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Irregular Verbs List, Meaning, Rules and Examples

When a verb does not follow the standard pattern of adding "-ed" or "-d" to the base form to indicate past tense or past participle, it is said to be irregular verbs. Check this article to get complete Irregular Verb list.
authorImageNeha Tanna11 Jun, 2024
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Irregular Verbs

Irregular Verbs: Have you been having trouble understanding the function of irregular verbs? Relax, we've got you covered. You may learn more about irregular verbs in this article, including their definition and conjugation patterns for the simple past and past participle tenses of verbs.

In addition, there are several illustrations and guidelines on how to retain them. To find out more, look through the contents table provided below.

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Irregular Verbs Meaning

A verb that deviates from standard grammatical norms is called an irregular verb. For instance, the Macmillan Dictionary states that the verb "eat" is irregular since it has two past tenses: "ate" and "eaten," not "eated." A verb that is "not formed in the normal way" is referred to as an irregular verb in the Oxford Learners' Dictionary. In English, a verb's past and past participle forms are typically formed by appending the suffix "ed." This rule is not followed by irregular verbs.

Conjugating

Conjugating irregular verbs can be a little challenging to learn. Although it is frequently believed to be a challenging endeavour, this is untrue. Please attempt to unlearn whatever preconceived assumptions you may have about irregular verbs before we begin. Let's go back to the beginning with an open mind. Based on how irregular verbs behave when transformed to reflect the simple past and past participle forms, there are three basic groups from which irregular verb conjugation can be learned. It fits into the following categories:

Group 1: consists of irregular verbs that have the same spelling in both the simple past and past participle forms as the root verb. These verbs don't change in any sort of tense.

Group 2: Irregular verbs spelt the same in both the past participle and simple past forms. This group includes a few irregular verbs that also have different spellings.

Group 3: Non-regular verbs with three distinct spelling patterns for the base, simple past, and past participle forms of the verb.

Irregular Verbs Examples

Group 1 Irregular Verbs with the Same Spelling across All Forms

Here are examples of irregular verbs from Group 1, where the spelling remains the same across all forms:

Burst

  • Present: The balloon bursts.
  • Past: The balloon burst.
  • Past Participle: The balloon has burst.

Cut

  • Present: She cuts the cake.
  • Past: She cut the cake.
  • Past Participle: She has cut the cake.

Hit

  • Present: He hits the ball.
  • Past: He hit the ball.
  • Past Participle: He has hit the ball.

Hurt

  • Present: It hurts.
  • Past: It hurt.
  • Past Participle: It has hurt.

Let

  • Present: She lets her dog run.
  • Past: She let her dog run.
  • Past Participle: She has let her dog run.

Group 2 Irregular Verbs with the Same Simple Past Form and Past Participle Form

Here are examples of irregular verbs from Group 2, where the simple past form and past participle form are the same:

Cost

  • Present: The car costs a lot.
  • Past: The car cost a lot.
  • Past Participle: The car has cost a lot.

Hit

  • Present: He hits the ball.
  • Past: He hit the ball.
  • Past Participle: He has hit the ball.

Hurt

  • Present: It hurts.
  • Past: It hurt.
  • Past Participle: It has hurt.

Put

  • Present: He puts the book on the shelf.
  • Past: He put the book on the shelf.
  • Past Participle: He has put the book on the shelf.

Shut

  • Present: He shuts the door.
  • Past: He shut the door.
  • Past Participle: He has shut the door.

Group 3 Irregular Verbs with Completely Different Spellings for Each Form

Here are some examples of irregular verbs where each form (base form, past tense, and past participle) has completely different spellings:
  • Go - Went - Gone
  • Be - Was/Were - Been
  • Do - Did - Done
  • Eat - Ate - Eaten
  • Drive - Drove - Driven
  • Write - Wrote - Written
  • Break - Broke - Broken
  • Choose - Chose - Chosen
  • Speak - Spoke - Spoken
  • Take - Took - Taken
Verbs Verb Forms
Main Verbs Helping Verbs
Regular Verbs Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Irregular Verbs List

Below is the complete word list for Irregular Verbs -
Base Form Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3)
arise arose arisen
awake awoke awoken
be was/were been
bear bore born(e)
beat beat beaten
become became become
begin began begun
bend bent bent
bet bet bet
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 burnt/burned burnt/burned
burst burst burst
buy bought bought
can could ... (been able)
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 dreamt/dreamed dreamt/dreamed
drink drank drunk
drive drove driven
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
feed fed fed
feel felt felt
fight fought fought
find found found
fly flew flown
forbid forbade forbidden
forget forgot forgotten
forgive forgave forgiven
freeze froze frozen
get got got
give gave given
go went gone
grind ground ground
grow grew grown
hang hung hung
have had had
hear heard heard
hide hid hidden
hit hit hit
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
keep kept kept
kneel knelt knelt
know knew known
lay laid laid
lead led led
lean leant/leaned leant/leaned
learn learnt/learned learnt/learned
leave left left
lend lent lent
lie (in bed) lay lain
lie (to not tell the truth) lied lied
light lit/lighted lit/lighted
lose lost lost
make made made
may might ...
mean meant meant
meet met met
mow mowed mown/mowed
must had to ...
overtake overtook overtaken
pay paid paid
put put put
read read read
ride rode ridden
ring rang rung
rise rose risen
run ran run
saw sawed sawn/sawed
say said said
see saw seen
sell sold sold
send sent sent
set set set
sew sewed sewn/sewed
shake shook shaken
shall should ...
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
smell smelt smelt
sow sowed sown/sowed
speak spoke spoken
spell spelt/spelled spelt/spelled
spend spent spent
spill spilt/spilled spilt/spilled
spin spun spun
spit spat spat
spread spread spread
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
stick stuck stuck
sting stung stung
stink stank stunk
strike struck struck
swear swore sworn
sweep swept swept
swell swelled swollen/swelled
swim swam swum
swing swung swung
take took taken
teach taught taught
tear tore torn
tell told told
think thought thought
throw threw thrown
understand understood understood
wake woke woken
wear wore worn
weep wept wept
will would ...
win won won
wind wound wound
write wrote written

Benefits of Learning Irregular Verbs

Here we have provided some of the benefits of learning these verbs -
  1. Reduced Cognitive Load : Breaking down the learning process into smaller steps reduces the cognitive load on the learner. Instead of trying to memorize all irregular verbs at once, focusing on a subset makes the task more manageable.
  2. Increased Retention : Learning in steps allows for better retention of information. By mastering a smaller set of irregular verbs before moving on to the next set, learners can build a solid foundation of knowledge and reinforce their memory.
  3. Progressive Mastery : Step-by-step learning enables progressive mastery of irregular verbs. Learners can gradually increase their proficiency by mastering one set of irregular verbs before moving on to the next, leading to a sense of accomplishment and motivation.
  4. Practice : Breaking these verbs into steps allows for targeted practice. Learners can focus on a specific subset of irregular verbs, dedicating time and effort to mastering them before moving on to more complex forms.
  5. Improved Confidence : Mastering these verbs in steps boosts learners' confidence. As they successfully learn and practice each step, they gain confidence in their ability to tackle more challenging irregular verbs, leading to overall improvement in language proficiency.
  6. Enhanced Fluency : Learning irregular verbs in steps contributes to enhanced fluency in language usage. By internalizing the conjugation patterns of irregular verbs gradually, learners can incorporate them more naturally into their speech and writing.
  7. Learning : Step-by-step learning allows for a customized approach tailored to individual learning styles and preferences. Learners can progress at their own pace, spending more time on challenging irregular verbs while moving more quickly through familiar ones.
English Tenses
Present Tense Past Tense
Future Tense Simple Present Tense
Present Continuous Tense Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Continuous Tense Simple Past Tense
Past Continuous Tense Past Perfect Tense
.

Irregular Verbs FAQs

What is an irregular verb with an example?

An irregular verb is defined as “a verb that does not follow the usual rules of grammar. For example, 'eat' is an irregular verb because its past tense is 'ate' and its past participle is 'eaten', not 'eated',” according to the Macmillan Dictionary.

What do irregular verbs mean?

Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the normal patterns for tense and past participle.

How to identify irregular verbs?

Regular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participle are formed by adding the suffix “-ed” (e.g., “walked”). Irregular verbs are verbs that form their simple past and past participles in some way other than by adding the suffix “-ed” (e.g., “sat”).
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