Verb Tenses PAST TENSE

HOW TO FORM IT: Verbs can be regular or irregular. For regular verbs, take the base of the
verb (walk, jump, etc) and add -ed or -d. For irregular verbs, there is no single rule to follow.
Unfortunately, that means you'll have to memorize the correct past tense and part particle for
these irregular verbs.

Some irregular verbs are the same for present, past and the past participle (example: cost -
cost - cost). Others require a vowel change (grind - ground - ground). Others involve a
consonant and a vowel change (creep - crept - crept). Note that sometimes the past tense and
past participle will be the same (example: bring - brought - brought) and sometimes it will be
different (drive - drove - driven). When studying irregular verbs, be sure to memorize the past
tense and the past participle.

Use the irregular verb chart below to help you study the most common irregular verbs. You
can also check out the irregular verbs Language Wheels offered by Language Success Press.
These are paper wheels that you spin to practice various forms of the irregular verbs.

THE BIG PICTURE: Use the past tense for:

1. An action or a series of actions started and finished in the past. Example: Susan did her
homework and then went to her friend Nancy's house.

2. A duration that started and finished in the past. Example: Kim attended Harvard for
three years.

Irregular Verbs - Handy Chart

Most Common Irregular Verbs

Present Tense Past Tense Past Participle

be was, were been

beat beat beaten
become became become
begin began begun
bend bent bent
bite bit bitten
bleed bled bled
blow blew blown
break broke broken
bring brought brought
build built built
burst burst burst
buy bought bought
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
come came come
cost cost cost
creep crept crept
cut cut cut
deal dealt dealt
dig dug dug
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
flee fled fled
fly flew flown
forbid forbade forbidden
forget forgot forgotten
forgive forgave forgiven
freeze froze frozen
get got gotten
give gave given
go went gone
grind ground ground
grow grew grown
hang hung hung
have 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
lead led led
leave left left
lend lent lent
let let let
lie lay lain
light lit lit
lose lost lost
make made made
meet met met
mistake mistook mistaken
oversleep overslept overslept
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
seek sought sought
sell sold sold
send sent sent
shake shook shaken
shine shone shone
shoot shot shot
shrink shrank shrunk
shut shut shut
sing sang sung
sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
slide slid slid
speak spoke spoken
spend spent spent
spin spun spun
split split split
spring sprang sprung
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
stick stuck stuck
sting stung stung
strike struck stricken
swear swore sworn
sweep swept swept
swim swam swum
swing swung swung
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
wind wound wound
write wrote written