The English language, with its myriad rules and exceptions, can often pose a challenge to learners. One of the fascinating aspects of English is its irregular verbs. Irregular verbs don’t follow the standard conjugation patterns that regular verbs do. Instead, they have unique forms for their past tense, past participle, and sometimes, even their present tense. In this article, we will explore a comprehensive list of irregular verbs, helping you navigate this complex aspect of the English language with ease.
What are Irregular Verbs?
Irregular verbs are a type of verb that do not form their Past tense or Past participle by merely adding ‘-d’ or ‘-ed’ to their base form. You can simply say that irregular verbs are in Contrast with regular verbs, regular verbs form their past and the past participle by just adding ‘-d’ or ‘-ed’ to their base form.
Irregular Verbs with Examples
- Be – was/were – been
Example: I am happy. I was happy yesterday. I have been happy all week.
- Become – became – become
Example: He becomes a doctor. He became a doctor last year. He has become a great doctor.
- Begin – began – begun
Example: We begin our journey. We began our journey yesterday. We have begun a new adventure.
- Break – broke – broken
Example: I break the glass. I broke the glass yesterday. I have broken many glasses.
- Bring – brought – brought
Example: She brings her book. She brought her book yesterday. She has brought her book many times.
- Buy – bought – bought
Example: You buy a car. You bought a car last month. You have bought many cars.
- Choose – chose – chosen
Example: They choose a gift. They chose a gift last week. They have chosen many gifts.
- Come – came – come
Example: We come to the park. We came to the park yesterday. We have come to the park often.
- Do – did – done
Example: I do my homework. I did my homework last night. I have done my homework every day.
- Drink – drank – drunk
Example: He drinks water. He drank water during the run. He has drunk a lot of water today.
List of Irregular Verbs in English
Here’s a list of some common irregular verbs. We’ll show the base form (the basic verb), the past tense, and the past participle form.
| Bare Form | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| shoot | shot | shot |
| swing | swung | swung |
| awake | awoke | awoken |
| mow | mowed | mowed/mown |
| think | thought | thought |
| put | put | put |
| hang | hung | hung |
| blow | blew | blown |
| lend | lent | lent |
| seek | sought | sought |
| withhold | withheld | withheld |
| thrust | thrust | thrust |
| ring | rang | rung |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| overtake | overtook | overtaken |
| withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn |
| beat | beat | beaten |
| withstand | withstood | withstood |
| teach | taught | taught |
| flee | fled | fled |
| bid | bid | bid |
| sit | sat | sat |
| bet | bet | bet |
| saw | sawed | sawn /sawed |
| come | came | come |
| broadcast | broadcast | broadcast |
| forsake | forsook | forsaken |
| sell | sold | sold |
| give | gave | given |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| wring | wrung | wrung |
| run | ran | run |
| plead | pleaded/plead | pleaded/plead |
| hit | hit | hit |
| bear | bore | borne |
| bet | bet | bet |
| leave | left | left |
| set | set | set |
| Bare Form | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| lose | lost | lost |
| stride | strode | stridden |
| bring | brought | brought |
| break | broke | broken |
| break | broke | broken |
| beset | beset | beset |
| quit | quit | quit |
| show | showed | showed or shown |
| weep | wept | wept |
| lie | lay | lain |
| arise | arose | arisen |
| shine | shone | shone |
| spill | spilt /spilled | spilt /spilled |
| overthrow | overthrew | overthrown |
| cut | cut | cut |
| bear | bore | borne |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| send | sent | sent |
| weave | wove /weaved | woven /weaved |
| rise | rose | risen |
| wring | wrung | wrung |
| get | got | got (sometimes gotten) |
| weep | wept | wept |
| bend | bent | bent |
| sink | sank | sunk |
| let | let | let |
| wake | woke | woken |
| see | saw | seen |
| sweep | swept | swept |
| wake | woke | woken |
| sing | sang | sung |
| beset | beset | beset |
| shed | shed | shed |
| pay | paid | paid |
| stick | stuck | stuck |
| be | was,were | been |
| wear | wore | worn |
| wed | wedded /wed | wedded /wed |
| grind | ground | ground |
| buy | bought | bought |
| burst | burst | burst |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn |
| keep | kept | kept |
| build | built | built |
| creep | crept | crept |
| begin | began | begun |
| bend | bent | bent |
| thrust | thrust | thrust |
| smell | smelt /smelled | smelt /smelled |
| begin | began | begun |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| bid | bid | bid |
| overcome | overcame | overcome |
| breed | bred | bred |
| burn | burned or burnt | burned or burnt |
| beat | beat | beaten |
| win | won | won |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| cling | clung | clung |
| have | had | had |
| sting | stung | stung |
| speed | sped /speeded | sped /speeded |
| buy | bought | bought |
| mistake | mistook | mistaken |
| rid | rid | rid |
| dig | dug | dug |
| bleed | bled | bled |
| lead | led | led |
| become | became | become |
| smite | smote | smitten |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| Bare Form | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| blow | blew | blown |
| meet | met | met |
| prove | proved | proved/proven |
| come | came | come |
| understand | understood | understood |
| breed | bred | bred |
| shut | shut | shut |
| thrive | thrived /throve | thrived |
| kneel | knelt | knelt |
| spoil | spoilt /spoiled | spoilt /spoiled |
| mean | meant | meant |
| spread | spread | spread |
| cast | cast | cast |
| stand | stood | stood |
| feed | fed | fed |
| wind | wound | wound |
| spend | spent | spent |
| bring | brought | brought |
| fit | fit | fit |
| deal | dealt | dealt |
| grow | grew | grown |
| uphold | upheld | upheld |
| bleed | bled | bled |
| bind | bound | bound |
| build | built | built |
| spring | sprang | sprung |
| cost | cost | cost |
| go | went | gone |
| fling | flung | flung |
| spell | spelt /spelled | spelt /spelled |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| swear | swore | sworn |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| spit | spat | spat |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| uphold | upheld | upheld |
| be | was,were | been |
| know | knew | known |
| draw | drew | drawn |
| arise | arose | arisen |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| cling | clung | clung |
| read | read | read |
| fight | fought | fought |
| write | wrote | written |
| cast | cast | cast |
| foretell | foretold | foretold |
| write | wrote | written |
| catch | caught | caught |
| say | said | said |
| tread | trod | trodden |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| burn | burned or burnt | burned or burnt |
| catch | caught | caught |
| wear | wore | worn |
| swim | swam | swum |
| wed | wedded /wed | wedded /wed |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| swell | swelled | swelled /swollen |
| tell | told | told |
| shear | sheared | sheared/shorn |
| bite | bit | bitten |
| hang | hanged | hanged |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| spin | spun | spun |
| drive | drove | driven |
| do | did | done |
| light | lit /lighte | lit /lighted |
| win | won | won |
| find | found | found |
| Bare Form | Past Simple | Past Participle |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| feel | felt | felt |
| sling | slung | slung |
| become | became | become |
| slit | slit | slit |
| sow | sowed | sown /sowed |
| tread | trod | trodden |
| make | made | made |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| hear | heard | heard |
| fly | flew | flown |
| shrink | shrank | shrunk |
| upset | upset | upset |
| lay | laid | laid |
| thrive | thrived /throve | thrived |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| dream | dreamed or dreamt | dreamed or dreamt |
| withhold | withheld | withheld |
| take | took | taken |
| learn | learned or learnt | learned or learnt |
| withstand | withstood | withstood |
| sew | sewed | sewn/sewed |
| broadcast | broadcast | broadcast |
| slay | slew | slayed /slain |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| burst | burst | burst |
| dive | dived/dove | dived |
| wind | wound | wound |
| leap | leapt /leaped | leapt /leaped |
| awake | awoke | awoken |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| hold | held | held |
| overdo | overdid | overdone |
| upset | upse | upset |
| understand | understood | understood |
| slide | slid | slid |
| weave | wove /weaved | woven /weaved |
| bind | bound | bound |
Tips for Learning Irregular Verbs
- Practice Makes Perfect: Keep using these verbs in sentences.
- Use Flashcards: They are a great way to memorize verbs.
- Read and Listen: The more you read and listen to English, the more you’ll come across these verbs.
- Be Patient: Learning these verbs takes time.
Irregular Verbs | Images
