Grammar
Regular and irregular verbs: how past forms change
You are writing about yesterday. Should the past form of go be goed or went?
Regular verbs follow the -ed pattern, while irregular verbs have other past forms to learn. Compare the forms before choosing one for your sentence.
Try what you have learned
Listen to a recording, type what you hear, and check your answer.
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worked and went WERKT-und-WENT
The verb worked ends in a t sound, while went has a short e vowel.
The short answer
Regular verbs use the -ed pattern; irregular verbs have at least one different past form. Some irregular forms change, while others stay the same.
Yesterday I worked late and went home by train.
Why it works: Work adds -ed, while go changes to went.
3 more examples
-
Talking about Saturday afternoon
We walked to the park and ate lunch together.
Walk adds -ed, but eat changes to ate.
Not this:We walked to the park and
eated lunchtogether. What changes: Adding -ed to eat is a form mistake that sounds unnatural. -
Arriving at school
I put my phone on the desk and went to class.
The past simple forms are put and went.
Not this:I
putted my phoneon the desk and went to class. What changes: For the action of placing something, use put as the past simple form. -
Talking about a film someone watched
She saw a film on Friday and loved it.
See changes to saw, while love adds -d.
Not this:She
seen a filmon Friday and loved it. What changes: This past simple statement needs saw.
Quick check
Which sentence uses the correct past form?
Talking about what your friend did yesterday
Answer: She went to the shop after lunch.
Show the answer
Answer: She went to the shop after lunch.
Go is an irregular verb, so its past simple form is went.
Read the full guide
Try the listening exerciseYou are writing about your weekend. Start with the base verb, then choose its past simple form.
When to add the ending
The problem: I know the general rule, so I add -ed to every verb and say things like goed, eated, or buyed.
Use -ed for the past simple of regular verbs. Add only -d if the base form ends in -e. Some spellings need another small change before the ending, as with stopped or studied.
Use the -ed spelling pattern.
I played football yesterday.
Learn the form. It may change or stay the same.
I went home early.
-
Not this:
They goed to the cinema last night.Say: They went to the cinema last night.
Go changes to went when you talk about the past.
-
Not this:
He buyed a new coat yesterday.Say: He bought a new coat yesterday.
Buy changes to bought when you describe yesterday.
Your turn
Choose the correct past sentence.
Visiting your family last weekend
Answer: We visited our cousins and had dinner.
Show the answer
Answer: We visited our cousins and had dinner.
Visit takes -ed, but have changes to had.
When past forms stay the same
The problem: I add -ed to cut and put, and I do not know why cost sometimes becomes costed.
Cut, put, and hurt keep the same base, past simple, and past participle forms. They still have other forms, such as cuts, putting, and hurting.
| Base form | Past simple | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| cut | cut | I cut the paper five minutes ago. |
| put | put | He put the keys on the shelf. |
| hurt | hurt | My leg hurt after the long run. |
| cost (price) | cost | The bus ticket cost three pounds. |
-
The repair cost more than I expected.
Why it works: Cost states the price.
-
The builder costed the repairs before work began.
Why it works: Costed means worked out the expected price.
Your turn
Complete the sentence with the past form of cut.
Preparing paper for your art class
Answer: Yesterday she cut a piece of paper for her project.
Show the answer
Answer: cut
The base, past simple, and past participle forms are all cut. Other forms include cuts and cutting.
Past simple or past participle?
The problem: I mix up the two past columns and say I have saw it or I seen it yesterday.
Use saw in a past simple statement. Seen is the past participle: it follows have, has, or had in perfect forms. It also follows forms of be in passive sentences.
Use saw for a finished past event.
I saw that film yesterday.
Use seen after have, has, or had in perfect forms.
I've seen that film twice.
-
Not this:
I seen that movie yesterday.Say: I saw that movie yesterday.
This is a past simple statement, so use saw. Seen is the participle.
-
Not this:
She's saw the doctor already.Say: She's seen the doctor already.
Has needs the past participle seen here.
-
I had seen the painting before the museum closed.
Why it works: Had seen is a past perfect form.
-
The missing dog was seen near the bridge.
Why it works: Seen follows was in this passive sentence.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly talks about yesterday?
Talking about meeting a teacher yesterday
Answer: I saw my teacher at the station yesterday.
Show the answer
Answer: I saw my teacher at the station yesterday.
Saw is the past simple form. Seen is the past participle.
Sound groups that help memory
The problem: I learn it, then a week later it is gone.
Group verbs that share a pattern, such as send/sent and spend/spent. This can help you remember them. Check each new verb instead of guessing from its ending.
| Base form | Past form | Shared pattern |
|---|---|---|
| send | sent | ends in -nt |
| spend | spent | ends in -nt |
| build | built | ends in -lt |
| lend | lent | ends in -nt |
Your turn
Order the words to make a correct past sentence.
Talking about your visit to a museum
Answer: We spent three hours at the museum.
Show the answer
Answer: We spent three hours at the museum.
The past simple of spend is spent. It belongs to this d-to-t memory group.
Before you go
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence describes both actions in the past?
Talking with a coworker about lunch
Answer: We walked to the market and bought soup.
Show the answer
Answer: We walked to the market and bought soup.
Walked is regular with -ed, and bought is the irregular past form of buy.
Question 2 of 2 · One new sentence
Which sentence describes what you did on your vacation?
Writing an email about a holiday
Answer: I found a quiet cafe near the river and wrote three postcards.
Show the answer
Answer: I found a quiet cafe near the river and wrote three postcards.
Found and wrote are both irregular past simple forms.
Remember this
Check the base, past simple, and past participle forms. Use the -ed pattern for regular verbs and learn irregular forms separately. Sound groups can help you remember them.
Listen first
Listen and write
Listen, type what you hear, then choose Check my answer. Use a hint when you get stuck.
0 of 3 done
Listening 1 of 3
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
0:00
Read the transcript
Yesterday I walked home, so I wasn't late.
Walked takes an -ed ending for past time.
Listening 2 of 3
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
0:00
Read the transcript
She bought fresh bread, but she didn't eat it.
Bought is the irregular past form of buy.
Try a longer clip. Listen once, then replay the part you missed.
Listening 3 of 3
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
0:00
Read the transcript
I cleaned the kitchen and then made lunch. We weren't in a hurry, so we ate in the garden. We talked for an hour because it wasn't raining.
Cleaned takes -ed, while made and ate are irregular.
Practice complete
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Test yourself
Listen to a new clip and write what you hear. You can replay it, but hints stay off and the transcript opens after you check your answer.
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Listening 1 of 4
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Putting items on a table
0:00
Read the transcript
He put the keys down, but they weren't safe.
The base and past simple forms of put are the same.
Listening 2 of 4
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Sending mail early in the day
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Read the transcript
We sent the letter early, so it wasn't late.
Sent is the irregular past simple form of send.
Listening 3 of 4
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Catching the morning bus to work
0:00
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We left the house early, so we weren't late. The driver stopped at our street, but he didn't wait long. We caught the bus and climbed on quickly.
Stop doubles its p before -ed. Left and caught are irregular past forms.
Listening 4 of 4
Listen, then type the missing words. The rest of the text is already there.
A picnic in the park on a sunny day
0:00
Read the transcript
We arrived at the park before noon, so it wasn't crowded. My sister brought fresh juice, and we sat under a shady tree. Then my brother joined us, and he told funny stories. We ate sweet fruit and laughed, so we didn't notice the time. We stayed until sunset because the evening wasn't cold. We packed our bags quickly and walked home together.
Arrived and stayed are regular past forms; brought, sat, and ate are irregular.
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Save my progressQuestions about "Regular and irregular verbs: how past forms change"
What makes a verb regular or irregular?
A regular verb forms its past simple and past participle with the -ed ending, allowing for spelling changes. An irregular verb does not follow that pattern. Its past forms may look different, as in drive, drove, driven, or stay the same, as in put, put, put.
Nina cleaned the balcony yesterday.
Her brother drove to the recycling center.
Are studied and stopped regular verb forms?
Yes. Both follow regular spelling rules. Study changes y to i before -ed because a consonant comes before y. Stop doubles its final p before -ed. These spelling changes do not make the verbs irregular; their past simple and past participle are still formed with the regular ending.
We studied the map before setting off.
The lift stopped on the fourth floor.
Why do I use go after did, instead of went?
Did already marks the past. In questions and negatives with did or didn't, use the base form of the main verb: go, find, work, and so on. This applies to regular and irregular verbs. Be normally forms its past questions and negatives with was or were, without did.
Did you find your glasses under the sofa?
I didn't go to the outdoor concert.
What is the difference between saw and seen?
Saw is the past simple of see. Seen is its past participle, used with have, has, or had in perfect tenses. Seen can also follow a form of be in a passive sentence. In standard English, use saw for a simple past statement and have seen or a related form when the sentence needs a participle.
I saw a fox near the library last night.
I've seen that fox several times this month.
The fox was seen crossing the empty square.
How can I remember irregular verb forms?
Try learning small groups with shared patterns, such as send, sent, sent and lend, lent, lent. Keep all three forms together, then use them in your own sentences. A pattern is a memory aid, not a rule for every similar-looking verb: spend becomes spent, but end becomes ended.
The guide sent us a map before the walking tour.
A neighbor lent me a ladder to reach the top shelf.
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