Help ESL Learners Learn Irregular Verbs

Status
Not open for further replies.

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Irregular Verbs -- A Tutorial

Some irregular verbs undergo a vowel change every time they change tenses. (The only exception to that is the past or present progressive.) Here is a list of those verbs.

  • begin, began, begun
    drink, drank, drunk
    ring, rang, rung
    shrink, shrank, shrunk
    sing, sang, sung
    sink, sank, sunk
    stink, stank, stunk
    swim, swam, swum
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Re:Here are the words that have been discussed there so far:
  • spread
    mean
    read
    beat
    lose
    arise
    awake
    bear
    make
    ride
    tear
    know
    send
    bite
    feed
    lead
    lie
    come
    run
    set
    put
    let
    is (to be)
    blow
    throw
    catch
    buy
    bring
    do
    go
    see
    find
    keep
    begin
Please feel free to make additional contributions. That could include either words that have been discussed already or words that haven't been discussed yet.
 
C

CitySpeak

Guest
We could think of the irregular verbs that have no change. - cut, put


There are also the irregular ones that have the same past and past participle forms. - thought, taught
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
Like 'let' and 'set'? ;-)
 
C

CitySpeak

Guest
tdol said:
Like 'let' and 'set'? ;-)



Yep. I have a couple - or 3? - lists of irregular verbs that divide them up into different types depending on how they change. I'm going to have to make a combined list of what I have. Each list has something the other doesn't. It shouldn't be too difficult to account for the differences and make one combined list. There aren't too many differences - I don't think.
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
CitySpeak said:
We could think of the irregular verbs that have no change. - cut, put


There are also the irregular ones that have the same past and past participle forms. - thought, taught

I have lists of both forms, but feel free to use your own.

:D
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Some irregular verbs make no changes between the base form and the past tense and past participle.


  • Irregular Verbs—Past and Past Participle Forms are the same as the Base Form in these Irregular Verbs

    Bet
    Bid
    Bust
    Cast
    Cost
    Cut
    Fit
    Hit
    Let
    Outbid
    Preset
    Put
    Quit
    Read
    Recast
    Reset
    Rid
    Set
    Shed
    Shit
    Shut
    Sit
    Slit
    Split
    Spread
    Underbid
    Upset
    Wed
    Wet








See: https://www.usingenglish.com/irregular-verb-list.html
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
shed
  • The snake shed its skin and left behind the skin it was in.
  • Every year, snakes shed their skins.

The past tense and past participle of shed is shed.
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
spread
  • The newspapers were spread out on the floor.
  • This morning I spread some jam on my bread.

The past tense and past participle of spread is spread.

:)
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
make
  • I made my bed this morning.
    I made breakfast this morning.
    Yesterday, Donna made a cake.
    The car was made by the automaker.
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
let
  • She let him go to the store by himself.
    She has let him do that before.
    She let him do it yesterday.
    She might let him do it again.
    I would like it if she would let me use her car.
    She has let me use it before.
    She let me use it last week.
  • Let me go!
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
put
  • The vase was put on the table.
    The vase has been put on the table.
    She put the vase on the table.
    She will put the vase on the table.
    Will you put the vase on the table?
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
cut
  • Would you like me to cut the meat?
    Yes, please cut the meat.
    Have you cut meat before?
    I have cut meat before.
    I would like to cut the meat.
    I haven't cut any meat.
    Would you like to cut the meat?
    I have cut the meat.
    The meat has been cut.
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
go
  • Would you like to go to the movies?
    But we went to the movies yesterday.
    We have gone to the movies many times before.
    Would you to go to see a movie?
    I have been there before.
    I don't want to go again.
    I want to go somewhere I haven't been.
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
take
  • Would you take me to the new place?
    You have taken me to other places, but you never took me there.
    You took me to the old place many times, but you have never taken me to the new place.
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
bring
  • Today, I bring the books.
    Yesterday, Mike brought the books.
    Have you brought your lunch?
    I have brought the books often.
    I brought the books almost every day last month.
    I have brought the books often enough for a while.
    I am going to stop bringing the books.
    I will let you bring the books.

The present tense is bring. The past tense and past participle is brought.

:)
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
to be

The verb to be is the most irregular of the irregular verbs.
  • Base Form----------------- Be
    Past Simple---------------- Was / Were
    Past Participle------------- Been
    1st Person Singular----- Am / Was
    2nd Person Singular---- Are / Were
    3rd Person Singular----- Is
    3rd Person Plural-------- Are / Were
    Present Participle
    / Gerund ------------------- Being

First person singular: am
  • Do you know who I am?
    I am the person you see when you look in the mirror.
    That's who I am.
    I am the person I am.

  • What am I going to do?
    I am fed up with you!

  • I am upset.
    I am mad!
    I am happy.
    I am glad.
    I am unsure.
    I am proud.
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
to be

The verb to be is the most irregular of the irregular verbs.
  • Base Form----------------- Be
    Past Simple---------------- Was / Were
    Past Participle------------- Been
    1st Person Singular----- Am / Was
    2nd Person Singular---- Are / Were
    3rd Person Singular----- Is
    3rd Person Plural-------- Are / Were
    Present Participle
    / Gerund ------------------- Being

was: I was; he was; she was
  • Kilroy was here.
    Was it necessary?
    Who was Fibonacci?
    Who was he?
    Amos 'n' Andy was the most popular series in the history of broadcasting.
    Was Darwin wrong?
    Was It murder?
    What was it?
    Who was that?
    I hated Reagan when he was president.
    Now I know that he was a good president.
    It was the day that I was born.
    It was a way of life.
    In the beginning was the Word.
    Rush Limbaugh was right
    The memo was written by Democratic committee staff and was not finalized or circulated among members of the committee, said the panel's senior Democrat, West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller.
    I was wrong!
    Alcohol Prohibition Was A Failure.
    What was Chautauqua?
    In fact, the speedy fall of Baghdad proves the anti-war movement was dead right.
    What was the first personal computer?
    Who was Henry George?
    Concrete was poured, skyscrapers soared, and the retail district,
    seen in the right panel of the panorama, expanded to world class status.
    The Society was incorporated in 1903 and produces The Wisconsin Archeologist.
    What the heck was that?
    Who was she?
    It was here just a minute ago.
    He left an hour ago.
    However, since the Theory of Evolution was first put forward, scientific knowledge has progressed enormously.
    Was the Buddha the first humanist?
    It was over in a minute.
    Where was this trivia when I needed it?
    How smart was this bomb?
    The Shining was written by Stephen King.
    She was there when I left.
    What was she doing there?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top