Irregular Verbs List

Here is an irregular verbs list that includes commonly used verbs. We must memorize the principal parts of irregular verbs. To test yourself, cover the past and past participle forms on the irregular verbs list, then try to write or say the past and past participle for each verb.

Errors to Avoid

People sometimes treat a regular verb as if it were irregular. For example, the past tense of drag is dragged, not "drug." The past tense of drown is simply drowned, not "drownded." Avoid these errors by memorizing the irregular verbs list and consulting a dictionary when in doubt. If the dictionary does not list the verb's principle parts, the verb is regular.

Examples 1

Write the past and past participle forms of each verb. Refer to the irregular verbs list if necessary.

Solutions

We refer to the irregular verbs list to find the past tense and past participle of each verb.

1. burst, burst, (has) burst
2. forsake, forsook, (has) forsaken
3. eat, ate, (has) eaten
4. draw, drew, (has) drawn
5. catch, caught, (has) caught
6. fly, flew, (has) flown
7. flee, fled, (has) fled
8. dive, dove, (has) dived
9. see, saw, (has) seen
10. ride, rode, (has) ridden
11. go, went, (has) gone
12. give, gave, (has) given
13. make, made, (has) made
14. lie, lay, (has) lain
15. lie, lied, (has) lied
16. hang, hanged, (has) hanged
17. hang, hung, (has) hung
18. write, wrote, (has) written
19. think, thought, (has) thought
20. swim, swam, (has) swum
21. sleep, slept, (has) slept
22. stand, stood, (has) stood
23. swing, swung, (has) swung
24. wring, wrung, (has) wrung

Examples 2

Write the correct verb form for each sentence. Refer to the irregular verbs list if necessary.

1. I (fleed, fled) out the door with a lump in my throat.
2. The last day had (come, came) too soon.
3. It had (catched, caught) us by surprise.
4. Tennessee Williams (came, come) to be regarded as one of the foremost dramatists of the twentieth century.
5. Some critics (feeled, felt) that A Streetcar Named Desire was the best play ever written by an American.
6. Unfortunately, the dramatist (fell, fallen) under the influence of drugs and alcohol in his later years.
7. George Mason (brang, brought, brung) his thoughts together in the Fairfax Resolves.
8. He had not (forsook, forsaken, forsake) his conscience.
9. George Mason (draw, drew, drawn) up the Fairfax Resolves knowing that war was almost inevitable.
10. The sun (rised, rose) at six a.m.
11. Oh dear, I've (losed, lost) my homework again!
12. Abraham Lincoln (run, ran) for office several times before he was elected.
13. Despite criticism, William Wordsworth (hold, held) to his belief that poetry should draw from the scenes and events of everyday life.
14. He (seen, saw) beauty everywhere in nature.
15. George Mason (give, gave, given) his reasons for opposing the Constitution.
16. George Washington had (mistake, mistook, mistaken) the honest intentions of George Mason.
17. By the end of the bath, Fido had (shook, shaken) water all over the place!
18. Salina has (wove, woven) some pretty baskets.
19. She (swang, swung) the bat for strike two.
20. A grateful person (thinked, thought) that the Unknown Soldier should be honored.
21. The enemy had (slew, slain) this soldier.
22. The soldier (stood, standed) for others who lost their lives in the war.

Solutions

We refer to the irregular verbs list for the following answers:

1. I fled out the door with a lump in my throat.
2. The last day had come too soon.
3. It had caught us by surprise.
4. Tennessee Williams came to be regarded as one of the foremost dramatists of the twentieth century.
5. Some critics felt that A Streetcar Named Desire was the best play ever written by an American.
6. Unfortunately, the dramatist fell under the influence of drugs and alcohol in his later years.
7. George Mason brought his thoughts together in the Fairfax Resolves.
8. He had not forsaken his conscience.
9. George Mason drew up the Fairfax Resolves knowing that war was almost inevitable.
10. The sun rose at six a.m.
11. Oh dear, I've lost my homework again!
12. Abraham Lincoln ran for office several times before he was elected.
13. Despite criticism, Wordsworth held to his belief that poetry should draw from the scenes and events of everyday life.
14. He saw beauty everywhere in nature.
15. George Mason gave his reasons for opposing the Constitution.
16. George Washington had mistaken the honest intentions of George Mason.
17. By the end of the bath, Fido had shaken water all over the place!
18. Salina has woven some pretty baskets.
19. She swung the bat for strike two.
20. A grateful person thought that the Unknown Soldier should be honored.
21. The enemy had slain this soldier.
22. The soldier stood for others who lost their lives in the war.