REGULAR AND IRREGULAR

IF THE VERB ENDS IN [CONSONANT + "Y"],

VERBS CHANGE THE "Y" TO AN "I" AND ADD "ED":
PAST
In English, regular verbs consist of three main parts: base or BASE FORM SIMPLE PAST
PARTICIPLE
bare infinitive first, followed by the simple past (V2) form
and the past participle (V3) form. Regular verbs have an -ed Fry Fried Fried
ending added to the root verb for both the simple past and Cry Cried Cried
past participle. Irregular verbs do not follow this pattern, Copy Copied Copied
and instead take on an alternative pattern. An English verb
can be regular or irregular.
IF THE LAST SYLLABLE OF A LONGER VERB IS
STRESSED AND ENDS IN [CONSONANT-VOWEL-
REGULAR VERBS CONSONANT], DOUBLE THE LAST CONSONANT
A regular verb is one that conforms to the usual rule for AND ADD "ED":
forming its simple past tense and its past participle. In
English, the "usual" rule is to add "-ed" or "-d" to the base PAST
BASE FORM SIMPLE PAST
PARTICIPLE
form of the verb to create the past forms.
Incur Incurred Incurred
Regular verbs form their past and past participle forms in Prefer Preferred Preferred
different ways.
Confess Confessed Confessed
SPELLING RULES FOR CREATING THE PAST
FORMS OF REGULAR VERBS IF THE FIRST SYLLABLE OF A LONGER VERB IS
STRESSED AND THE VERB ENDS IN
[CONSONANT-VOWEL-CONSONANT], JUST ADD
ADD "ED" TO MOST VERBS:
"ED":
PAST
BASE FORM SIMPLE PAST PAST
PARTICIPLE BASE FORM SIMPLE PAST
PARTICIPLE
Harass Harassed Harassed
Open Opened Opened
Greet Greeted Greeted
Enter Entered Entered
Call Called Called
Swallow Swallowed Swallowed
IF THE VERB ENDS IN "E," JUST ADD "D":
LIST OF REGULAR VERBS
PAST
BASE FORM SIMPLE PAST PAST
PARTICIPLE BASE FORM SIMPLE PAST
PARTICIPLE
Move Moved Moved
Accept Accepted Accepted
Arrive Arrived Arrived
Act Acted Acted
Behave Behaved Behaved
Achieve Achieved Achieved
IF A VERB OF ONE SYLLABLE ENDS Add Added Added
[CONSONANT-VOWEL-CONSONANT], DOUBLE Admire Admired Admired
THE FINAL CONSONANT AND ADD "ED":
Advise Advised Advised
PAST
BASE FORM SIMPLE PAST Adopt Adopted Adopted
PARTICIPLE
Stop Stopped Stopped Advise Advised Advised

Chat Chatted Chatted Affect Affected Affected

Approve Approved Approved Agree Agreed Agreed

Allow Allowed Allowed
IF THE FINAL CONSONANT IS "W," "X," OR "Y," Amaze Amazed Amazed
DON'T DOUBLE IT:
Amuse Amused Amused
PAST
BASE FORM SIMPLE PAST Announce Announced Announced
PARTICIPLE
Fix Fixed Fixed Answer Answered Answered
Play Played Played Appear Appeared Appeared
Sew Sewed Sewed Appreciate Appreciated Appreciated
Approve Approved Approved Cook Cooked Cooked
Argue Argued Argued Copy Copied Copied
Arrange Arranged Arranged Correct Corrected Corrected
Arrive Arrived Arrived Cough Coughed Coughed
Ask Asked Asked Count Counted Counted
Assist Assisted Assisted Crash Crashed Crashed
Attack Attacked Attacked Create Created Created
Bake Baked Baked Cross Crossed Crossed
Beg Begged Begged Curse Cursed Cursed
Behave Behaved Behaved Change Changed Changed
Believe Believed Believed Chase Chased Chased
Belong Belonged Belonged Chat Chatted Chatted
Blame Blamed Blamed Check Checked Checked
Boil Boiled Boiled Count Counted Counted
Borrow Borrowed Borrowed Create Created Created
Bother Bothered Bothered Cry Cried Cried
Brush Brushed Brushed Cycle Cycled Cycled
Bury Buried Buried Damage Damaged Damaged
Call Called Called Dance Danced Danced
Cancel Canceled Canceled Date Dated Dated
Carry Carried Carried Decide Decided Decided
Cause Caused Caused Deliver Delivered Delivered
Celebrate Celebrated Celebrated Depend Depended Depended
Challenge Challenged Challenged Describe Described Described
Change Changed Changed Design Designed Designed
Chase Chased Chased Destroy Destroyed Destroyed
Cheat Cheated Cheated Decrease Decreased Decreased
Cheer Cheered Cheered Die Died Died
Chew Chewed Chewed Disagree Disagreed Disagreed
Clap Clapped Clapped Discover Discovered Discovered
Clean Cleaned Cleaned Discuss Discussed Discussed
Clear Cleared Cleared Disturb Disturbed Disturbed
Climb Climbed Climbed Divide Divided Divided
Close Closed Closed Drag Dragged Dragged
Collect Collected Collected Dress Dressed Dressed
Compare Compared Compared Dry Dried Dried
Compete Competed Competed Earn Earned Earned
Complain Complained Complained Employ Employed Employed
Complete Completed Completed Encourage Encouraged Encouraged
Confess Confessed Confessed Eliminate Eliminated Eliminated
Contain Contained Contained End Ended Ended
Continue Continued Continued Enjoy Enjoyed Enjoyed
Construct Constructed Constructed Establish Established Established
Control Controlled Controlled Estimate Estimated Estimated
Entertain Entertained Entertained Kiss Kissed Kissed
Excuse Excused Excused Knock Knocked Knocked
Exercise Exercised Exercised Label Labeled Labeled
Exhibit Exhibited Exhibited Land Landed Landed
Expand Expanded Expanded Last Lasted Lasted
Explain Explained Explained Laugh Laughed Laughed
Expect Expected Expected Learn Learned Learned
Express Expressed Expressed Lie (to not tell the
Lied Lied
Film Filmed Filmed truth)

Fill Filled Filled Like Liked Liked

Fish Fished Fished Link Linked Linked

Fix Fixed Fixed List Listed Listed

Follow Followed Followed Listen Listened Listened

Freeze Freezed Freezed Live Lived Lived

Fry Fried Fried Locate Located Located

Gather Gathered Gathered Look Looked Looked

Greet Greeted Greeted Love Loved Loved

Guess Guessed Guessed Manage Managed Managed

Hail Hailed Hailed Mark Marked Marked

Handle Handled Handled Marry Married Married

Harass Harassed Harassed Match Matched Matched

Happen Happened Happened Measure Measured Measured

Hate Hated Hated Mention Mentioned Mentioned

Help Helped Helped Miss Missed Missed

Hope Hoped Hoped Move Moved Moved

Hunt Hunted Hunted Murder Murdered Murdered

Identify Identified Identified Name Named Named

Ignore Ignored Ignored Need Needed Needed

Imagine Imagined Imagined Note Noted Noted

Impress Impressed Impressed Notice Noticed Noticed

Improve Improved Improved Number Numbered Numbered

Include Included Included Obey Obeyed Obeyed

Increase Increased Increased Offend Offended Offended

Interrupt Interrupted Interrupted Offer Offered Offered

Interview Interviewed Interviewed Offer Offered Offered

Introduce Introduced Introduced Open Opened Opened

Irritate Irritated Irritated Order Ordered Ordered

Invite Invited Invited Organize Organized Organized

Jog Jogged Jogged Pack Packed Packed

Join Joined Joined Paint Painted Painted

Joke Joked Joked Pamper Pampered Pampered

Jump Jumped Jumped Pardon Pardoned Pardoned

Kick Kicked Kicked Park Parked Parked

Kill Killed Killed Participate Participated Participated

 Pass Passed Passed Save Saved Saved
Perform Performed Performed Scan Scanned Scanned
Persuade Persuaded Persuaded Scare Scared Scared
Phone Phoned Phoned Scold Scolded Scolded
Pick Picked Picked Select Selected Selected
Plan Planned Planned Share Shared Shared
Play Played Played Shop Shopped Shopped
Please Pleased Pleased Shout Shouted Shouted
Practice Practiced Practiced Skate Skated Skated
Pray Prayed Prayed Ski Skied Skied
Predict Predicted Predicted Slow Slowed Slowed
Prefer Preferred Preferred Smoke Smoked Smoked
Present Presented Presented Snore Snored Snored
Print Printed Printed Sneeze Sneezed Sneezed
Program Programmed Programmed Snow Snowed Snowed
Protect Protected Protected Solve Solved Solved
Provide Provided Provided Spell Spelled Spelled
Pull Pulled Puled Stare Stared Stared
Punch Punched Punched Start Started Started
Punish Punished Punished Step Stepped Stepped
Purchase Purchased Purchased Stop Stopped Stopped
Push Pushed Pushed Stress Stressed Stressed
Question Questioned Questioned Study Studied Studied
Race Raced Raced Substitute Substituted Substituted
Rain Rain Rain Suggest Suggested Suggested
Receive Received Received Surprise Surprised Surprised
Relax Relaxed Relaxed Talk Talked Talked
Recommend Recommended Recommended Taste Tasted Tasted
Remember Remembered Remembered Terrorize Terrorized Terrorized
Relate Related Related Thank Thanked Thanked
Relax Relaxed Relaxed Touch Touched Touched
Release Released Released Travel Traveled Traveled
Remember Remembered Remembered Trouble Troubled Troubled
Repair Repaired Repaired Try Tried Tried
Repeat Repeated Repeated Tune Tuned Tuned
Reply Replied Replied Turn Turned Turned
Retire Retired Retired Type Typed Typed
Resist Resisted Resisted Underline Underlined Underlined
Rest Rested Rested Use Used Used
Return Returned Returned Vary Varied Varied
Return Returned Returned Visit Visited Visited
Review Reviewed Reviewed Wait Waited Waited
Rub Rubbed Rubbed Walk Walked Walked
Sail Sailed Sailed Want Wanted Wanted
 Warn Warned Warned Alight Alit / Alighted Alit / Alighted
Wash Washed Washed Arise Arose Arisen
Watch Watched Watched Awake Awoke Awoken
Water Watered Watered Babysit Babysat Babysat
Welcome Welcomed Welcomed Be Was / Were Been
Wink Winked Winked Bear Bore Born
Wish Wished Wished Beat Beat Beat / Beaten
Witness Witnessed Witnessed Become Became Become
Work Worked Worked Befall Befell Befallen
Worry Worried Worried Beget Begat / Begot Begotten
Wrestle Wrestled Wrestled Begin Began Begun
Yell Yelled Yelled Behold Beheld Beheld
Bend Bent Bent
IRREGULAR VERBS Beset Beset Beset
An irregular verb is one that does not form its simple past
tense or its past participle by adding "-ed" or "-d" to the Bet Bet Bet
base form.  Bid Bid / Bade Bid / Bidden
Bind Bound Bound
Irregular verbs form their past and past participle forms in
different ways. Bite Bit Bitten
Bleed Bled Bled
ALL THREE FORMS OF THE VERB ARE THE Blow Blew Blown
SAME:
Break Broke Broken
PAST
BASE FORM SIMPLE PAST Breed Bred Bred
PARTICIPLE
Cost Cost Cost Bring Brought Brought
Cut Cut Cut Broadcast Broadcast Broadcast
Read Read Read Build Built Built
Burn Burnt / Burned Burnt / Burned
THE 2ND AND 3RD FORMS OF THE VERB ARE Burst Burst Burst
THE SAME:
Bust Bust / Busted Bust / Busted
PAST
BASE FORM SIMPLE PAST
PARTICIPLE Buy Bought Bought
Behold Beheld Beheld Cast Cast Cast
Buy Bought Bought Catch Caught Caught
Mislead Misled Misled Chide Chid / Chode Chid / Chidden
Choose Chose Chosen
ALL THREE FORMS OF THE VERB ARE
Cling Clung Clung
DIFFERENT:
PAST Clothe Clad / Clothed Clad / Clothed
BASE FORM SIMPLE PAST
PARTICIPLE Come Came Come
Do Did Done Cost Cost Cost
Grow Grew Grown Creep Crept Crept
Hide Hid Hidden Cut Cut Cut
Deal Dealt Dealt
LIST OF IRREGULAR VERBS Dig Dug Dug
PAST
BASE FORM SIMPLE PAST Dive Dove / Dived Dove / Dived
PARTICIPLE
Do Did Done
Abode / Abided /
Abide Abode / Abided
(Rare) Abidden Draw Drew Drawn
 Dream Dreamt / Dreamed Dreamt / Dreamed Leap Leapt / Leaped Leapt / Leaped
Drink Drank Drunk Learn Learnt / Learned Learnt / Learned
Drive Drove Driven Leave Left Left
Dwell Dwelt / Dwelled Dwelt / Dwelled Lend Lent Lent
Eat Ate Eaten Let Let Let
Fall Fell Fallen Lie (In bed) Lay Lain
Feed Fed Fed Light Lighted / Lit Lighted / Lit
Feel Felt Felt Lose Lost Lost
Fight Fought Fought Make Made Made
Find Found Found Mean Meant Meant
Fit Fit Fit Meet Met Met
Flee Fled Fled Mislead Misled Misled
Fling Flung Flung Misspelt / Misspelt /
Misspell
Fly Flew Flown Misspelled Misspelled

Forbid Forbade / Forbad Forbidden Mistake Mistook Mistaken

Forcast Forcast Forcast Misunderstand Misunderstood Misunderstood

Foresee Foresaw Foreseen Mow Mowed Mowed / Mown

Foretell Foretold Foretold Offset Offset Offset

Forget Forgot Forgot / Forgotten Overcome Overcame Overcome

Forgive Forgave Forgiven Overtake Overtook Overtaken

Forsake Forsook Forsaken Partake Partook Partaken

Freeze Froze Frozen Pay Paid Paid

Get Got Got / Gotten Plead Pled / Pleaded Pled / Pleaded

Give Gave Given Preset Preset Preset

Go Went Gone Prove Proved Proved / Proven

Grind Ground Ground Put Put Put

Grow Grew Grown Quit Quit Quit

Hang Hung / Hanged Hung / Hanged Read Read Read

Have Had Had Relay Relaid Relaid

Hear Heard Heard Rend Rent Rent

Hide Hid Hidden Rid Rid / Ridded Rid / Ridded

Hit Hit Hit Ride Rode Ridden

Hold Held Held Ring Rang Rung

Hurt Hurt Hurt Rise Rose Risen

Input Input / Inputted Input / Inputted Run Ran Run

Interweave Interwove Interwoven Saw Sawed Sawed / Sawn

Keep Kept Kept Say Said Said

Kneel Knelt / Kneeled Knelt / Kneeled See Saw Seen

Knit Knit / Knitted Knit / Knitted Seek Sought Sought

Know Knew Known Sell Sold Sold

Lay  (to put Send Sent Sent

down) / (to Laid Laid Set Set Set
produce egg) Sew Sewed Sewed / Sewn
Lead Led Led Shake Shook Shaken
Lean Lent / Leaned Lent / Leaned
Shave Shaved Shaved / Shaven Sublet Sublet Sublet
Shear Sheared / Shore Sheared / Shorn Swear Swore Sworn
Shed Shed Shed Sweat Sweat / Sweated Sweat / Sweated
Shine Shone Shone Sweep Swept Swept
Shoe Shod / Shoed Shod / Shoed Swell Swelled Swollen
Shoot Shot Shot Swim Swam Swum
Show Showed Shown Swing Swung Swung
Shrink Shrank Shrunk Take Took Taken
Shrive Shrived / Shrove Shrived / Shriven Teach Taught Taught
Shut Shut Shut Tear Tore Torn
Sing Sang Sung Tell Told Told
Sink Sank Sunk Think Thought Thought
Sit Sat Sat Thrive Thrived / Throve Thrived / Thriven
Slay Slew Slain Throw Threw Thrown
Sleep Slept Slept Thrust Thrust Thrust
Slide Slid Slid Tread Trod Trodden
Sling Slung Slung Typeset Typeset Typeset
Slink Slunk Slunk Unbind Unbound Unbound
Slit Slit Slit Undercut Undercut Undercut
Smell Smelt / Smelled Smelt / Smelled Underlie Underlay Underlain
Sneak Snuck / Sneaked Snuck / Sneaked Undergo Underwent Undergone
Sow Sowed Sown / Sowed Understand Understood Understood
Speak Spoke Spoken Undertake Undertook Undertaken
Speed Sped / Speeded Sped / Speeded Undo Undid Undone
Spell Spelt Spelt Unedrgo Underwent Undergone
Spend Spent Spent Unsee Unsaw Unseen
Spill Spilt / Spilled Spilt / Spilled Unwind Unwound Unwound
Spin Spun / Span Spun Upset Upset Upset
Spit Spat / Spit Spat / Spit Wake Woke Woken
Split Split Split Wear Wore Worn
Spoil Spoilt / Spoiled Spoilt / Spoiled Weave Wove / Weaved Woven / Weaved
Spread Spread Spread Weep Wept Wept
Spring Sprang Sprung Wet Wet / Wetted Wet / Wetted
Stand Stood Stood Win Won Won
Steal Stole Stolen Wind Wound Wound
Sting Stung Stung Withdraw Withdrew Withdrawn
Sting Stung Stung Withhold Withheld Withheld
Stink Stank Stunk Withstand Withstood Withstood
Strew Strewed Strewed / Strewn Wring Wrung Wrung
Strike Struck Struck / Stricken Write Wrote Written
Stride Strode Stridden
Note: Some verbs can be both regular and irregular and
String Strung Strung
some verbs can have the same 2nd and 3rd forms of the
Strip Stript / Stripped Stript / Stripped verb.
Strive Strived / Strove Strived / Striven
Taking some time to make sentences using each verb form
will help you to use these verbs correctly when speaking
and writing. Simply reading through this list will help you
to recognize an irregular verb when you see one.