Irregular verbs do not follow the regular pattern of adding “-ed” to form the past tense; instead, they have unique past tense and past participle forms. These verbs are commonly used in everyday conversation, storytelling, and writing, making their mastery vital for fluency. Knowing irregular verbs helps avoid errors in both spoken and written English.
Irregular verbs list
| base form | past simple | past participle |
|---|---|---|
| arise | arose | arisen |
| be | was/were | been |
| bear | bore | borne |
| beat | beat | beaten |
| become | became | become |
| begin | began | begun |
| bend | bent | bent |
| bet | bet | bet. |
| bid | bid | bid. |
| bite | bit | bitten. |
| bleed | bled | bled. |
| blow | blew | blown. |
| break | broke | broken |
| bring | brought | brought |
| build | built | built |
| burn | burnt/burned | burnt/burned |
| 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 |
| do | did | done |
| draw | drew | drawn |
| drink | drank | drunk. |
| drive | drove | driven |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| feed | fed | fed. |
| feel | felt | felt |
| fight | fought | fought |
| find | found | found. |
| flee | fled | fled |
| fling | flung | flung |
| fly | flew | flown |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden. |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| freeze | froze | frozen. |
| get | got | gotten/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 |
| kneel | knelt | knelt. |
| know | knew | known |
| lay | laid | laid |
| lead | led | led. |
| leap | leapt/leaped | leapt/leaped |
| leave | left | left. |
| lend | lent | lent |
| let | let | let |
| lie | lay | lain. |
| light | lit/lighted | lit/lighted |
| 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 |
| sell | sold | sold. |
| send | sent | sent |
| set | set | set. |
| sew | sewed | sewn/sewed |
| 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. |
| slide | slid | slid |
| smell | smelt/smelled | smelt/smelled |
| speak | spoke | spoken. |
| spend | spent | spent |
| spin | spun | spun. |
| spit | spat | spat |
| split | split | split |
| spread | spread | spread. |
| spring | sprang | sprung |
| stand | stood | stood. |
| steal | stole | stolen. |
| stick | stuck | stuck |
| sting | stung | stung. |
| stink | stank | stunk |
| stride | strode | stridden. |
| strike | struck | struck |
| string | strung | strung. |
| strive | strove | striven. |
| swear | swore | sworn. |
| sweep | swept | swept. |
| swim | swam | swum. |
| take | took | taken. |
| teach | taught | taught. |
| tear | tore | torn |
| tell | told | told. |
| think | thought | thought. |
| throw | threw | thrown. |
| tread | trod | trodden |
| understand | understood | understood |
| wake | woke | woken. |
| wear | wore | worn |
| weave | wove | woven. |
| weep | wept | wept. |
| win | won | won. |
| wind | wound | wound. |
| withdraw | withdrew | withdrawn. |
| write | wrote | written. |