||
| set | set | set | ||
| sew | sewed | sewn | ||
| shake | shook | shaken | ||
| shine | shone | shone | ||
| shoot | shot | shot | ||
| sink | sank | sunk | ||
| smell | smelt/smelled | smelt/smelled | ||
| spoil | spoilt/spoiled | spoilt/spoiled | ||
| stick | stuck | stuck | ||
| strike | struck | stricken | ||
| take | took | taken | ||
| teach | taught | taught | ||
| tear | tore | torn | ||
| tell | told | told | ||
| think | thought | thought | ||
| bear | bore | born | ||
| bend | bent | bent | ||
| breed | bred | bred | ||
| burst | burst | burst | ||
| dare | dared | dared | ||
| deal | dealt | dealt | ||
| lean | leant/leaned | leant/leaned | ||
| melt | melted | molten | ||
| misunderstand | misunderstood | misunderstood | ||
| rewrite | rewrote | rewritten | ||
| slide | slid | slid | ||
| spill | spilt/spilled | spilt/spilled | ||
| split | split | split | ||
| swear | swore | sworn | ||
| understand | understood | understood | ||
| undo | undid | undone | ||
| wind | wound | wound | ||
FAQ
What is verb conjugation in English?
Verb conjugation is the process of changing a verb's form to indicate tense, person, or number. In English, verbs conjugate for third person singular present (adds -s/-es), past tense (adds -ed or changes form), and present participle (adds -ing).
How many irregular verbs are there in English?
There are approximately 200 irregular verbs in common use. This guide covers 119 of the most important ones, organized by CEFR level from A1 (beginner) to B2 (upper intermediate).
What are the patterns for irregular verbs?
Irregular verbs follow four main patterns: AAA (all forms the same, e.g. put/put/put), ABB (past and participle the same, e.g. buy/bought/bought), ABC (all forms different, e.g. go/went/gone), and AAB (base and past the same, e.g. beat/beat/beaten).
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