Common Irregular Verbs (grouped by ending pattern)

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Below, you will find a list of the most common irregular verbs in English. An irregular verb is a verb in which the past tense is not formed by adding the normal -ed ending. Irregular verbs have different past and past participle forms that you need to learn and memorize.

Study the list of irregular verbs, following these guidelines:

The base form is used with the simple present tense.
I often forget my umbrella.

The simple past form is used with the simple past tense.
I forgot my umbrella yesterday.

The past participle is used with the perfect tenses, such as present and past perfect.
Oh no! It’s raining and I’ve forgotten my umbrella.

Here are the most common irregular verbs in English, grouped by ending pattern. To see these verbs listed alphabetically, go to: Common Irregular Verbs. You should know these by heart.

All forms of the verb are the same
Base Form Simple Past Past Participle
bet bet bet
cost cost cost
cut cut cut
hit hit hit
hurt hurt hurt
let let let
put put put
shut shut shut
2ND AND 3RD FORMS OF THE VERB ARE THE SAME
Base Form Simple Past Past Participle
lose lost lost
shoot shot shot
get got got
light lit lit
sit sat sat
keep kept kept
sleep slept slept
feel felt felt
leave left left
meet met met
bring brought brought
buy bought bought
fight fought fought
think thought thought
catch caught caught
teach taught taught
sell sold sold
tell told told
pay paid paid
make made made
stand stood stood
understand understood understood
lend lent lent
send sent sent
spend spent spent
build built built
find found found
have had had
hear heard heard
hold held held
read read (pronounced red) read (pronounced red)
say said said
ALL FORMS OF THE VERB ARE DIFFERENT
Base Form Simple Past Past Participle
drive drove driven
ride rode ridden
rise rose risen
write wrote written
bite bit bitten
hide hid hidden
break broke broken
choose chose chosen
speak spoke spoken
wake woke woken
blow blew blown
grow grew grown
know knew known
fly flew flown
draw drew drawn
show showed shown
wear wore worn
tear tore torn
begin began begun
drink drank drunk
swim swam swum
ring rang rung
sing sang sung
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
forget forgot forgotten
give gave given
see saw seen
take took taken


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