Irregular Verbs

Unlike regular verbs, which have past-tense forms that end in -ed or -d, irregular verbs change spelling or sometimes do not change at all from the present-tense form.

The most common irregular verbs are be, have, and do.

As you write and edit, consult the following chart to make sure that you use the correct form of irregular verbs.

NOTE: What is called “Present Tense” in the chart below is sometimes called the base form of the verb.

Irregular Verb Forms

PRESENT TENSE PAST TENSE PAST PARTICIPLE (used with helping verb)
be (am/are/is) was/were been
become became become
begin began begun
bite bit bitten
blow blew blown
break broke broken
bring brought brought
build built built
buy bought bought
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
come came come
cost cost cost
dive dived, dove dived
do did done
draw drew drawn
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
forget forgot forgotten
freeze froze frozen
get got gotten
give gave given
go went gone
grow grew grown
have/has had had
hear heard heard
hide hid hidden
hit hit hit
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
keep kept kept
know knew known
lay laid laid
leave left left
let let let
lie lay lain
light lit lit
lose lost lost
make made made
mean meant meant
meet met met
pay paid paid
put put put
quit quit quit
read read read
ride rode ridden
ring rang rung
rise rose risen
run ran run
say said said
see saw seen
sell sold sold
send sent sent
set (to place) set set
shake shook shaken
show showed shown
shrink shrank shrunk
shut shut shut
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
sit (to be seated) sat sat
sleep slept slept
speak spoke spoken
spend spent spent
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
stick stuck stuck
sting stung stung
strike struck struck, stricken
swim swam swum
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
win won won
write wrote written