Irregular Verbs | Definition, Examples & Worksheet
An irregular verb is a verb whose simple past and past participle do not follow specific conjugation rules.
In contrast to irregular verbs, regular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participles are formed by adding “-ed” to the end of the verb (e.g., “talk” becomes “talked”).
Last week, Melanie accidentally broke her phone.
I have known Karl for years.
Someone has stolen my bike.
Regular vs irregular verbs
Verbs can be categorised as either regular or irregular.
Regular verbs follow standard conjugation rules. The simple past tense and past participles of regular verbs are formed by adding the suffix “-ed”.
Adria has played tennis since she was a child.
In contrast to regular verbs, irregular verbs do not follow a specific pattern and their simple past tense and past participle can be formed in various ways. Additionally, their simple past tense and past participle forms may differ.
Ken has eaten takeout every night this week.
Irregular verbs list (free download)
Below is a table illustrating the simple past and past participle forms of some common irregular verbs.
You can also download our longer list of irregular verbs in the format of your choice below.
Download PDF list Download Google Docs list
| Infinitive | Simple past | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| be | was/were | been |
| do | did | done |
| have | had | had |
| say | said | said |
| know | knew | known |
| get | got | got |
| see | saw | seen |
| think | thought | thought |
| go | went | gone |
| take | took | taken |
Worksheet: Irregular verbs
Practice using irregular verbs with the exercises below. In the blank space in each sentence, choose the correct verb form.
- You have __________ [eat] dinner.
- Enda __________ [take] a short break.
- I __________ [see] a bald eagle yesterday.
- The criminals had already __________ [leave] by the time the police arrived.
- Dave accidentally __________ [break] a vase.
- You have eaten dinner.
- The past participle form of the irregular verb “eat” is “eaten”.
- Enda took a short break.
- The simple past form of the irregular verb “take” is “took”.
- I saw a bald eagle yesterday.
- The simple past form of the irregular verb “see” is “saw”.
- The criminals had already left by the time the police arrived.
- The past participle form of the irregular verb “leave” is “left”.
- Dave accidentally broke a vase.
- The simple past form of the irregular verb “break” is “broke”.
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Frequently asked questions
- What are the different types of verbs?
-
There are many ways to categorize verbs into various types. A verb can fall into one or more of these categories depending on how it is used.
Some of the main types of verbs are:
- What’s the difference between regular and irregular verbs?
-
Regular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participle are formed by adding the suffix ‘-ed’ (e.g., ‘walked’).
Irregular verbs are verbs that form their simple past and past participles in some way other than by adding the suffix ‘-ed’ (e.g., ‘sat’).
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Ryan, E. (2023, September 24). Irregular Verbs | Definition, Examples & Worksheet. Scribbr. Retrieved 22 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/verb/irregular-verb/
