G2-a: Irregular verbs
For all regular verbs, the past-tense and past-participle forms are the same (ending in -ed or -d), so there is no danger of confusion. This is not true, however, for irregular verbs, such as the following.
| base form | past tense | past participle |
| go | went | gone |
| break | broke | broken |
| fly | flew | flown |
The past-tense form always occurs alone, without a helping verb. It expresses action that occurred entirely in the past: I rode to work yesterday. I walked to work last Tuesday. The past participle is used with a helping verb. It forms the perfect tenses with has, have, or had; it forms the passive voice with be, am, is, are, was, were, being, or been. (See B1-c for a complete list of helping verbs and G2-f for a survey of tenses.)
| past tense | Last July, we went to Seoul. |
| helping verb + past participle | We have gone to Seoul twice. |
The list of common irregular verbs below will help you distinguish between the past tense and the past participle. Choose the past-participle form if the verb in your sentence requires a helping verb; choose the past-tense form if the verb does not require a helping verb. (See verb tenses in G2-f.)
The past-tense saw is required because there is no helping verb.
Because of the helping verbs was and had, the past-participle forms are required: was stolen, had fallen
Common irregular verbs
| base form | past tense | past participle |
|---|---|---|
| arise | arose | arisen |
| awake | awoke, awaked | awaked, awoke, awoken |
| be | was, were | been |
| beat | beat | beaten, beat |
| become | became | become |
| begin | began | begun |
| bend | bent | bent |
| bite | bit | bitten, bit |
| blow | blew | blown |
| break | broke | broken |
| bring | brought | brought |
| build | built | built |
| burst | burst | burst |
| buy | bought | bought |
| catch | caught | caught |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| cling | clung | clung |
| come | came | come |
| cost | cost | cost |
| deal | dealt | dealt |
| dig | dug | dug |
| dive | dived, dove | dived |
| do | did | done |
| draw | drew | drawn |
| dream | dreamed, dreamt | dreamed, dreamt |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| drive | drove | driven |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| fight | fought | fought |
| find | found | found |
| fly | flew | flown |
| forget | forgot | forgotten, forgot |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| get | got | gotten, got |
| give | gave | given |
| go | went | gone |
| grow | grew | grown |
| hang (execute) | hanged | hanged |
| hang (suspend) | hung | hung |
| have | had | had |
| hear | heard | heard |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| keep | kept | kept |
| know | knew | known |
| lay (put) | laid | laid |
| lead | led | led |
| lend | lent | lent |
| let (allow) | let | let |
| lie (recline) | lay | lain |
| lose | lost | lost |
| make | made | made |
| prove | proved | proved, proven |
| read | read | read |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| ring | rang | rung |
| rise (get up) | rose | risen |
| run | ran | run |
| say | said | said |
| see | saw | seen |
| send | sent | sent |
| set (place) | set | set |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| shoot | shot | shot |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sink | sank | sunk |
| sit (be seated) | sat | sat |
| slay | slew | slain |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| spin | spun | spun |
| spring | sprang | sprung |
| stand | stood | stood |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| sting | stung | stung |
| strike | struck | struck, stricken |
| swear | swore | sworn |
| swim | swam | swum |
| swing | swung | swung |
| take | took | taken |
| teach | taught | taught |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| wake | woke, waked | waked, woken |
| wear | wore | worn |
| win | won | won |
| wring | wrung | wrung |
| write | wrote | written |