Practice
Regular and irregular verbs exercise: choose the past form
Sign in to saveYesterday I walked to the shop, but my neighbour went by bus. Both sentences describe the past. One verb adds -ed, while the other changes completely.
Choose and use common regular and irregular past simple verb forms in short everyday sentences.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
walked, played, wanted /wɔːkt/, /pleɪd/, /ˈwɒn.tɪd/
The short answer
For a regular verb, usually add -ed to make the past simple. For an irregular verb, learn the past form as a pair with the base verb, such as go - went or have - had.
I cleaned the kitchen on Saturday, and my brother made lunch.
Why it works: Cleaned is regular because it adds -ed. Made is irregular because it does not follow that pattern.
3 more examples
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Maya watched a film after dinner.
Watch is a regular verb. The past simple adds -ed.
Not this:Maya
sawa film after dinner. What changes: See is irregular. Its past form is saw, not seed. -
We studied for the test on Monday evening.
Study changes y to i before -ed when a consonant comes before the y.
Not this:We
wrotenotes for the test on Monday evening. What changes: Write is irregular. The past form changes to wrote. -
The baby stopped crying when her father arrived.
Stop doubles the final p before -ed in this short stressed verb pattern.
Not this:The baby
sleptwhen her father arrived. What changes: Sleep is irregular. The past form is slept.
Read the full guide
Start by looking for a past-time word such as yesterday, last night, or two days ago. Then decide whether the verb is regular or irregular. Say the whole sentence aloud after you choose the form. Hearing the sentence helps you remember the verb with its usual sound and ending.
Step 1: find the past-time clue
Words such as yesterday, last week, and in 2024 often signal that you need the past simple. Find the time clue first. Then choose the past form of the main verb.
Yesterday, I called my aunt after work.
Complete the sentence: Last night, I ___ my room. Use clean.
Last night, I cleaned my room. Clean is regular, so add -ed.
Step 2: make regular past forms
For most regular verbs, add -ed: work - worked and play - played. If a verb ends in e, add only d: live - lived. If it ends in consonant plus y, change y to i and add -ed: carry - carried.
work - worked; live - lived; carry - carried. Each verb is regular, but the spelling rule is slightly different.
Choose the correct form: They ___ the boxes upstairs. carry or carried?
They carried the boxes upstairs. The past form is carried because carry ends in consonant plus y.
Step 3: learn irregular verbs as pairs
Irregular verbs do not follow the usual -ed pattern. Keep a short list and practise it in sentences. Learn the base verb and past form together: go - went, eat - ate, take - took, and have - had.
I took the earlier train because the later one was full.
Complete the sentence: My friends ___ pizza after the match. Use eat.
My friends ate pizza after the match. Eat is irregular, so use ate.
Step 4: keep did with the base verb
Did already shows the past in questions and negatives. After did or did not, use the base verb. Say Did you go?, not Did you went? Write We did not watch it, not We did not watched it.
Positive: She went home early. Question: Did she go home early? The verb changes back to go after did.
Correct the question: Did you saw the message?
Did you see the message? Use the base verb see after did.
Step 5: check a complete sentence
Before you finish an exercise, look for three things: a subject, one correct past form, and a past-time clue or clear context. Read the sentence once more. If the meaning is complete, move on to the next one.
Choose the best sentence for a completed action yesterday: I go to the library yesterday. I went to the library yesterday. I did went to the library yesterday.
I went to the library yesterday. Went is the past simple of go. Do not add did to a positive past simple sentence.
Before you go
Remember this
Use the past simple for completed past actions. Add -ed to regular verbs and learn irregular verbs as pairs: go - went, have - had, and see - saw. In questions and negatives with did, return to the base form.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Regular and irregular verbs exercise: choose the past form"
What is the difference between regular and irregular verbs?
Regular verbs usually make the past simple with -ed, as in watched or carried. Irregular verbs use a different form that you learn separately, as in see - saw or take - took.
Maya watched a film after dinner.
How do I make the past simple of a regular verb?
Usually add -ed to the base verb. Add only d after a final e, change consonant plus y to ied, and check short verbs such as stop that double the final consonant before -ed.
Maya saw a film after dinner.
Why is studied spelled with ied?
Study ends in a consonant followed by y. For the regular past form, change the y to i and add -ed, giving studied. Compare it with played, where a vowel comes before y.
We studied for the test on Monday evening.
Do irregular verbs use ed in the past simple?
Usually no. Common irregular verbs have their own past forms, such as go - went, have - had, and write - wrote. Learn each verb together with its past form and use it in a short sentence.
We wrote notes for the test on Monday evening.
Should I use a past form after did?
No. Did already marks the past, so use the base verb after it. Write Did you see the message? and We did not watch the film, rather than using saw or watched after did.
The baby stopped crying when her father arrived.