27a. Irregular verbs

27aChoose Standard English forms of 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 46c for a complete list of helping verbs and 27f 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 beginning on the next page 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 27f.)

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The past-tense saw is required because there is no helping verb.

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Because of the helping verbs was and had, the past-participle forms are required: was stolen, had fallen.

When in doubt about the Standard English forms of irregular verbs, consult the following list or look up the base form of the verb in the dictionary, which also lists any irregular forms. (If no additional forms are listed in the dictionary, the verb is regular, not irregular.)

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