Practice
Regular and irregular verbs: understand the difference
Sign in to saveYesterday I walked home, but my friend went by bus. Walk adds -ed; go changes to went. Both sentences talk about the past, but the verbs make their past forms in different ways.
Identify whether an English verb is regular or irregular and choose the correct past form in a short sentence.
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
We watched a film and went home early. /wiː wɒtʃt ə fɪlm ænd went həʊm ˈɜːli/
The short answer
Regular verbs usually add -ed for the past, as in play and played. Irregular verbs have a different past form, as in go and went, so check or learn each form.
Mina cleaned the table, and Omar took the cups to the kitchen.
Why it works: Cleaned is regular because it adds -ed. Took is an irregular past form of take.
5 more examples
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Leah called her cousin after dinner.
Call is regular. The past simple adds -ed.
Not this:Leah
spoketo her cousin after dinner. What changes: Speak is irregular, so its past form does not end in -ed. -
We watched a film on Friday.
Watch becomes watched with -ed, which is the regular pattern.
Not this:We
sawa film on Friday. What changes: See changes to saw in the past simple. -
The children carried their bags upstairs.
A regular verb ending in consonant plus y changes y to i before -ed.
Not this:The children
boughttheir bags yesterday. What changes: Buy has an irregular past form that needs to be learned. -
I have finished the report.
Finish is regular, so finished works as its past participle after have.
Not this:I
have writtenthe report. What changes: Write has the irregular forms wrote and written; written is needed after have. -
Ravi went to the library before lunch.
Go changes to went in the past simple.
Not this:Ravi
has goneto the library. What changes: Gone is the past participle, so it follows has rather than standing alone as a simple past verb.
Read the full guide
Start with the base verb. If its past form follows an -ed pattern, it is usually regular. If the word changes to a different form, treat it as irregular and record the base form with its past forms.
Find the base verb first
The base verb is the form you see in a dictionary. It is the starting point for other forms. In I walk to school, walk is the base form. In Yesterday I walked to school, walked is the past form of the same verb.
Today I walk to the shop. Yesterday I walked to the shop.
Walk stays recognisable and takes -ed for the past.
What is the base verb in She played tennis yesterday?
The base verb is play.
Recognise the regular -ed pattern
Most regular verbs make the past simple by adding -ed. Play becomes played, clean becomes cleaned, and visit becomes visited. The same form often appears after have or has: They have visited the city before.
Amir cleaned his bike on Sunday.
Cleaned is regular because it uses the -ed ending.
My parents have lived here for five years.
Lived is the regular past participle after have.
Notice regular spelling changes
Some regular verbs change their spelling before -ed. When a verb ends in e, add d: live becomes lived. A consonant plus y often changes to ied: carry becomes carried. A short stressed vowel followed by one final consonant may double that consonant: stop becomes stopped.
The driver stopped at the red light.
Stopped has a doubled p, but it still ends in -ed and is regular.
How does carry change in the past simple?
It becomes carried: The porter carried the boxes.
Learn irregular forms as a set
Irregular verbs do not make their past forms with the usual -ed pattern. Go becomes went, see becomes saw, and take becomes took. These forms are common, so learn a few at a time and meet them again in sentences.
We took the earlier train.
Took is the past simple of take; it does not use -ed.
Nora saw the notice this morning.
Saw is the past simple of see and must be memorised as a form pair.
Keep past simple and past participle separate
The past simple usually stands alone after a past-time word: I wrote the email yesterday. A past participle follows have, has, or had: I have written the email. Many regular verbs use one -ed form for both jobs, but irregular verbs often have two different forms.
Ella wrote a note before the meeting.
Wrote is the past simple form used with a finished past action.
Ella has written a note for the meeting.
Written is the past participle after has.
Build a useful verb notebook
For a new irregular verb, make three columns: base form, past simple, and past participle. Add a short sentence that you could use in daily life. Review a small group often instead of trying to learn a long list in one sitting.
Base: begin. Past simple: began. Past participle: begun.
The three forms show which word belongs in a simple past sentence and which belongs after have or has.
Which three forms would you record for eat?
Record eat, ate, and eaten.
Before you go
Remember this
Regular verbs normally use -ed in the past. Irregular verbs use a form you need to learn, such as went, saw, or wrote. Keep a small list with the base verb, past simple, and past participle, then use each form in a sentence.
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: understand the difference"
What is a regular verb?
A regular verb usually forms its past simple with -ed. Examples include played, cleaned, and visited. Some regular verbs change spelling before the ending, such as carried or stopped, but they still follow the -ed pattern.
Leah called her cousin after dinner.
What is an irregular verb?
An irregular verb makes one or more past forms without the usual -ed ending. Common examples include go, see, take, and write. A learner dictionary lists the forms you need to use.
Leah spoke to her cousin after dinner.
Do regular verbs always keep the same spelling?
No. Regular verbs can have spelling changes when they take -ed. A verb ending in consonant plus y often changes y to i, and a short stressed verb can double its final consonant. The ending still follows the regular pattern.
We watched a film on Friday.
Why do some verbs have two past forms?
Many verbs have a past simple form and a past participle. The past simple is used for a completed action in the past. The past participle is used with have, has, or had. Regular verbs often use the same form for both, while irregular verbs may use different forms.
We saw a film on Friday.
How can I remember irregular verbs?
Learn a small number at a time and record the base form, past simple, and past participle together. Use each form in a sentence about a familiar activity. Revisit the same set across several days so you meet the forms more than once.
The children carried their bags upstairs.