irregolar verbs with past/participle with double form

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viriato

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Hello,

I personally think, that learning irregular verbs is the more difficult thing to a beginner.
it is most like a medieval method of torture for the memory.
I found more than 90 "irregular/regular" verbs which have more than one past or participle form.

Could please, someone explain me, why have them both forms; an irregular and another regular?
Should they be considered irregular or regular verbs or both?

If this is an attempt to makes regular all of them, I completely agree on it. :-D

Here the list:

bereave - bereaved/bereft - bereaved/bereft
beseech - besought/beseeched - besought/beseeched
bestrew - bestrewed - bestrewn/bestrewed
alight - alighted/alit - alighted/alit
bet - bet/betted - bet/betted
broadcast - broadcast/broadcasted - broadcast/broadcasted
burn - burned/burnt - burned/burnt
bust - busted/bust - busted/bust
chide - chided/chid - chided/chidden
clothe - clothed/clad - clothed/clad
daydream - daydreamed/daydreamt - daydreamed/daydreamt
dight - dighted/dight - dighted/dight
disprove - disproved - disproved/disproven
dwell - dwelt/dwelled - dwelt/dwelled
fit - fitted/fit - fitted/fit
foreshow - foreshowed - foreshown/foreshowed
gild - gilded/gilt - gilded/gilt
hang (kill by hanging) - hanged/hung - hanged/hung
heave - heaved/hove - heaved/hove
hew - hewed - hewn/hewed
input - input/inputted - input/inputted
interweave - interwove/interweaved - interwoven/interweaved
inweave - inwove/inweaved - inwoven/inweaved
kneel - knelt/kneeled - knelt/kneeled
knit - knitted/knit - knitted/knit
lade - laded - laden/laded
lean - leaned/leant - leaned/leant
leap - leaped/leapt - leaped/leapt
learn - learned/learnt - learned/learnt
light - lit/lighted - lit/lighted
mislearn - mislearned/mislearnt - mislearned/mislearnt
misspell - misspelled/misspelt - misspelled/misspelt
miswed - miswed/miswedded - miswed/miswedded
mow - mowed - mowed/mown
outleap - outleaped/outleapt - outleaped/outleapt
output - output/outputted - output/outputted
outshine - outshined/outshone - outshined/outshone
outsmell - outsmelled/outsmelt - outsmelled/outsmelt
overleap - overleaped/overleapt - overleaped/overleapt
oversew - oversewed - oversewn/oversewed
oversow - oversowed - oversown/oversowed
overspill - overspilled/overspilt - overspilled/overspilt
overstrew - overstrewed - overstrewn/overstrewed
plead - pleaded/pled - pleaded/pled
prove - proved - proven/proved
quit - quit/quitted - quit/quitted
rebroadcast - rebroadcast/rebroadcasted - rebroadcast/rebroadcasted
refit - refitted/refit - refitted/refit
reknit - reknitted/reknit - reknitted/reknit
relearn - relearned/relearnt - relearned/relearnt
relight - relit/relighted - relit/relighted
resew - resewed - resewn/resewed
retrofit - retrofitted/retrofit - retrofitted/retrofit
rewake - rewoke/rewaked - rewaken/rewaked
reweave - rewove/reweaved - rewoven/reweaved
rewed - rewed/rewedded - rewed/rewedded
rewet - rewet/rewetted - rewet/rewetted
rive - rived - riven/rived
saw - sawed - sawed/sawn
self-sow - self-sowed - self-sown/self-sowed
sew - sewed - sewn/sewed
shave - shaved - shaved/shaven
shear - sheared - sheared/shorn
shine - shined/shone - shined/shone
shit - shit/shat/shitted - shit/shat/shitted
shoe - shoed/shod - shoed/shod
show - showed - shown/showed
slay (kill) - slew/slayed - slain/slayed
slink - slinked/slunk - slinked/slunk
smell - smelled/smelt - smelled/smelt
sow - sowed - sown/sowed
speed - sped/speeded - sped/speeded
spell - spelled/spelt - spelled/spelt
spill - spilled/spilt - spilled/spilt
spoil - spoiled/spoilt - spoiled/spoilt
stave - staved/stove - staved/stove
strew - strewed - strewn/strewed
strip - stripped/stript - stripped/stript
strive - strove/strived - striven/strived
sunburn - sunburned/sunburnt - sunburned/sunburnt
swell - swelled - swollen/swelled
thrive - thrived/throve - thrived/thriven
unclothe - unclothed/unclad - unclothed/unclad
unknit - unknitted/unknit - unknitted/unknit
unlade - unladed - unladen/unladed
unlearn - unlearned/unlearnt - unlearned/unlearnt
unreeve - unreeved/unrove - unreeved/unrove
unsew - unsewed - unsewn/unsewed
unweave - unwove/unweaved - unwoven/unweaved
wake - woke/waked - woken/waked
weave - wove/weaved - woven/weaved
wed - wed/wedded - wed/wedded
wet - wet/wetted - wet/wetted
 
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5jj

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Stage one

Forget the folowing. If you know the base verb, you know the compound.

bestrew - bestrewed - bestrewn/bestrewed
alight - alighted/alit - alighted/alit
broadcast - broadcast/broadcasted - broadcast/broadcasted
daydream - daydreamed/daydreamt - daydreamed/daydreamt
disprove - disproved - disproved/disproven
foreshow - foreshowed - foreshown/foreshowed
interweave - interwove/interweaved - interwoven/interweaved
inweave - inwove/inweaved - inwoven/inweaved
mislearn - mislearned/mislearnt - mislearned/mislearnt
misspell - misspelled/misspelt - misspelled/misspelt
miswed - miswed/miswedded - miswed/miswedded
outleap - outleaped/outleapt - outleaped/outleapt
outshine - outshined/outshone - outshined/outshone
outsmell - outsmelled/outsmelt - outsmelled/outsmelt
overleap - overleaped/overleapt - overleaped/overleapt
oversew - oversewed - oversewn/oversewed
oversow - oversowed - oversown/oversowed
overspill - overspilled/overspilt - overspilled/overspilt
overstrew - overstrewed - overstrewn/overstrewed
rebroadcast - rebroadcast/rebroadcasted - rebroadcast/rebroadcasted
refit - refitted/refit - refitted/refit
reknit - reknitted/reknit - reknitted/reknit
relearn - relearned/relearnt - relearned/relearnt
relight - relit/relighted - relit/relighted
resew - resewed - resewn/resewed
retrofit - retrofitted/retrofit - retrofitted/retrofit
rewake - rewoke/rewaked - rewaken/rewaked
reweave - rewove/reweaved - rewoven/reweaved
rewed - rewed/rewedded - rewed/rewedded
rewet - rewet/rewetted - rewet/rewetted
self-sow - self-sowed - self-sown/self-sowed
sunburn - sunburned/sunburnt - sunburned/sunburnt
unclothe - unclothed/unclad - unclothed/unclad
unknit - unknitted/unknit - unknitted/unknit
unlade - unladed - unladen/unladed
unlearn - unlearned/unlearnt - unlearned/unlearnt
unreeve - unreeved/unrove - unreeved/unrove
unsew - unsewed - unsewn/unsewed
unweave - unwove/unweaved - unwoven/unweaved
 

5jj

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Stage two

Unless you are an advanced learner, forget the following. They are formal, rare or old-fashioned.

bereave - bereaved/bereft - bereaved/bereft
beseech - besought/beseeched - besought/beseeched
chide - chided/chid - chided/chidden
dight - dighted/dight - dighted/dight
foreshow - foreshowed - foreshown/foreshowed
gild - gilded/gilt - gilded/gilt
hew - hewed - hewn/hewed
inweave - inwove/inweaved - inwoven/inweaved
lade - laded - laden/laded
rive - rived - riven/rived
saw - sawed - sawed/sawn
shoe - shoed/shod - shoed/shod
stave - staved/stove - staved/stove
strew - strewed - strewn/strewed
wed - wed/wedded - wed/wedded
 

viriato

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Stage two

Unless you are an advanced learner, forget the following. They are formal, rare or old-fashioned.

Thanks for your reply Fivejedjon,
I see those verbs are not very used... (but there are yet a good number of them that we find every day.)
In any way, the fact, those are old-fashioned or less used verbs, don't satisfy my
curiosity about their double form).
(Is it licit to use both forms? Should we consider them regular or irregular verbs?)

bet - bet/betted - bet/betted
burn - burned/burnt - burned/burnt
bust - busted/bust - busted/bust
clothe - clothed/clad - clothed/clad
dwell - dwelt/dwelled - dwelt/dwelled
fit - fitted/fit - fitted/fit
hang (kill by hanging) - hanged/hung - hanged/hung
heave - heaved/hove - heaved/hove
input - input/inputted - input/inputted
kneel - knelt/kneeled - knelt/kneeled
knit - knitted/knit - knitted/knit
lean - leaned/leant - leaned/leant
leap - leaped/leapt - leaped/leapt
learn - learned/learnt - learned/learnt
light - lit/lighted - lit/lighted
mow - mowed - mowed/mown
output - output/outputted - output/outputted
plead - pleaded/pled - pleaded/pled
prove - proved - proven/proved
quit - quit/quitted - quit/quitted
sew - sewed - sewn/sewed
shave - shaved - shaved/shaven
shear - sheared - sheared/shorn
shine - shined/shone - shined/shone
shit - shit/shat/shitted - shit/shat/shitted
show - showed - shown/showed
slay (kill) - slew/slayed - slain/slayed
slink - slinked/slunk - slinked/slunk
smell - smelled/smelt - smelled/smelt
sow - sowed - sown/sowed
speed - sped/speeded - sped/speeded
spell - spelled/spelt - spelled/spelt
spill - spilled/spilt - spilled/spilt
spoil - spoiled/spoilt - spoiled/spoilt
strip - stripped/stript - stripped/stript
strive - strove/strived - striven/strived
swell - swelled - swollen/swelled
thrive - thrived/throve - thrived/thriven
wake - woke/waked - woken/waked
weave - wove/weaved - woven/weaved
wet - wet/wetted - wet/wetted
 

viriato

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Stage one

Forget the folowing. If you know the base verb, you know the compound.

Do you mean, that I can consider them regular verbs, by using its regular form?
 

Dr. Jamshid Ibrahim

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Indeed irregualr verbs are a remnant of the past and more difficult to learn. British English sticks to more traditional forms and is historically more loyal to tradition. American English often makes irregualr verbs regaulr by adding (ed) as in the the examples given.

The number of irregular verbs is on the decrease although the most important of them "to be" and "to have" are the most irregular forms. An interesting question would be why these two verbs are so irregular in Germanic and Romance languages?

However, the verb has the most dynamism than most other parts of speech because it mostly refers to movement. This might also explain why state (stative verbs) which are only used in the simple aspect are acquiring a dual function i.e. have a dynamic and stative sense as for example:
The boss is nasty (permanently)
The boss is being nasty this week (temporarily)

Life is becoming more dynamic and the life-cycles shorter which might leave no room for irregualr verbs. In addition irrreguar verbs need a lot of power and energy go - went - gone) when compared to regualr, often of Romance origin and quieter verbs taking (ed) in the past and past participle. We need to save our energy in a more complicated and complex world or may be our sound producing tracts need more relaxation nowadays.
 
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5jj

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.
(is it licit to use both forms? Should we consider them regular or irregular verbs?)

It depends.

Some are different verbs, or are used in different ways. Examples include: hang/hanged/hanged and hang/hung/hung, bid/bid/bid and bid (or bade)/ bid (or bidden), cost/cost/cost and cost/costed/costed, lie/lay/lain and lie/lied/lied and lay/laid.laid, weave/weaved/weaved and weave/wove/woven, wind/winded/winded and wind/wound/wound/

In some, the regular form is preferred in AmE, the irregular in BrE. Examples (with the irregular form) include: burn/burnt, dream/dreamt, dwell/dwelt, earnt/earnt/, kneel/knelt, lean/leant, leap/leapt, learn/learnt, smell/smelt, spell/spelt, spill/spilt/, spoil/spoilt.

In some, the past simple and past participle forms are the same as the base forms in AmE; BrE prefers the regular form. Examples include: fit and knit.

I'll stop there. I think the only guidance I can give is to follow the usage of the community in which you find yourself.
 

viriato

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Indeed irregualr verbs are a remnant of the past and more difficult to learn. British English sticks to more traditional forms and is historically more loyal to tradition. American English often makes irregualr verbs regaulr by adding (ed) as in the the examples given.

The number of irregular verbs is on the decrease although the most important of them "to be" and "to have" are the most irregular forms. An interesting question would be why these two verbs are so irregular in Germanic and Romance languages?

However, the verb has the most dynamism than most other parts of speech because it mostly refers to movement. This might also explain why state (stative verbs) which are only used in the simple aspect are acquiring a dual function i.e. have a dynamic and stative sense as for example:
The boss is nasty (permanently)
The boss is being nasty this week (temporarily)

Life is becoming more dynamic and the life-cycles shorter which might leave no room for irregular verbs. In addition irregular verbs need a lot of power and energy go - went - gone) when compared to regular, often of Romance origin and quieter verbs taking (ed) in the past and past participle. We need to save our energy in a more complicated and complex world or may be our sound producing tracts need more relaxation nowadays.

Yes, in a perfect world, there are no room for the irregularities even talking about verbs. :-D
I hope your are right about the decreasing of irregular verbs, on the other hand it could not be in other way, because every new verb added to English (I suppose and I hope) follow the rules of regularity.

These duality in some verbs seems to me like a tender to simplify things.
For a beginner like me, some things are very confused.

Take a look at this curiosity in the verb: "come":

[COME / CAME / COME] - irregular
[beCOME / beCAME / beCOME] - irregular
[welCOME / welCOMEd / welCOMEd] - regular
 

Dr. Jamshid Ibrahim

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Take a look at this curiosity in the verb: "come":

[COME / CAME / COME] - irregular
[beCOME / beCAME / beCOME] - irregular
[welCOME / welCOMEd / welCOMEd] - regular

This is an interesting example of language behaviour. As you may know there is not always logic in language because language reflects human behaviour. still regularity and modelling is important in language to help memory and structure language. Lanuages are full of patterns but amidst such regularities, exceptions and irregularities become important because regularity creates language rules and language rules wih no exceptions make language behaviour predictable and boring. predictability is a death sentence.
 

TheParser

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***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Viriato,


I know how you feel. You are a learner. You want definite "rules" to follow.



(1) Unlike France or Spain, we here in the United States do not have an official

academy to decide which past participle is "correct."

(2) Therefore, we are usually guided by what good newspapers use or by

books of English usage.

(3) Some Americans, for example, follow the recommendations by Mr. Bryan A.

Garner, who has written a book entitled A DICTIONARY OF MODERN AMERICAN

USAGE.

(a) For example, today I heard someone say "wetted." I was not sure if the

"correct" past and past participle forms were "wet" or "wetted," so I turned to his book.

Mr. Garner says "wet" is INFERIOR to "wetted." Therefore, whenever I need to say or

write that word, I shall use "wetted." I have simply decided to accept his decision.

That gives me peace of mind.

(4) I suggest you do the same: find a source that you respect and follow its

recommendations. Then you will feel better, too.

BY THE WAY:

Mr. Garner says "wet" is idiomatic (the way native speakers speak) in two

exceptions:

He wet his whistle with a couple of beers. ( = He satisfied his thirst.)

Little Bobby has wet his bed again. (Of course, everyone understands what that means!!!)


***** NOT A TEACHER *****
 
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viriato

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Re: irregular verbs with past/participle with double form

I know how you feel. You are a learner. You want definite "rules" to follow.

You've got the point, TheParser.
I'm very confused. I'm looking for the "road" but there is a lot of fog on air, thus I can't see plainly the "way" :-?

I understand that language is not math, sometimes there are no rules, languages have things absolutely illogical and it is common to every language not only English.

It is obvious that regularity is easier to learn than irregularity and learners are disposed to use all the time regular forms of verbs.

There are to many differences between British and American English,
I, personally understand better the American English spoken than British English
I would like to use the regular forms of verbs all the time, but sometimes the regularity is on BrE and sometimes it is on AmE
and I don't know about to mix both by using one and another
form together.

Take a look at this:

Base form... American... British
-------------------- -------------------- ------------------
to dream.... dreamed *.. dreamt
to leap....... leaped *..... leapt
to learn...... learned *... learnt
to fit.......... fit.............. fitted *
to forecast. forecast...... forecasted *
to wed....... wed........... wedded *
to knit....... knit........... knitted *
to light...... lit.............. lighted *
to strive.... strove........ strived *

*) regular form

 

TheParser

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Re: irregular verbs with past/participle with double form

You've got the point, TheParser.
I'm very confused. I'm looking for the "road" but there is a lot of fog on air, thus I can't see plainly the "way" :-?

I understand that language is not math, sometimes there are no rules, languages have things absolutely illogical and it is common to every language not only English.

It is obvious that regularity is easier to learn than irregularity and learners are disposed to use all the time regular forms of verbs.

There are to many differences between British and American English,
I, personally understand better the American English spoken than British English
I would like to use the regular forms of verbs all the time, but sometimes the regularity is on BrE and sometimes it is on AmE
and I don't know about to mix both by using one and another
form together.

Take a look at this:

Base form... American... British
-------------------- -------------------- ------------------
to dream.... dreamed *.. dreamt
to leap....... leaped *..... leapt
to learn...... learned *... learnt
to fit.......... fit.............. fitted *
to forecast. forecast...... forecasted *
to wed....... wed........... wedded *
to knit....... knit........... knitted *
to light...... lit.............. lighted *
to strive.... strove........ strived *

*) regular form


***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Viriato,


(1) Yes, you are 100% correct: some forms differ in American and

British English.

(2) I guess you need to make a decision: do you want to follow

American or British usage. After you make your decision, then

stick to it. For example, as an American, I use only American

forms. When I read the wonderful British newspapers online, I

have no trouble understanding British forms, but I would never

say or write "dreamt" or "labour."

(3) Whenever I am in doubt, I have just decided to follow Mr.

Bryan A. Garner's A Dictionary of Modern American Usage. He may

be right or wrong. I do not care. I have simply made a decision to

follow his advice. You have to find an authority whom you trust.

(4) Let's see what he says about your cited verbs:

(a) dreamed/ dreamed/ dreamed. "Dreamed is slightly more common in

AmE.," he writes.

(b) "Leapt is steadily being displaced by leaped; in frequency of use,

the two are neck-and-neck in modern sources." My suggestion: use

leaped, since it seems that it may emerge as the "winner."

(c) "To use learnt in AmE is an affectation," he says. In other words,

if an American uses learnt, she is saying: Attention: everyone. Don't

I speak the most marvelous and high-class English that you have

ever heard!!! (Americans love elegant British television dramas. Some

viewers may feel that using British forms show how sophisticated they

are!!!)

(d) He says fit/fitted/fitted are traditional, BUT "more modernly" are:

fit/ fit/ fit. He says that fitted is "becoming rarer (and stuffier) year by

year." (My dictionary defines stuffy: you refuse to accept new

ideas.) So I guess I shall personally use fit/fit/fit. Mr. Garner says

that fitted may one day be "extinct," except as in "fitted sheets."

(e) broadcast/ forecast/ telecast/ cablecast/ radiocast. He says

very firmly: "Adding -ed ... is incorrect." (P. S. I hear that many

American lawyers follow his advice when they write their legal

opinions. If it is good enough for lawyers, then it must be good enough for

an ordinary nobody like me.)

(f) He prefers wed/wedded/wedded. But the adjective is: unwed mothers.

He adds: We were legally married (not "legally wed").

(g)knit/ knit/ knit.

(h)light/ lit/ lit. But lighted as an adjective (a lighted torch)

and past participle (Is the fire lighted yet?). But I GUESS that he

prefers the past participle lit, as in "I have lit the fire." He says:

"Both [lighted and lit] are standard past-tense and past-participial

forms." Seems to me that he is almost saying: Use the form you want!!!

(i) strive/ strove/ striven.

P.S. I had better give full credit to:

Bryan A. Garner, A Dictionary of Modern American Usage (New York,

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998). (I hear that he has also

written a book to help lawyers with their legal opinions.)
 
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