Irregular verbs play a pivotal role in the English language as they add depth and nuance to verb conjugation. Unlike regular verbs, irregular verbs do not follow predictable patterns, making them essential for conveying precise meanings and tenses. Mastery of irregular verbs is crucial for effective communication and writing, as they enable the expression of past actions, conditions, and possibilities that cannot be captured by regular verbs alone. Their irregularity also reflects the historical evolution of the language, offering insights into its rich linguistic heritage. Without irregular verbs, English would lose its versatility, hindering our ability to express complex thoughts and stories accurately, underscoring their fundamental importance in the language’s structure and function.
List of Irregular Verbs
Base Form | Past Simple | Past Participle |
---|---|---|
arise | arose | arisen |
awake | awoke | awoken |
be | was/were | been |
bear | bore | borne/born |
beat | beat | beaten |
become | became | become |
begin | began | begun |
bend | bent | bent |
bet | bet | bet |
bite | bit | bitten |
blow | blew | blown |
break | broke | broken |
bring | brought | brought |
build | built | built |
burn | burnt/burned | burnt/burned |
burst | burst | burst |
buy | bought | bought |
catch | caught | caught |
choose | chose | chosen |
cling | clung | clung |
come | came | come |
cost | cost | cost |
creep | crept | crept |
cut | cut | cut |
deal | dealt | dealt |
dig | dug | dug |
dive | dived/dove | dived |
do | did | done |
draw | drew | drawn |
dream | dreamt/dreamed | dreamt/dreamed |
drink | drank | drunk |
drive | drove | driven |
eat | ate | eaten |
fall | fell | fallen |
feed | fed | fed |
feel | felt | felt |
fight | fought | fought |
find | found | found |
fly | flew | flown |
forbid | forbade | forbidden |
forget | forgot | forgotten |
forgive | forgave | forgiven |
freeze | froze | frozen |
get | got | got/gotten |
give | gave | given |
go | went | gone |
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 |
kneel | knelt/kneeled | knelt/kneeled |
know | knew | known |
lay | laid | laid |
lead | led | led |
learn | learnt/learned | learnt/learned |
leave | left | left |
lend | lent | lent |
let | let | let |
lie | lay | lain |
light | lit | lit |
lose | lost | lost |
make | made | made |
mean | meant | meant |
meet | met | met |
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 |
set | set | set |
shake | shook | shaken |
shine | shone | shone |
shoot | shot | shot |
show | showed | shown/showed |
shrink | shrank | shrunk |
shut | shut | shut |
sing | sang | sung |
sink | sank | sunk |
sit | sat | sat |
sleep | slept | slept |
slide | slid | slid |
smell | smelt/smelled | smelt/smelled |
speak | spoke | spoken |
spend | spent | spent |
spin | spun | spun |
spread | spread | spread |
spring | sprang/sprung | sprung |
stand | stood | stood |
steal | stole | stolen |
stick | stuck | stuck |
sting | stung | stung |
stink | stank/stunk | stunk |
strike | struck | struck |
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 |
weep | wept | wept |
win | won | won |
withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn |
wring | wrung | wrung |
write | wrote | written |
Feel | Felt | Felt |
Dig | Dug | Dug |
Bend | Bent | Bent |
Drink | Drank | Drunk |
Do | Did | Done |
Feed | Fed | Fed |
Choose | Chose | Chosen |
Dive | Dove | Dived |
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Adverbs List A to Z in English