Help ESL Learners Learn Irregular Verbs

[RonBee]

Here you will find irregular verb lists, explanations of the grammar of various irregular verbs and examples of their use.

The Irregular Verb Tutorial (Delphi): http://forums.delphiforums.com/UsingEnglish/messages?msg=5192.1

 

[RonBee]

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]

Re:

• http://forums.delphiforums.com/UsingEnglish/messages?msg=5192.1

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.

 

[CitySpeak]

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]

Like 'let' and 'set'? ;-)

 

[CitySpeak]

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]

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.

 

[RonBee]

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]

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]

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.

 

[CitySpeak]

make - made - made

 

[RonBee]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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?