Irregular Verbs in English
Irregular verbs are the verbs that do not form their past simple and past participle by adding -ed. Instead, they change in their own way, and there are roughly 140 common ones you will meet again and again.
This guide is for A2 to B2 learners who want to stop guessing these forms. By the end you will know what makes a verb irregular, how to group them into patterns so they are easier to remember, the mistakes to avoid, and where to find the full list. Four exercises are on this page so you can practice straight away.
A quick video summary
What irregular verbs are
An irregular verb does not add -ed to form the past. Regular verbs follow one rule (work, worked, worked), but irregular verbs each change in their own way, so you have to learn the forms.
Every verb has three key forms: the base (present), the past simple, and the past participle (used with have, and in the passive). For regular verbs all three are easy; for irregular verbs the past simple and past participle can be different. Here are a few of the most common ones.
| Verb | Past simple | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| be | was/were | been |
| go | went | gone |
| bring | brought | brought |
| take | took | taken |
Groups of irregular verbs
There is no single rule for irregular verbs, but grouping them by pattern makes them much easier to learn. Here are four useful groups.
Group 1: no change (base = past = past participle)
These verbs keep the same form in all three columns. Many of them end in -t or -d.
| Verb | Past simple | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| put | put | put |
| cut | cut | cut |
| cost | cost | cost |
| let | let | let |
| hit | hit | hit |
| shut | shut | shut |
Group 2: past simple = past participle
For these verbs, the past simple and past participle are the same, so you only have two forms to remember.
| Verb | Past simple | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| bring | brought | brought |
| buy | bought | bought |
| teach | taught | taught |
| think | thought | thought |
| catch | caught | caught |
Group 3: three different forms
These verbs have a different form in each column. They are the ones learners find hardest, so they are worth extra practice.
| Verb | Past simple | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | gone |
| take | took | taken |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| write | wrote | written |
| give | gave | given |
Group 4: the i – a – u pattern
A helpful sound pattern: the vowel changes from i in the base, to a in the past simple, to u in the past participle.
| Verb | Past simple | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| begin | began | begun |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| swim | swam | swum |
| ring | rang | rung |
| sing | sang | sung |
Lists are easy to read and hard to remember. The forms stick when you use them in real sentences. Book a free trial lesson and practice irregular verbs with an experienced native teacher, no credit card needed.
Common mistakes with irregular verbs
- Adding -ed to an irregular verb. Wrong: “I goed to the park.” Right: “I went to the park.” Irregular verbs do not take -ed.
- Using the past simple where the past participle is needed. Wrong: “I haven’t ate anything.” Right: “I haven’t eaten anything.” After have, use the past participle.
- Mixing up the two forms of Group 3 verbs. “I have went” is wrong; the past participle of go is gone: “I have gone.”
- Assuming a verb is regular. If you are not sure, check: common verbs like make, find, keep and mean are all irregular (made, found, kept, meant).
The full list of irregular verbs
There are about 140 common irregular verbs. Learn them in small groups rather than all at once. See the full list of irregular verbs in English.
Practice exercises on irregular verbs
Exercise 1. Match each base verb with its past simple form.
Exercise 2. Match each base verb with its past participle form.
Exercise 3. Complete the sentences using the past simple or past participle of the verb in brackets.
Exercise 4. Group these irregular verbs by their pattern.
Quick self-check
Answer, then reveal the solutions.
1. What is the past simple of go?
2. Complete: “I have never ____ sushi.” (eat)
3. Which group does put belong to?
Show answers
1. went. 2. eaten (past participle after have). 3. Group 1, no change (put, put, put).
How did that feel? Recognising a form in an exercise is one thing. Producing it without pausing while you speak is the goal. In a free trial lesson, an experienced native teacher will have you using irregular verbs in real sentences within minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is an irregular verb?
How many irregular verbs are there in English?
What is the difference between the past simple and the past participle?
Why do we group irregular verbs?
Are the most common English verbs regular or irregular?
Key takeaways
- Irregular verbs do not add -ed; you learn their forms.
- Every verb has three forms: base, past simple, past participle.
- Group them by pattern: no change, past = past participle, three forms, the i-a-u pattern.
- After have, use the past participle, not the past simple.
- There are about 140 common irregular verbs; learn them in small groups.
Keep learning
- The full list of irregular verbs
- Present perfect vs past simple
- More free English grammar guides
- Test your English level
- Meet our English teachers
Written and reviewed by the experienced native English teachers at Live English, online since 2007.