Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the regular pattern of verb conjugation, where the base form (infinitive), past tense, and past participle are formed by adding -ed or -d to the base form. Instead, irregular verbs have unique forms for their past tense and past participle, and these forms do not follow a consistent pattern. Here are some examples of irregular verbs and their base form, past tense, and past participle:
| Base Form | Past Tense | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| be | was/were | been |
| begin | began | begun |
| break | broke | broken |
| bring | brought | brought |
| build | built | built |
| buy | bought | bought |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| come | came | come |
| do | did | done |
| drive | drove | driven |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| find | found | found |
| get | got | gotten |
| give | gave | given |
| go | went | gone |
| have | had | had |
| know | knew | known |
| leave | left | left |
| make | made | made |
| meet | met | met |
| run | ran | run |
| say | said | said |
| see | saw | seen |
| sing | sang | sung |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| take | took | taken |
| think | thought | thought |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| understand | understood | understood |
| wear | wore | worn |
| write | wrote | written |
It’s important to note that irregular verbs have unique forms for their past tense and past participle, and they do not follow a consistent pattern. Therefore, it’s necessary to memorize the irregular forms of these verbs. Regular verbs, on the other hand, follow a consistent pattern of adding -ed or -d to the base form to form the past tense and past participle.
When using irregular verbs, it’s important to pay attention to their forms and use them correctly in different contexts. Regular practice and exposure to irregular verbs in context will help you become familiar with their usage and improve your English language skills.