For Using Irregular Verbs Understand the Problem

R U L E S For Using Irregular Verbs Understand the problem. All verbs, whether regular or irregular, have five forms [often called principal parts]. These forms are the infinitive, simple present, simple past, past participle, and present participle. The difference between a regular and an irregular verb is the formation of the simple past and past participle. Regular verbs are dependably consistent—the simple past ends in ed as does the past participle. Check out this chart. Infinitive to laugh to start to wash to wink Simple Present laugh(s) start(s) wash(es) wink(s) Simple Past laughed started washed winked Past Participle laughed started washed winked Present Participle laughing starting washing winking Irregular verbs, on the other hand, can end in a variety of ways, with absolutely no consistent pattern. Here are some examples: Infinitive to drive to feel to put to swim Simple Present drive(s) feel(s) put(s) swim(s) Simple Past drove felt put swam Past Participle driven felt put swum Present Participle driving feeling putting swimming Writers make two frequent errors with irregular verbs: either adding an incorrect ed to the end of an irregular verb or accidentally interchanging the simple past and past participle. Read this sentence: Olivia feeled like exercising yesterday, so she putted on her bathing suit and drived to the YMCA, where she swum so far that only an extra large pepperoni pizza would satisfy her hunger. What are the problems with this sentence? First, feeled should be felt. Next, putted needs to be put. The correct past tense form of drive is drove. And we must change swum to swam. Know the solution. To avoid making mistakes with irregular verbs, learn the very long chart below. Infinitive to arise to awake to be to bear to beat to become to begin to bend to bet to bid (to offer) to bid (to command) to bind to bite to blow to break to bring to build to burst to buy to cast to catch to choose to cling o come to cost to creep to cut to deal to dig to dive to do to draw to drink to drive to eat to fall to feed to feel to fight to find to flee Simple Present arise(s) awake(s) am, is, are bear(s) beat(s) become(s) begin(s) bend(s) bet(s) bid(s) bid(s) bind(s) bite(s) blow(s) break(s) bring(s) build(s) burst(s) buy(s) cast(s) catch(es) choose(s) cling(s) come(s) cost(s) creep(s) cut(s) deal(s) dig(s) dive(s) do(es) draw(s) drink(s) drive(s) eat(s) fall(s) feed(s) feel(s) fight(s) find(s) flee(s) Simple Past arose Past Participle arisen awaked or awoke or awaked awoken was, were been bore borne or born beat beaten became become began begun bent bent bet bet bid bid bade bound bit blew broke brought built burst bought cast caught chose clung came cost crept cut dealt dug dived or dove did drew drank drove ate fell fed felt fought found fled bidden bound bitten or bit blown broken brought built burst bought cast caught chosen clung come cost crept cut dealt dug dived done drawn drunk driven eaten fallen fed felt fought found fled Present Participle arising awaking being bearing beating becoming beginning bending betting bidding bidding binding biting blowing breaking bringing building bursting buying casting catching choosing clinging coming costing creeping cutting dealing digging diving doing drawing drinking driving eating falling feeding feeling fighting finding fleeing Infinitive to fling to fly to forbid to forget to forgive to forsake to freeze to get to give to go to grow to hang (to suspend) to have to hear to hide to hit to hurt to keep to know to lay to lead to leap to leave to lend to let to lie (to rest or recline) to light to lose to make to mean to pay to prove to quit to read to rid to ride to ring to rise to run Simple Present fling(s) flies, fly forbid(s) forget(s) forgive(s) forsake(s) freeze(s) get(s) give(s) go(es) grow(s) hang(s) has, have hear(s) hide(s) hit(s) hurt(s) keep(s) know(s) lay(s) lead(s) leap(s) leave(s) lend(s) let(s) lie(s) light(s) lose(s) make(s) mean(s) pay(s) prove(s) quit(s) read(s) rid(s) ride(s) ring(s) rise(s) run(s) Simple Past Past Participle lung flung flew flown forbade or forbad forbidden forgotten or forgot forgot forgave forgiven forsook forsaken froze frozen got got or gotten gave given went gone grew grown hung had heard hid hit hurt kept knew laid led leaped or leapt left lent let lay lighted or lit lost made meant paid proved quit read rid rode rang rose ran hung had heard hidden hit hurt kept known laid led leaped or leapt left lent let lain lighted or lit lost made meant paid proved or proven quit read rid ridden rung risen run Present Participle flinging flying forbidding forgetting forgiving forsaking freezing getting giving going growing hanging having hearing hiding hitting hurting keeping knowing laying leading leaping leaving lending letting lying lighting losing making meaning paying proving quitting reading ridding riding ringing rising running Infinitive to say to see to seek to send to set to shake to shine (to glow) to shoot to show to shrink to sing to sink to sit to slay to sleep to sling to sneak to speak to spend to spin to spring to stand to steal to sting to stink to stride to strike to strive to swear to sweep to swim to swing to take to teach to tear to tell to think to throw to understand to wake Simple Present say(s) see(s) seek(s) send(s) set(s) shake(s) shine(s) shoot(s) show(s) shrink(s) sing(s) sink(s) sit(s) slay(s) sleep(s) sling(s) sneak(s) speak(s) spend(s) spin(s) spring(s) stand(s) steal(s) sting(s) stink(s) stride(s) strike(s) strive(s) swear(s) sweep(s) swim(s) swing(s) take(s) teach(es) tear(s) tell(s) think(s) throw(s) understand(s) wake(s) Simple Past said saw sought sent set shook shone shot showed shrank sang sank or sunk sat slew slept slung sneaked or snuck spoke spent spun sprang or sprung stood stole stung stank or stunk strode struck strove swore swept swam swung took taught tore told thought threw understood woke or waked Past Participle said seen sought sent set shaken shone Present Participle saying seeing seeking sending setting shaking shining hot shooting shown or showed showing shrunk shrinking sung singing sunk sinking sat sitting slain slaying slept sleeping slung slinging sneaked or sneaking snuck spoken speaking spent spending spun spinning sprung springing stood standing stolen stealing stung stinging stunk stinking stridden striding struck striking striven striving sworn swearing swept sweeping swum swimming swung swinging taken taking taught teaching torn tearing told telling thought thinking thrown throwing understood understanding waked or woken waking Infinitive to wear to wring to write Simple Present wear(s) wring(s) write(s) Simple Past wore wrung wrote Past Participle worn wrung written Present Participle wearing wringing writing In addition to learning the chart above, you must also understand the difference between the simple past and past participle. A simple past tense verb always has just one part. You need no auxiliary verb to form this tense. Look at these examples: Because dinner time was near, my dog Oreo bit the spine of Moby Dick and pulled the novel off of my lap. Because Denise had ignored bills for so long, she wrote out checks for an hour straight. Despite the noise, jolts, and jerks, Alex slept so soundly on the city bus that he missed his stop. Many multipart verbs, however, require the past participle after one or more auxiliary verbs. Read these sentences: Raymond had bitten into the muffin before Charise mentioned that it was her infamous chocolate-broccoli variety. had = auxiliary verb; bitten = past participle Once Woody has written his essay for Mr. Stover, he plans to reward himself with a packet of Twinkies. has = auxiliary verb; written = past participle Cynthia might have slept better if she hadn't watched The Nightmare on Elm Street marathon on HBO. ight, have = auxiliary verbs; slept = past participle For regular verbs, knowing the distinction between the simple past and past participle is unnecessary because both are identical. Check out these two sentences: Diane giggled as her beagle Reliable pushed his cold wet nose into her stomach, searching for cookie crumbs. giggled = simple past Until the disapproving Mrs . Wittman elbowed Latoya in the ribs, the young girl had giggled without stop at the toilet paper streamer attached to Principal Clemens’s shoe. ad = auxiliary verb; giggled = past participle When you choose an irregular verb for a sentence, however, the simple past and past participle are often different, so you must know the distinction. Here are two examples: Essie drove so cautiously that traffic piled up behind her, causing angry drivers to honk their horns and shout obscenities. drove = simple past Essie might have driven faster if she hadn't forgotten her glasses and saw more than big colored blurs through the windshield. might, have = auxiliary verbs; driven = past participle In addition, past participles can function as adjectives in sentences, describing other words. When you use a past participle in this manner, you must choose the correct form. Read these sentences: The calculus exams given by Dr. Ribley are so difficult that his students believe their brains will burst. Delores discovered the stolen bologna under the sofa, guarded fiercely by Max, her Chihuahua. The written reprimand so shamed poor Pablo that he promised his boss never to throw another scoop of ice cream at a customer again. Remember that you can always consult a dictionary when you have a question about the correct form of an irregular verb. Â ©1997 – 2010 by Robin L. Simmons All Rights Reserved.