Irregular Verbs in English: Overview and Examples

Irregular Verbs in English: Overview and Examples

Learn these English irregular verbs and practice using them in your daily conversations.

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In this article, we'll journey through the twists and turns of irregular verbs, unraveling their complexities with clear explanations and practical examples.

Whether you're a beginner eager to start learning irregular verbs or an advanced learner aiming to polish your English skills, mastering these 150 irregular verbs will propel you toward fluency.

So, let's embark on this adventure together and learn more about English irregular verbs!

What are irregular verbs?

You have probably been using irregular verbs often without being aware of them. Once you understand irregular verbs with their definition then you will see that an irregular verb is a verb that does not follow the normal patterns of tenses.

You can see that many verbs end with -ed for past tense and participle forms, but in terms of irregular verbs, they do not follow the -ed pattern and they have their own unique tense forms and past participles. In other words, these verbs have their own style of writing.

Become a master in using irregular verbs in English!

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Soon you will be an expert in using irregular verbs like “went” in your day-to-day conversations via Busuu’s free online courses and learning resources!

To understand this in a better way, you can refer to these examples:

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Irregular verb examples

Base FormPast SimplePast Participle
DoDidDone
GoWentGone
GetGotGotten
HaveHadHad
HurtHurtHurt

As you can see in the examples above, none of these has followed the -ed pattern either in past simple or in past participle tense. This quality of the irregular verb makes it unique.

Now that you are familiar with irregular verbs, here are some the ways in which they are different from regular verbs.

What is the difference between regular and irregular verbs?

In English, verbs have an important role to play. A verb is a word or group of words that is used to indicate that something happens or exists. For example,bring,happenanddoare verbs.

These verbs are of two types:

1. Regular verbs

Regular verbs are verbs whose past participle and past tense are formed by simply adding -d or -ed to the base form of the verb. For example, the past participle of create is created and the past participle of submit is submitted.

You'll be happy to know that most verbs in English are regular, but the there are some very useful verbs that are irregular, so it's good to know how they work!

2. Irregular verbs

These are verbs that have the same or different present and past participles. For example, the past participle of go is gone, and the past participle of read is read.

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Regular vs. irregular verbs

Basis for comparisonRegular verbsIrregular verbs
MeaningRegular verbs are verbs with usual simple past and past participle forms (ending in "-ed").Irregular verbs refer to the verbs that do not have the usual past and past participle forms.
ConjugationStandard rules for conjugationSpecial rules for conjugation
Exampleact-acted-actedknow-knew-known

Learn more irregular verbs to use in English!

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Become a pro in using English irregular verbs like “had”, and practice with fellow English learners from Busuu’s big community

Here is a list of 150 irregular verbs used in daily life

Base FormPast SimplePast Participle
loselostlost
stridestrodestridden
bringbroughtbrought
breakbrokebroken
withholdwithheldwithheld
besetbesetbeset
quitquitquit
showshowedshown
weepweptwept
lielaylain
arisearosearisen
shineshoneshone
spillspilt /spilledspilt /spilled
overthrowoverthrewoverthrown
cutcutcut
bearboreborne
throwthrewthrown
sendsentsent
weavewove /weavedwove /weaved
riseroserisen
wringwrungwrung
getgotgotten
broadcastbroadcastbroadcast
bendbentbent
sinksanksunk
letletlet
wakewokewoken
seesawseen
sweepsweptswept
flyflewflown
singsangsung
mowmowedmowed
shedshedshed
paypaidpaid
stickstuckstuck
bewas, werebeen
wearworeworn
wedwedded /wedwedded /wed
grindgroundground
buyboughtbought
burstburstburst
speakspokespoken
withdrawwithdrewwithdrawn
keepkeptkept
buildbuiltbuilt
creepcreptcrept
beginbeganbegun
sellsoldsold
thrustthrustthrust
smellsmelledsmelled
hearheardheard
drinkdrankdrunk
bidbidbid
overcomeovercameovercome
breedbredbred
burnburned or burntburned or burnt
sewsewedsewn/sewed
winwonwon
sleepsleptslept
clingclungclung
havehadhad
stingstungstung
speedsped /speededsped /speeded
putputput
mistakemistookmistaken
ridridrid
digdugdug
bleedbledbled
leadledled
becomebecamebecome
smitesmotesmitten
freezefrozefrozen
forbidforbadeforbidden
eatateeaten
blowblewblown
meetmetmet
proveprovedproved/proven
comecamecome
understandunderstoodunderstood
runranrun
shutshutshut
thrivethrived /throvethrived
kneelkneltknelt
spoilspoilt /spoiledspoilt /spoiled
meanmeantmeant
spreadspreadspread
castcastcast
feedfedfed
windwoundwound
spendspentspent
hidehidhidden
fitfitfit
dealdealtdealt
growgrewgrown
upholdupheldupheld
pleadpleaded/pleadpleaded/plead
bindboundbound
slitslitslit
springsprangsprung
costcostcost
gowentgone
flingflungflung
spellspelledspelled
forgiveforgaveforgiven
forgetforgotforgotten
spitspatspat
choosechosechosen
hurthurthurt
stealstolestolen
knowknewknown
drawdrewdrawn
dreamdreamed or dreamtdreamed or dreamt
rideroderidden
givegavegiven
readreadread
fightfoughtfought
writewrotewritten
castcastcast
foretellforetoldforetold
arisearosearisen
catchcaughtcaught
saysaidsaid
treadtrodtrodden
fallfellfallen
hithithit
forsakeforsookforsaken
sitsatsat
swimswamswum
fleefledfled
shrinkshrankshrunk
swellswelledswelled /swollen
telltoldtold
shearshearedsheared/shorn
bitebitbitten
hanghangedhanged
shakeshookshaken
spinspunspun
drivedrovedriven
dodiddone
lightlit/lightedlit/lighted
lendlentlent
findfoundfound
overdooverdidoverdone
upsetupsetupset
understandunderstoodunderstood
slideslidslid
thinkthoughtthought
shootshotshot

From the list given above, you can understand irregular verbs and use them proficiently in your everyday usage of the English language.

Hopefully, this article has helped you in understanding the differences between regular and irregular verbs. This concept is something that will make your English grammar much better than before.

There are many more English irregular verbs to discover!

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