R U L E S

For Using Ir regular Verbs

Understand the problem.
All verbs, whether regular or irregular, have five forms [often called principal parts]. These forms are the infinitive, simple present, simple past, past participle, and present participle. The difference between a regular and an irregular verb is the formation of the simple past and past participle. Regular verbs are dependably consistentthe simple past ends in ed as does the past participle. Check out this chart:

Infinitive

Simple Present laugh(s) start(s) wash(es) wink(s)

Simple Past laughed started washed winked

Past Participle laughed started washed winked

Present Participle laughing starting washing winking

to laugh to start to wash to wink

In contrast, the simple past and past participle of irregular verbs can end in a variety of ways, with absolutely no consistent pattern. Here are some examples: Infinitive Simple Present drive(s) feel(s) put(s) swim(s) Simple Past drove felt put swam Past Participle driven felt put swum Present Participle driving feeling putting swimming

to drive to feel to put to swim

Writers make two frequent errors with irregular verbs. They either add an incorrect ed to the end of an irregular verb or accidentally interchange the simple past and past participle. Read this sentence: Olivia feeled like exercising yesterday, so she putted on her bathing suit and drived to the YMCA, where she swum so far that only an extra large pepperoni pizza would satisfy her hunger. What are the problems with this sentence? First, feeled should be felt. Next, putted needs to be put. The correct past tense of drive is drove. And we must change swum to swam.

Know the solution.

To avoid making mistakes with irregular verbs, learn the very long chart below. Infinitive Simple Present arise(s) awake(s) Simple Past arose awoke or awaked was, were bore Past Participle arisen awaked or awoken been borne or born beaten become Present Participle arising awaking

to arise to awake

to be to bear

am, is, are bear(s)

being bearing

to beat to become to begin to bend to bet to bid [to offer]

beat(s) become(s)

beat became

beating becoming

begin(s) bend(s) bet(s) bid(s)

began bent bet bid

begun bent bet bid

beginning bending betting bidding

Infinitive

Simple Present bid(s)

Simple Past bade

Past Participle bidden

Present Participle bidding

to bid [to command] to bind to bite to blow to break to bring to build to burst to buy to cast to catch to choose to cling to come to cost to creep to cut

bind(s) bite(s) blow(s) break(s) bring(s) build(s) burst(s) buy(s) cast(s) catch(es) choose(s)

bound bit blew broke brought built burst bought cast caught chose

bound bitten or bit blown broken brought built burst bought cast caught chosen

binding biting blowing breaking bringing building bursting buying casting catching choosing

cling(s) come(s) cost(s) creep(s) cut(s)

clung came cost crept cut

clung come cost crept cut

clinging coming costing creeping cutting

Infinitive

Simple Present deal(s) dig(s) dive(s)

Simple Past dealt dug dived or dove did drew dreamed or dreamt drank drove ate fell fed felt fought found fled flung flew

Past Participle dealt dug dived

Present Participle dealing digging diving

to deal to dig to dive

to do to draw to dream

do(es) draw(s) dream(s)

done drawn dreamed or dreamt drunk driven eaten fallen fed felt fought found fled flung flown

doing drawing dreaming

to drink to drive to eat to fall to feed to feel to fight to find to flee to fling to fly

drink(s) drive(s) eat(s) fall(s) feed(s) feel(s) fight(s) find(s) flee(s) fling(s) flies, fly

drinking driving eating falling feeding feeling fighting finding fleeing flinging flying

Infinitive

Simple Present forbid(s)

Simple Past forbade or forbad forgot

Past Participle forbidden

Present Participle forbidding

to forbid

to forget

forget(s)

forgotten or forgot forgiven

forgetting

to forgive to forsake to freeze to get

forgive(s)

forgave

forgiving

forsake(s)

forsook

forsaken

forsaking

freeze(s) get(s)

froze got

frozen got or gotten given gone grown hung

freezing getting

to give to go to grow
to hang [to suspend]

give(s) go(es) grow(s) hang(s)

gave went grew hung

giving going growing hanging

to have to hear to hide to hit to hurt

has, have hear(s) hide(s) hit(s) hurt(s)

had heard hid hit hurt

had heard hidden hit hurt

having hearing hiding hitting hurting

Infinitive

Simple Present keep(s) know(s) lay(s) lead(s) leap(s)

Simple Past kept knew laid led leaped or leapt left lent let lay

Past Participle kept known laid led leaped or leapt left lent let lain

Present Participle keeping knowing laying leading leaping

to keep to know to lay to lead to leap

to leave to lend to let to lie [to rest or recline] to light

leave(s) lend(s) let(s) lie(s)

leaving lending letting lying

light(s)

lighted or lit lost made meant paid proved

lighted or lit

lighting

to lose to make to mean to pay to prove

lose(s) make(s) mean(s) pay(s) prove(s)

lost made meant paid proved or proven quit

losing making meaning paying proving

to quit

quit(s)

quit

quitting

Infinitive

Simple Present read(s) rid(s) ride(s) ring(s) rise(s) run(s) say(s) see(s) seek(s) send(s) set(s) shake(s) shine(s)

Simple Past read rid rode rang rose ran said saw sought sent set shook shone

Past Participle read rid ridden rung risen run said seen sought sent set shaken shone

Present Participle reading ridding riding ringing rising running saying seeing seeking sending setting shaking shining

to read to rid to ride to ring to rise to run to say to see to seek to send to set to shake to shine [to glow] to shoot to show

shoot(s) show(s)

shot showed

shot shown or showed shrunk sung

shooting showing

to shrink to sing

shrink(s) sing(s)

shrank sang

shrinking singing

Infinitive

Simple Present sink(s)

Simple Past sank or sunk sat slew slept slung sneaked or snuck spoke spent spun sprang or sprung stood stole stung stank or stunk strode struck

Past Participle sunk

Present Participle sinking

to sink

to sit to slay to sleep to sling to sneak

sit(s) slay(s) sleep(s) sling(s) sneak(s)

sat slain slept slung sneaked or snuck spoken spent spun sprung

sitting slaying sleeping slinging sneaking

to speak to spend to spin to spring

speak(s) spend(s) spin(s) spring(s)

speaking spending spinning springing

to stand to steal to sting to stink

stand(s) steal(s) sting(s) stink(s)

stood stolen stung stunk

standing stealing stinging stinking

to stride to strike

stride(s) strike(s)

stridden struck

striding striking

Infinitive

Simple Present strive(s) swear(s) sweep(s) swim(s) swing(s) take(s) teach(es) tear(s) tell(s) think(s) throw(s)

Simple Past strove swore swept swam swung took taught tore told thought threw

Past Participle striven sworn swept swum swung taken taught torn told thought thrown

Present Participle striving swearing sweeping swimming swinging taking teaching tearing telling thinking throwing

to strive to swear to sweep to swim to swing to take to teach to tear to tell to think to throw
to understand

understand(s)

understood

understood

understanding

to wake

wake(s)

woke or waked wore wove or weaved wept wrung

waked or woken worn woven or wove wept wrung

waking

to wear to weave

wear(s) weave(s)

wearing weaving

to weep to wring

weep(s) wring(s)

weeping wringing

Infinitive

Simple Present write(s)

Simple Past wrote

Past Participle written

Present Participle writing

to write

In addition to learning the chart above, you must also understand the difference between the simple past and past participle. A simple past tense verb always has just one part. You need no auxiliary verb to form this tense. Look at these examples: Because dinner time was near, my dog Oreo bit the spine of MobyDick and pulled the novel off my lap. Since Denise had ignored bills for so long, she wrote out checks for an hour straight. Despite the noise, jolts, and jerks, Alex slept so soundly on the c ity bus that he missed his stop. Many multipart verbs, however, require the past participle after one or more auxiliary verbs. Read these sentences: Raymond had bitten into the muffin before Charise mentioned that it was her infamous chocolate -broccoli variety. had = auxiliary verb; bitten = past participle Once Woody has written his essay for Mr. Stover, he plans to reward himself with a packet of Twinkies. has = auxiliary verb; written = past participle Cynthia might have slept better if she hadn't watched The Nightmare on Elm St reet marathon on HBO. might, have = auxiliary verbs; slept = past participle For regular verbs, knowing the distinction between the simple past and past participle is unnecessary because both are identical. Check out these two sentences: Diane giggled as her beagle Reliable pushed his cold wet nose into her stomach, searching for cookie crumbs. giggled = simple past Until the disapproving Mrs. Whitman elbowed Latoya in the ribs, the young girl had giggled without stop at the toilet paper streamer attac hed to Principal Clemens's shoe. had = auxiliary verb; giggled = past participle

When you choose an irregular verb for a sentence, however, the simple past and past participle are often different, so you must know the distinction. Here are two examples: Essie drove so cautiously that traffic piled up behind her, causing angry drivers to honk their horns and shout obscenities. drove = simple past Essie might have driven faster if she hadn't forgotten her glasses and saw more than big colored blurs through the windshield. might, have = auxiliary verbs; driven = past participle In addition, past participles can function as adjectives in sentences, describing other words. When you use a past participle in this manner, you must choose the correct form. Read these sentences: The calculus exams given by Dr. Ribley are so diffic ult that his students believe their brains will burst. Delores discovered the stolen bologna under the sofa, guarded fiercely by Max, her Chihuahua. The written reprimand so shamed poor Pablo that he promised his boss never again to throw a scoop of ice cream at a c ustomer. Remember that you can always consult a dictionary when you have a question about the correct form of an irregular verb.

1997 - 2013 by Robin L. Simmons All Rights Reserved.