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English past tense, past participle: regular and irregular verbs

Regular verbs in the past

Most verbs in the English language have the same regular form of the past tense and past participle. The past participle is used in perfect tenses (present perfect, past perfect, future perfect) and in the passive voice.

Examples
Past tense: I invited   Present perfect: I have invited  Past perfect: I had been invited  Passive voice: I was invited
The simple past tense and past participles are formed by -ed ending. It is the same for all persons, singular and plural.

Spelling

We add -d (not -ed) to the verb that ends with -e: like - liked
If it ends with a consonant and -y, we change -y into -i: carry - carried, try - tried.
But: play - played, because it ends with a vowel and -y.
If it has only one syllable and ends with a vowel and a consonant, we double the consonant to keep the same pronunciation: stop - stopped. The same rule applies to the  -l ending: travel - travelled.


Irregular verbs in the past - exercises

There are hundreds of irregular verbs in English and all of them have different past forms. For example the past tense of choose - chose, draw - drew, drink - drank, meet - met, see - saw, think - thought. You can find the most frequently used forms of infinitive - past tense - past participle in the following list of verbs.  And you can also practise them online in irregular verbs exercise 1, exercise 2exercise 3 if you only need to learn the past tense or in irregular verbs exercise 4exercise 5 which include the past participle).

List of verbs

A - C
awake-awoke-awoke, be-was/were-been, bear-bore-born, beat-beat-beaten, begin-began-begun, bend-bent-bent, bet-bet-bet, bid-bid-bid, 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, fell-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-lain, 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-stank, 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

See also Verb tenses , modal verbs online or if you prefer a printable version, you can go to esl printables, English worksheets where you will find all the grammar rules and some exercises.

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Irregular and regular verbs

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