Grammar Reference

Verbs

Irregular verbs

There are seven groups of irregular verbs.

Group 1: completely irregular verbs

Infinitive Simple past Past participle
be was/were been
do did done
go went gone

Group 2: the write wrote written group

Infinitive Simple past Past participle
beat beat beaten
bite bit bitten
break broke broken
choose chose chosen
drive drove driven
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
forget forgot forgotten
give gave given
hide hid hidden
ride rode ridden
shake shook shaken
speak spoke spoken
steal stole stolen
take took taken
wake woke woken
write wrote written

 

Group 3: the fly flew flown group

Infinitive Simple past Past participle
blow blew blown
draw drew drawn
fly flew flown
grow grew grown
know knew known
lie lay lain
see saw seen
show showed shown
tear tore torn
throw threw thrown
wear wore worn

 

Group 4: the come came come group

Infinitive Simple past Past participle
become became become
come came come
run ran run

 

Group 5: the begin began begun group

Infinitive Simple past Past participle
begin began begun
drink drank drunk
ring rang rung
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
swim swam swum

 

Group 6: the get got got group

Infinitive Simple past Past participle
bend bent bent
bring brought brought
burn burnt burnt
build built built
buy bought bought
catch caught caught
dream dreamt dreamt
feed fed fed
feel felt felt
fight fought fought
find found found
get got got
hang hung hung
have had had
hear heard heard
hold held held
keep kept kept
lay laid laid
lead led led
learn learnt learnt
leave left left
lend lent lent
lose lost lost
make made made
mean meant meant
meet met met
pay paid paid
say said said
sell sold sold
send sent sent
shine shone shone
shoot shot shot
sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
smell smelt smelt
spell spelt spelt
spend spent spent
stand stood stood
sweep swept swept
swing swung swung
teach taught taught
tell told told
think thought thought
understand understood understood
win won won

 

Group 7: the put put put group

Infinitive Simple past Past participle
cost cost cost
cut cut cut
hit hit hit
hurt hurt hurt
let let let
put put put
read read read
set set set
shut shut shut
spread spread spread

 

Common irregular verbs in alphabetical order.

Infinitive Simple past Past participle
be was/were been
beat beat beaten
become became become
begin began begun
bend bent bent
bite bit bitten
blow blew blown
break broke broken
bring brought brought
burn burnt burnt
build built built
buy bought bought
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
come came come
cost cost cost
cut cut cut
do did done
draw drew drawn
dream dreamt dreamt
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
forget forgot forgotten
get got got
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
know knew known
lay laid laid
lead led led
learn learnt learnt
leave left left
lend lent lent
let let let
lie lay lain
lose lost lost
make made made
mean meant meant
meet met met
pay paid paid
put put put
read read read
ride rode ridden
ring rang rung
run ran run
say said said
see saw seen
sell sold sold
send sent sent
set set set
shake shook shaken
shine shone shone
shoot shot shot
show showed shown
shut shut shut
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
smell smelt smelt
speak spoke spoken
spell spelt spelt
spend spent spent
spread spread spread
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
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
write wrote written

 

These regular and irregular verbs are easy to confuse:

Infinitive Simple past Past participle
fall (drop onto the ground) fell fallen
feel (experience an emotion or sensation) felt felt
fill (make something full) filled filled
find (get back something lost) found found
found (start up an organisation or institution) founded founded
lay (put down flat) laid laid
lie (be down) lay lain
lie (say things that are not true) lied lied
leave (go away) left left
live (inhabit a place) lived lived
raise (put up) raised raised
rise (go/get up) rose risen
strike (hit) struck struck
stroke (pass the hand gently over) stroked stroked