Regular and Irregular English Verbs

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English verbs are classified as regular and irregular, depending on the conjugation they have.

As a general rule, those that follow a standard conjugation of endings are called regular verbs.

You irregular verbs are those that do not follow a conjugation model and, therefore, tend to be more complicated for students.

To help you with this topic, we provide complete tables of regular and irregular verbs, as well as example sentences and exercises on the topic.

Regular verbs in English (regular verbs)

Regular verbs are those whose inflections of Simple Past (simple past) and from Past Participate (past participle) are formed by the addition of -ed, –ied or –d.

Check out the table below for a list of regular English verbs.

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Verb (Verb) Simple past (Simple Past) Past participle (Past Participate) Translation (translation)
agree agreed agreed To agree
answer answered answered Answer
Apologize Apologized Apologized Apologize
ask asked asked To ask
Awaken Awakened Awakened Wake up; awakening
breath breathed breathed Breathe
brush brushed brushed to brush
Call Called Called To call; to phone
Care cared cared To care; call to
Change Changed Changed Change; to exchange
clean Cleaned Cleaned Clean
Clear Cleared Cleared Release; lighten; lighten
close Closed Closed Close
cook Cooked Cooked To cook
cross Crossed Crossed To cross; pass through
Cry created created To cry; shout out; cry out
dance danced danced To dance
deliver Delivered Delivered Deliver
describe described described To describe
Desire Desired Desired To wish
die Died Died Die
Disagree Disagreed Disagreed Disagree
Disappear Disappeared Disappeared to vanish
Dislike Disliked Disliked dislike (of)
End Ended Ended finish
enjoy enjoyed enjoyed To have fun; appreciate
Establishment Established Established Establish
Exchange exchanged exchanged To exchange
fail failed failed Fail; fail
Fear Feared Feared To fear; fear
Guess Guessed Guessed Guess
Hate Hated Hated To hate
Help Helped Helped Help; help
invite invited invited To invite
join Joined Joined To get together; login to
kill killed killed Kill
learn learned learned Learn
Lie Lied Lied To lie
like Liked Liked Like)
listen (to) listened listened listen carefully
live Lived Lived To live; to live
look looked looked To look
love Loved Loved Love
Miss Missed Missed Lose; miss
move moved moved move
Study studied studied To study
walk walked walked Walk; to walk
want wanted wanted To want
work Worked Worked Work; work
Worry (about) Worried Worried

Worry about)

See too: Simple Past

Irregular verbs in English (irregular verbs)

Irregular verbs in English do not follow a pattern of formation, as they do not form the Simple Past (simple past) and the Past Participate (past participle) by adding –ed, ied or –d.

For this reason, the best way to know irregular verbs is to memorize them. Check out the list of irregular verbs in English below.

Verb (Verb) Simple past (Past Simple) Past participle (Past Participate) Translation (translation)
well was been to be; be
bear bore born born; to produce
become became become become; transform
begin began begun to start
break broke broken to break; break up
bring brought brought bring; to execute
build built built ramp up; manufacture
buy bought bought purchase
choose chose chosen to choose; to prefer
eats cam eats come over; to arrive
of did done to do; to care; work
drink drank drunk drink
drive drove driven to drive; guide
eat until eaten eat; to chew
feed fed fed to feed; nurture
feel felt felt to feel; to notice
find found found meet; to discover
forbid forbad; forbad forbidden; forbid forbid; prevent
forget forgot forgotten to forget
get got gotten receive; get
give gave given to give; deliver
go went gone go; leave
have had had to have; to possess
hear heard heard to hear; to listen
hide hid hidden hide; to hide
keep kept kept keep; save
know knew known to know; to meet
lead led led to command; guide
learn learned learned learn; to study
lose lost lost lose; to waste
make made made to do; to create
mean meant meant think; to mean
meet met met to meet; meet
pay paid paid pay; pay off
put put put per; put on
read read read to read; learn
ride rotate ridden walk; to stroll
run ran run run; to run away
say left left to say; tell
see saw seen to see; observe
sell sold sold sell; Negotiate
send sit sit submit; to send
sleep slept slept to sleep; rest
speak spoke spoken speak; to say
take took taken to take; to throw
tell awning awning tell; to know
think thought thought think; believe
wake woke up waked wake up; awakening
win won won to win; get
write wrote written write; write down

Video about regular and irregular English verbs

Now that you have learned the pattern of formation of regular English verbs, watch the video below and learn how to memorize the conjugation of irregular verbs.

How to Memorize Irregular Verbs in English?

Exercises on regular and irregular English verbs

Now that you know the most used regular and irregular verbs in English, test your knowledge with the exercises below.

1. (Mackenzie/2000) Check the alternative that correctly fills in the gaps I, II and III of the following sentences:

He __________(I) favor me 2 months ago.
They __________(II) an attempt to escape.
I __________(III) an important decision last night.

a) did - made - made
b) made - did - made
c) did - made - did
d) made - made - made
e) made - did - did

Correct alternative: a) did – made – made.

To better understand the explanations, understand the meaning of the sentences:

He __________(I) for me 2 months ago. (He _____________(I) me a favor 2 months ago.)
They __________(II) an attempt to escape. (They _____________(II) an attempt to escape.)
I __________(III) an important decision last night. (I _____________(III) an important decision last night.)

a) CORRECT. In the expression “do a favor”, the verb “do” is translated into English as I do. The phrase indicates an action that took place 2 months ago. Thus, the verb must be conjugated in the past (did = did).

In the expression "make an attempt", the verb "make" is translated as to make. The inflection of this verb in the past is made (did).

In the expression "make a decision", the verb "make" is translated into English as to make. The inflection of this verb in the past is made (did).

b) WRONG. In letter b), the first and second alternatives are wrong.

In the expression “do me a favor”, the verb “do” is translated into English as I do. The inflection of this verb in the past is did (did). In the expression “make an attempt”, the verb “make” is translated as to make. The inflection of this verb in the past is made (did).

c) WRONG. Letter c) is wrong because of the last alternative. In the expression "make a decision", the verb "make" is translated into English as to make. The inflection of this verb in the past is made (did).

d) WRONG. Letter d) is wrong because of the first alternative. In the expression “do a favor”, the verb “do” is translated into English as I do. The inflection of this verb in the past is did (did).

e) WRONG. In letter e) all alternatives are wrong. In the expression “do a favor”, the verb “do” is translated into English as I do. The inflection of this verb in the past is did (did).

In the expression "make an attempt", the verb "make" is translated as to make. The inflection of this verb in the past is made (did).

In the expression “make a decision”, the verb “make” is translated into English as tthe make. The inflection of this verb in the past is made (did).

2. (PUC-GO/2015) In Text 8, most of the verbs in Portuguese are conjugated in the past tense, such as “arrived”, “fell in love” and “resisted”. Complete the following text using the correct past tense conjugation of the verbs in parenthesis in Portuguese:

Last night Susan (go) ____________ to her friend's birthday party. She (dance) ____________ with her boyfriend, and (eat) ____________ cake. After they (leave) ____________ the party, Susan and her boyfriend (decide) ____________ to go and watch a movie at the theater. They (see) ____________ the new Transformer's movie, and then they went home. When she (get) ____________ home, Susan (take) ____________ a shower and (fall) ____________ asleep quickly.

Choose the correct option from the ones listed below:

a) go/dance/eat/leave/decide/see/get/take/fall.
b) went/danced/ate/left/decided/saw/got/took/fell.
c) will go/will dance/will eat/will leave/will decide/will see/will get/will take/will fall.
d) had gone/had danced/had eaten/had left/had decided/had seen/had gotten/had taken/had fallen.

Correct alternative: b) went/danced/ate/left/decided/saw/got/took/fell.

a) WRONG. None of the verbs are conjugated in the past tense. They are in infinitive form without the I'm.

b) CORRECT. This is the only alternative where all verbs are conjugated in the correct past tense: o Simple Past Tense (simple past). O Simple Past indicates past actions already completed. Thus, it is used to speak of facts that have already happened; that started and were completed in the past.

c) WRONG. All verbs are conjugated in the simple future with will.

d) WRONG. Although all verbs are conjugated in a past tense, the alternative is wrong, because the tense used was the Past Perfect Tense (past perfect).

O Past Perfect is used to express past actions that happened before another action that also happened in the past. In the text, the actions described did not precede any other actions, they simply started and ended.

Therefore, the correct tense to be used is the Simple Past (Simple past).

3. (Unesp/2010) Check the alternative where all words are past verb forms.

a) Adopted, become, decided, recognized, ruled.
b) Adopted, allow, become, recognized, ruled.
c) Approved, became, been, decided, ruled.
d) Allow, approved, became, decided, may.
e) Can, debated, entitled, made, offered.

Correct alternative: c) Approved, became, been, decided, ruled.

a) WRONG. become is not a past tense, but the verb to become (become) in its infinitive form without the I'm.

b) WRONG. become is not a past tense, but the verb to become (become) in its infinitive form without the I'm.

The same happens with allow, which is the verb tthe allow (to allow; authorize) in its infinitive form without the I'm.

c) CORRECT. This alternative presents all the verb forms in the past.

  • Approved: bending of Simple Past (simple past) of the verb to approve (to approve).
  • Became: bending of Simple Past (simple past) of the verb to become (become).
  • been: is the way to Past Participate (past participle) of the verb to be (to be).
  • decided: bending of Simple Past (simple past) of the verb I decide (decide).
  • ruled: bending of Simple Past (simple past) of the verb to rule (to rule; rule)

d) WRONG. Allow is not a past tense, but the verb to allow (to allow; authorize) in its infinitive form without the tO.

May it is also not a past tense, but a modal verb.

e) WRONG. Can it is not a past tense form, but a modal verb.

4. Write the verbs below in the Simple Past (simple past) and indicate their respective translations.

The) learn

  • translation: learn
  • simple countryt: learned

The verb to learn is a regular verb. Its past form is made with the addition of the ending -ed.

B) Miss

  • Translation: lose; miss
  • Simple Past: missed

The verb I'm miss is a regular verb. Its past form is made with the addition of the ending -ed.

ç) Know

  • Translation: knowing; to meet
  • Simple Past: knew

The verb I know is an irregular verb. Its past form is not made with the addition of the ending -ed, as it has a form of its own.

d) break

  • Translation: break, break
  • Simple Past: broke

The verb to break is an irregular verb. Its past form is not made with the addition of the ending -ed, as it has a form of its own.

and) Keep

  • Translation: keep, save
  • Simple Past: kept

The verb to keep is an irregular verb. Its past form is not made with the addition of the ending -ed, as it has a form of its own.

5. Choose the alternative with the Past Participate (past participle) of verbs to be, to bear and to become:

a) was; bore; became
b) was; born; became
c) been; born; become
d) been; bore; become
e) been; born; became

Correct alternative: c) been; born; become.

a) WRONG. Was is the way of Simple Past (simple past), and not from Past Participate (past participle) of the verb to be (to be).

Furthermore, bore is the way of Simple Past (simple past), and not from Past Participate (past participle) of the verb to bear (support), and became is the way of Simple Past (simple past) of the verb to become (become).

b) WRONG: Was is the way of Simple Past (simple past), and not from Past Participate (past participle), of the verb tthe baby (to be).

Furthermore, became is the way of Simple Past (simple past) of the verb to become (become).

c) CORRECT: In letter c), all alternatives are correct:

  • been: Past Participate of the verb to be (to be);
  • Born: Past Participate of the verb to bear (support). Another alternative is the form post;
  • become: Past Participate of the verb to become (become).

d) WRONG. bore is the way of Simple Past (simple past), and not from Past Participate (past participle) of the verb to bear (support).

e) WRONG. Became is the way of Simple Past (simple past) of the verb to become (become).

Want to deepen your knowledge of English? Be sure to read the texts below.

  • English language grammar
  • Present Perfect
  • Present Continuous
  • Past Continuous
  • Past Continuous exercises with commented feedback
  • English Adjectives: List, Classifications and Exercises
  • Simple Present: rules, exercises with feedback and summary
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