Verb Tenses

Irregular verbs often create problems as they have different forms for the past tense and the past participle.

These verbs change into past tense and past participle through changes in spelling or word form.

Here is a list of some common irregular verbs which will be helpful.

Present Tense Past Tense Past Participle
am was been
awake awoke awaken
bear bore born/borne
begin began begun
bite bit bitten
bleed bled bled
choose chose chosen
freeze froze frozen
go went gone

Here is a list of some common irregular verbs which will be helpful.

Present Tense Past Tense Past Participle
grind ground ground
grow grew grown
hang (person) hanged hanged
hang (things) hung hung
shake shook shaken
shrink shrank shrunk
shut shut shut
sleep slept slept
smell smelt / smelled smelt / smelled

Here is a list of some common irregular verbs which will be helpful.

Present Tense Past Tense Past Participle
come came come
creep crept crept
do did done
draw drew drawn
drive drove driven
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
kneel knelt knelt
know knew known

Here is a list of some common irregular verbs which will be helpful.

Present Tense Past Tense Past Participle
lay laid laid
lie (recline) lay lain
learn learnt / learned learnt / learned
pay paid paid
ring rang rung
rise rose risen
run ran run
speak spoke spoken
wake woke woken

There are many more irregular verbs. Therefore, whenever you are in doubt regarding the past tense or past participle of a verb, you must always consult a dictionary.