Irregular verbs
Choose the right past and past participle forms of irregular verbs.
You know that most verbs add -ed for the past. This lesson covers the common verbs that do not follow that pattern.
An irregular verb is a verb whose past tense and past participle are not formed by adding -ed.
Examples
- Ramesh bought a new watch.
- The children have drunk all the milk.
- The letter was written in Tamil.
- She put the keys on the table yesterday.
- We had known him for years.
How it works
Three forms to learn
Each verb has a base form, a past form and a past participle. For irregular verbs, learn all three together.
I swim daily; I swam yesterday; I have swum a lot.
Simple past stands alone
Use the past form on its own, without a helping verb.
Gita wore a blue saree.
Past participle needs a helper
Use the past participle after have, has, had, and after a form of be in the passive voice.
The cake was eaten in minutes.
Patterns help
Some verbs keep one form for all three (cut, hit, put). Others change a vowel (drink, drank, drunk).
He hit the ball hard and has hit a six.
Quick reference
| Base | Past | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| break | broke | broken |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| fly | flew | flown |
| lie (rest) | lay | lain |
| lay (put) | laid | laid |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| spread | spread | spread |
Common mistakes
✕I have went to Agra twice.
✓I have gone to Agra twice.
After have we need the past participle gone, not the past went.
✕She drunk the juice quickly.
✓She drank the juice quickly.
Without a helping verb, use the simple past drank.
✕The window was broke by the ball.
✓The window was broken by the ball.
The passive needs the past participle broken.
Worked example
Exercise 1
Tap the irregular past-tense verb.
Vikram drove his father to Mysore.
✓drove
drove is the irregular past tense of drive.
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