The past tense of regular verbs in English is usually formed by -ed ending. It is the same for all persons, singular and plural: I started, you started, he started, we played, they played.
We add -d (not -ed) to the regular verbs that end with -e: like - liked, love - loved.
If it ends with a consonant and -y, we change -y into -i: carry - carried, try - tried.
But we do not change the spelling in words such as play - played, because it ends with a vowel and -y.
If the word has only one syllable and ends with a vowel and a consonant, we double the consonant to keep the same pronunciation: stop - stopped, grab - grabbed. The same rule applies to the -l ending: travel - travelled, shovel - shovelled.
The regular verbs have the same past participle form. It is used in perfect tenses and passive voice: I have started, you had started, he will have started, it was started.
There are three irregular verb forms in English – the base form (or so called bare infinitive), past tense (or preterite) and past participle (for example: do – did –done, draw – drew - drawn, fly - flew - flown). There are hundreds of irregular forms in English. You can find the most frequently used irregular verb forms in the list below. (Our tip: If you cannot find the word you are looking for, you can have a look at our pdf list, which is a little bit longer and which you can download on your computer and print easily.)
► Printable PDF LIST
A - C
awake-awoke-awoken, be-was/were-been, bear-bore-born, beat-beat-beaten, begin-began-begun, bend-bent-bent, bet-bet-bet, bid-bid-bid/bid-bad-bidden, bind-bound-bound, bite-bit-bitten, bleed-bled-bled, blow-blew-blown, break-broke-broken, breed-bred-bred, bring-brought-brought, broadcast-broadcast-broadcast, build-built-built, burn-burnt-burnt, burst-burst-burst, buy-bought-bought, can-could, cast-cast-cast, catch-caught-caught, choose-chose-chosen, cling-clung-clung, come-came-come, cost-cost-cost, creep-crept-crept, cut-cut-cut
D - F
deal-dealt-dealt, dig-dug-dug, do-did-done, draw-drew-drawn, dream-dreamt-dreamt, drink-drank-drunk, drive-drove-driven, dwell-dwelt-dwelt, eat-ate-eaten, fall-fell-fallen, feed-fed-fed, feel-felt-felt, fight-fought-fought, find-found-found, flee-fled-fled, fly-flew-flown, forbid-forbad(e)-forbidden, forecast-forecast-forecast, forget-forgot-forgotten, forsake-forsook-forsaken, freeze-froze-frozen, get-got-got, give-gave-given, go-went-gone, grind-ground-ground, grow-grew-grown
H - R
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, lean-leant-leant, leap-leapt-leapt, learn-learnt-learnt, leave-left-left, lend-lent-lent, let-let-let, lie-lay-lain, lose-lost-lost, make-made-made, mean-meant-meant, meet-met-met, pay-paid-paid, put-put-put, read-read-read, ride-rode-ridden, ring-rang-rung, rise-rose-risen, run-ran-run
S
say-said-said, see-saw-seen, seek-sought-sought, sell-sold-sold, send-sent-sent, set-set-set, shake-shook-shaken, shine-shone-shone, shoot-shot-shot, show-showed-shown, shrink-shrank-shrunk, shut-shut-shut, sing-sang-sung, sink-sank-sunk, sit-sat-sat, sleep-slept-slept, slide-slid-slid, smell-smelt-smelt, speak-spoke-spoken, speed-sped-sped, spend-spent-spent, spin-spun-spun, spit-spat-spat, split-split-split, spoil-spoilt-spoit, spread-spread-spread, stand-stood-stood, steal-stole-stolen, stick-stuck-stuck, sting-stung-stung, stink-stank-stunk, strike-struck-struck, swear-swore-sworn, sweep-swept-swept, swim-swam-swum, swing-swung-swung
T -W
take-took-taken, teach-taught-taught, tear-tore-torn, tell-told-told, think-thought-thought, throw-threw-thrown, thrust-thrust-thrust, wake-woke-woken, wear-wore-worn, weave-wove-woven, weep-wept-wept, win-won-won, wind-wound-wound, write-wrote-written
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